The Grey Horse

Speaking of Photo Shoots

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I had a professional photo shoot done this summer. Mom and I suprised Brita with a disk full of hundreds of shots of yours truely engaged in a wide spectrum of activities.

There are photos of me being temperate and gentle.

Power shots...

Athletic shots demostrating my loft and suspension...

And shots displaying my tempestuous and wild side.

Yes, I can be a devilish, spinning dervish. It's amazing that I allow myself to be ridden at all.

But in all of them, I am beautiful

Well, in most of them...

Beautiful Blogger

2011-11-16T19:04:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I have been remiss in my blogging duties of late... busy busy and all that. but, I have been awarded the beautiful blogger award by two of my dedicated readers. A stipulation of receiving this award is recommending fifteen blogs and sharing this award with
them. I don't know if I will achieve a list of 15, but here goes, in no particular order:

1. Riding Aside

2.Dressage Aside

3. I Is Roxie

4. Millésimé Equestrienne

5. Paradigm Farms Retirement

6. Side Saddle Girl

7. Side Saddle Quest

8. When Sally Met Harry

9. Saddlebred in the Making

10. A Day in the Life

The other stipulation of this award is to
share seven things about myself.

1. I wear a size two shoe.

2. I have a bad habit of eating wood.

3. I was born chestnut with a star, and in the summer, you can still see my star.

4. I was an embryo transfer foal.

5. I am claustrophobic about horse trailers and being tied to strange things like posts

6. I like to pinch people when they're not looking

7. My favorite scratchy place is between my jaw bones

I Might be Famous

2011-11-16T08:55:00.002-05:00

Remember my Celebrity Photo Shoot back in 2009? Well, the book is out. And you can view my photo on Amazon. Gee, I think I'm famous.

An Apple a Day

2011-09-25T19:23:00.002-04:00

Well, make that "An Apple a Week".

What's the point of eating your Wheaties and working out if you can't indulge in a treat now and then? Plus, Brita says if I eat while I exercise, it doesn't count.

Editor's note:

It's amazing what horses remember and understand. Last week I had picked an apple from the tree, and when Grey heard me eating it, he begged, and I handed him the core from his back. I picked a second one, ate half, and dropped the rest on the ground where he discovered it. This week, when we came into the orchard, he went straight to that tree, stopped, and reached around to ask for his reward!

I had to pick another apple and drop it before he would look for them on the ground. His manners under saddle prevented him from reaching down there on his own. Once he found them though, it was hard to limit him to just one. He sure enjoys them, and makes them sound so luscious.

Apples!

2011-09-13T19:50:00.002-04:00

I haven't seen an apple in over a year. They're not on my diet. I believed they had gone extinct.

We've been exploring new trails on our rides, and what's this? Snacks on the ground? Here are all the apples!

Mmmmmm! Crunchy! They've been hiding in this little pasture all along!

Apples as far as the eye can see!

And up in the TREES! What do I have to do to get to stay in this pasture?

Friday Funny

2011-09-02T13:05:00.003-04:00

This isn't related to any current happenings, but Brita has been talking about getting us a bareback pad to use this winter, and I thought it might be funny to get one embroidered with this...

Or is that too "bad-ass biker Billy" of me? Maybe it would be more appropriate to get her a pink one that says this....

What do you all think?

Congratulations!

2011-08-27T20:23:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to my big brother CH Revolver who won the County Fair class Fine Harness horse World's Championship earlier this week. Mama and I are sure proud!

Wildlife

2011-08-25T19:17:00.003-04:00

One day the great outdoors came in and disrupted my barn time. As I was being tacked up, something whooshed into the crosstie area, fluttered under my chin, and crashed into the wall.
It was a crash landing, kamikaze, baby sparrow. Mom scooped it up and showed it to our border. Poor little guy was lost.

When we returned from our ride, we found an odd sign in the aisle. Mom had gone to the house before she remembered to tell Brita about the toad invasion. They can get underfoot if you don't watch out.

Oh there he is, over by the wall where it's safe. No one wants to step on a toad. They squeak!

Oh No! My Feets!

2011-08-11T19:57:00.006-04:00

You know that all this hot dry weather and hard ground had to take it's toll eventually...

**Sigh**

My feets hurt

The ground has been like concrete. And the road crew spread rocks on my jogging path. So I have been a little tender footed lately. Not lame, but very short and careful. I pick my way around the rocks and trot uneven on hard ground. My farrier came and looked and said he found a "nasty black spot". I wish I could have seen, but it was on the bottom near my toe. Yup, that's where it hurts.

So Brita ordered some Magic Goo which she spread in my feet. When I put my foot down, is squished out the back. Now I know how people feel when they walk barefoot in mud and it squished between their toes. Ewwwwww......

She patted sawdust on the bottom, and wrapped my hooves to keep me from tracking it all over the barn. Don't my toes look fancy?

They're my Magic shoes.

I feel so sporty!

How Hot Is It?

2011-07-21T23:00:00.002-04:00

It's so hot, the grey horses are melting like snowmen.

My time with Brita is usually in the hottest part of the day. It’s too hot to do anything, even too hot to ride in the shady woods. I’m usually all melty and cranky to start with anyway, so first I get a cool bath,

and then I stand in front of the big fans to dry off, and Brita rubs all my itches with a big rough towel.

The fans are big enough that they even blow a horse around.

When I am feeling refreshed, we try to find some grass worth eating. There isn’t much left.

But we have a secret garden in a low part of the lawn where the grass is still lush and green.

First we sneaky through the old garden gate. Shhhhh.....

Then we check the flowers to see how they are growing.

There is a little dappled shade there too which looks good on me.

After I've eaten my fill of the lush, green grass, we sneaky back out so no one knows our secret.

Brita moves one of the big fans in front of my stall, and I find just the right spot to stand and doze the afternoon away. We are waiting for the rain, or at least a cool breeze.

Learn To Ride and Drive In Style

2011-07-05T20:25:00.003-04:00

Attention all you American Saddlebred fans out there. Here is an offer you can't refuse.

If anyone is interested in taking them up on their offer of a free lesson on an American Saddlebred, or driving a Hackney pony, and is having difficulty finding a local stable, please comment on this blog, and my network of Saddlebred loving humans will help you find one.

A Little Rain Must Fall

2011-06-24T17:40:00.002-04:00

Into every life, a little rain must fall. Why must it wait until my lesson?

At first it was merely annoying. I only once threatened to dump Brita in the mud and head to the barn. Then I staged a brief work stoppage over a very wet and suspicious looking weed.

But we soldier on....

Mom flees to the relative comfort of the front porch and hides between the hanging baskets.

OK, that's enough...everyone head for the barn!

Yes-Drill-Sar-geant

2011-06-12T16:10:00.007-04:00

For Christmas, with the assistance of Mom an Uncle Dad, I got Brita a gift certificate for some riding lessons so she could learn to ride better. I think all horses should do that. After all, we can only teach them so much. What Mom failed to mention, is that I would be responsible for carting Brita around while she learned. There was a lot of trotting. It can be a bit monotonous. But, we both paid attention as the instructor explained what was wrong with Brita's position...

It was fairly interesting...

But eventually I fell asleep.

Then they began what seemed like experimental procedures with my bit ...

to stop me from doing this....

Sometimes I do it just right.

Mom

2011-06-07T20:55:00.001-04:00

My sister Cocoa's people suprised me with some photos of my Mom.... Isn't she pretty?

We have a new little baby sister.

Even though I got my gorgeous color from my Mom, Brita still thinks I look just like my Dad. I'm so happy to have pictures of Mom. She's 24 years old, and still looking pretty darn good for her age. Ooops, sorry Mom, I probably shouldn't have told on you.

Make Hay When the Sun Shines

2011-06-02T15:20:00.007-04:00

The heat wave has broken, and today was the most beautiful summer day ever. Crystal blue skies, cool breezes, sunshine ... The best sort of day to be a horse.

The best news is the hay fields are being cut for chopped haylage, and there is finally firm earth baking in the sun and drying in the breeze. Perfect for a gallop. We have not been able to enjoy the fields at all yet because of the record rains. No sooner had Brita mounted up than one of those awful big trucks went rumbling by on the road. We beat feet for the first cut field which had been put up yesterday, and we had just cleared the roadside when the second truck appeared on the horizon. I took a good look at that, and Brita had visions of the last time we were in this predicament but I was more interested in stretching my legs and minding my manners.

We got a good trot around the field when the rest of the haylage procession showed up. One big green chopper, two tractors with hopper bins, then two more big trucks! We headed for the road so we wouldn't be trapped as they seemed to need our field to turn around in. There was a lot of commotion, and engines revving, and chopping and dumping on top of the cool breezes and sunshine. I trotted up and down the road in perfect form pretending I was in the show ring at the County Fair with all the farm equipment and activity. I kept my head, and my I looked fine.

After doing our fields and road work, we headed to the riding arena for a quick canter and I'll have you know I did nothing naughty. I took each lead with perfection and cantered politely. I have learned my lessons well. I barely broke a sweat, and I'll bet Brita even made it back to her office on time. I was faced with a whole army of monsters, and I behaved like a nobleman. Yes, today is a perfect day.

Jesus is Coming

2011-05-19T14:43:00.012-04:00

This Saturday apparently...

Which has inspired a whole week of "come to Jesus" meetings in the round pen so we can all be on our best behavior. hmmpphhfff

Maybe I did have some trouble with naughty bucks sneaking into my canter last weekend.

So this week has been spent on long lines where Brita and I can discuss our different opinions of this gait eye to eye.

Huff Puff OK I get it. In my opinion, drilling trot/canter/trot transitions is for four year olds. I am so past this

Truce?

Now this is the kind of Rapture I had in mind.

Meet my little sister: My Cocoa Latte

2011-05-12T20:38:00.003-04:00

The most interesting thing about the Internet is the social connection capabilities. Yes, Facebook and the Internet work for horses too! Not too long ago my little sister Cocoa found my blog through a friend of a friend and was able to contact me and reconnect. We have the same mom, Attache's Galatea, but different fathers. Here are some excerpts from our correspondence:

Dear William Pendleton,

Your blog was shared with me by another rider at my barn, as I am your sister! My owner and I live in Florida and I am training to be shown in the Country Pleasure class with my rider an 11-year old girl. You look like our Mom, she has the same coloring as you, she also lives in Florida, about 30 minutes from me. I look like my dad, a Bay.

I was born in TN, but moved to FL when I was young. I lived with my Mom and some other Saddlebreds with a man bought Mom (he is a farrier).He brought me to a nice barn with lots of kids and to be trained. That is where I met my people family. They tell me they fell in love with me the first time they saw me! When the farrier man thought I was ready for a forever family, the lady bought me as a surprise for the girl for her 11th birthday. We have been inseparable ever since! Mom lives at a very nice stable and is pregnant again!

I am so happy to find a sibling of mine and can't wait to hear about all our adventures and will keep up with your blog regularly.

Love you little sister,

Cocoa

Cocoa's people also shared some info with me about her bond with her young owner. It sounds like Cocoa is lucky to have a very kind family as I do, and they have bonded in a special way:

"She is very sweet and loves other animals. She gives kisses to the dogs and the goat that live that the stable. She gently leans into my daughter every time Julia goes into her stall. Her personality is the reason we bought her (we have never owned a horse before) not her pedigree.

She is being trained for ASB Country Pleasure and competed in her first show in March 2011. She can be a bit little lazy, but is VERY smart. Cocoa knows how to get her way and realizes Julia loves her as a pet, not just a show horse. Julia is having to learn many new things in order to keep her on track. The are like two peas in a pod and sometime I think Cocoa is the equine version of Julia (not just in personality, but also in physique). They are both very long-legged and lean, so they look great together in the ring. "

We congratulate Cocoa on finding such a wonderful family and wish her well in her future endeavors and hope to hear from her again. I do so hope she can get me a picture of my Mom Galatea for my scrap book!

Wild Meringue

2011-05-04T09:57:00.006-04:00

If you are a road horse, you encounter many strange objects while on your daily travels.

There are rocks which house trolls....

And trucks which can swallow a horse whole...

Farm Machinery...

Deadly Lurking Cow Monsters...

I’ve been accosted by dogs, free range chickens and silent but deadly alien bicycles. I’ve been surprised by the shadows of raptors flitting under my nose, and marched bravely past disembodied snowmen. The recent rains have turned into rushing torrents which make a thrilling noise and beg to be splashed in.

But I ask you, what in the name of all that is Holy…

...is THIS?

An escaped bubble bath? Swamp Ditch Monster eggs? The mother load of non-dairy topping? Have the free ranging chickens whipped up a Meringue?

Did the Man in the Moon drop his shaving cream?

It wonders me....

Royal William

2011-04-29T10:22:00.002-04:00

What's all this pish posh about a Royal Wedding? That's all that's on the News today. And since it is so in vogue, I think I shall update my nickername to something more trendy and ask to be referred to as "Wills".

The Windsor Greys were looking spectacularly clean!

Whoops!

These photos and more can be found at ABCnews.go.com

It ain't easy finding green

2011-04-27T09:22:00.004-04:00

Around here we wait for the grass to be in season with the same anticipation other people might wait for peaches or sweet corn. It's tough living in a climate where your favorite food is unavailable for almost 6 months of the year.

Finally the roadsides are showing enough green to be grazeable, and there the drainage has been good enough that I only sink a few inches.

We search and search for a good mouthful of grass.. and what's this?

I think I see a shadow! Those have been even more rare than grass.

Drainage Issues

2011-04-07T18:19:00.005-04:00

While we are waiting for the fields and such to dry out, I've been taking my exercise along the roadside. It is straight, and level and provides excellent footing except for this one spot. Puddles are rather troublesome elements. From a distance, they reflect the clouds and the sky and appear to be a tear in the very fabric of reality through which a careless horse and rider might plunge to their deaths. A cautious horse will approach a puddle with care to ascertain it's actual depth and consistency.

See now, this amount of water will never dry up if allowed to sit here and muddle.

This water must be spread out on the road to dry.

What we need here is an experienced excavator like myself to deal with this properly.

Pptthhhh... What? Do I have some on my face?

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-31T18:00:00.012-04:00

It's time to get this itchy winter coat off. I diligently work on rolling it off every day, but it helps to have a personal assistant to help with those hard to reach places. Especially my back. Oooo yeah, that's the spot.

Yup, get a stool and let's work on that spot properly.

A little to the right. No, the left... MY left.

Then we break out the power tools. The Dirt Devil and I have come to terms. Unlike our first meeting.

That rotary brush really smooths things out. But sometimes it tickles a bit.

I still don't like to come face to face with it.

But everything goes well since I am such a brave critter,

and in the end I get a peanut.

And a nose Smooch.

Spring has sprung...

2011-03-27T17:11:00.001-04:00

...The Grass has riz...

Oh really? And where would that be? All I see is muddy rocks.

Hows about a big muddy smooch?

I'm not the only one!

2011-03-15T15:50:00.010-04:00

The most amazing thing happened today. While we were out riding, I met another horse. He was just trotting down the road with his girl like I do. This is completely unprecedented!

At first I didn't even spot him. And I don't think he saw me. His name is Burt.

To be honest, I really didn't know how to act. I would have loved to run right up to him and wrestle. But I was asked to stand still at a respectful distance and visit. I did OK, but boy was I excited. Mom and Brita did not seem as surprised. Apparently they knew about Burt already. Burt's girl Jillian told us that Burt goes to school with her and they are home on Spring break. Burt used to be a race horse, now he's a show jumper. He says he jumps 3'6". Well, I can too. Right here right now. Straight up off both ends. Let's go buddy.

When he went on his way, Brita made me go the opposite direction. I was good and obeyed, but of course my concentration was totally shot. I mean, first warm Spring weather, and then a friend! She made me go back to the barn even though I hadn't gotten a chance to stretch my legs. I did have a minor explosion on the way down the driveway. Wheeee! I could barely contain myself. Brita put me back in my lot. What a bummer. This could have been the best day ever.

Paradigm Farms Horse Retirement: Welcome Home Miracle

2011-03-15T09:40:00.002-04:00

Paradigm Farms Horse Retirement: Welcome Home Miracle: "Today Miracle had an ending and a beginning. Her time at Sunkissed Acres came to an end today. Lori, the founder of Sunkissed Acres Rescue, ..."

The Grey Horse would like to take a moment to congratulate a fellow Grey Horse, "Miracle" on her good fortune in life and say "Good on you" to our friends Melissa and Jason at Paradigm Horse Farm for doing their part in the heart warming effort to make this right. Please click the link and read Miracle's story.

The Blue Stairs to Nowhere

2011-03-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

The other day I heard Brita in the barn, and I came running in to greet her. And there was the strangest object in the arena!

First I ran back and forth to get a good look at it from every angle. It was very peculiar, but it didn't move. Brita seemed unconcerned, and stood in the corner watching me. I was a bit unnerved. Things shouldn't just appear in the arena. Especially large, bright blue things.

Finally, I got up enough nerve to get close to it.

I smelled it. It smelled sort of... well... blue.

Then I felt it. It's rough in places, and if you run your chin back and forth over it, it feels funny.

Then I tasted it. And it didn't taste at all.

I tried to bite it. It's not chewable.

I pushed it, and it didn't run.

Then I thought about stomping it, and my next thought was... what would Brita think of that? She wasn't saying. She was being no help at all.

It seems to have a handle, but I can't get my teeth in it...

I give up. What does it do?

Home Movies

2011-02-24T20:48:00.007-05:00

Would you like to meet my father? This is a recent video of my sire Deep Blue. I think I look alot like him. I'm working on turning all brown too. It sure is nice to have some family movies.

Think Warm Thoughts

2011-02-01T16:13:00.003-05:00

Let's pretend for a minute.

There is no blizzard coming.

Strawberries are in season.

We need bug hats, not ear muffs.

Cool baths feel good.

My ears are not lost in chickie fluff, and the grass needs mowing.

The road is not covered in Ice

There is plenty of warm mud to play in

And the footing is lovely.

**Sigh**

Horse and Rider Communication

2011-01-29T19:17:00.002-05:00

Nothing says "I'd rather not be ridden bareback" like a little arena sand. I was afraid I went too far and she would mistake this for "I'd really like a bubble bath".

Wouldn't it be more fun to take the day off and throw some snow around? If I had hands instead of hooves, this snow ball would be much better.

You still want to go for a ride? Well, OK.

Brita took me in and did her best to clean me up. She did ride bareback (secretly my preference) but she had to sit on a towel. She was amazed when she dismounted to find that almost all of the dirt had magically faded and I was floofy and grey again..

Ice Age Terrors

2011-01-25T18:21:00.005-05:00

EeeeYiiiikes! The Ice Age has returned, and on it's southern most edge is an exodus of dinosaurs trying to escape the climate change! They lumber along the road browsing on trees and other forage. There are little green men riding on their heads helping them to eat the trees. They chew up large limbs and poop them right out almost immediately with a horrible rumble and a blast of gas.

I could hear something terrible outside my window this morning, but the extreme cold had frosted everything up and I couldn't make it out. Then Mom turned me out in the pasture to face this unknown terror all by myself! I certainly couldn't go out there alone. Finally she walked out with me as reinforcements. I was very alarmed! I snorted as loud as I could as a warning to all little woodland creatures. The dinosaurs were not driven to extinction by the last Ice Age. They have adapted and become more horrible than you can possibly imagine!

What should I do?!?

Snow Blind

2011-01-09T18:27:00.004-05:00

Besides keeping up with this year's New Year's Resolution, I have to continue to work on last year's. Last spring I went on a diet and lost #100. To keep it off, we have to do a little gym work two or three days a week. The problem with working in the dim, dusty, cloudy light of my work out room, is that when I trot past the open door, I'm blinded by the brightness. I don't like to get too close to that wall. There are monsters out that door.

There it is! In the pure whiteness of the snow... a black devil cow!

Brita insists I use the whole room, and get closer to the wall, and then I see it... a second devil cow! Oh no! The further over I get, the more trouble I see.

And you know what two devil cows are... the beginning of a HERD.

But besides the blinding snow issue, I rather enjoy winter. I spend a lot of time just standing around in the warm sunshine, peacefully nibbling my hay, dreaming of spring grass.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

My New Year's Resolution is to stay cleaner.

I'll start tomorrow.

Mmmm... snow cones.

Dear Santa....

2010-12-23T17:50:00.002-05:00

...I have been such a good boy all year, and still my people insist on dressing me up like one of your little helpers. Why is that?

Please bring fresh celery. We haven't had anything green to eat in weeks and weeks. In fact, a whole veggie tray would be great. You can skip the dip.

Snow Days

2010-12-13T16:20:00.007-05:00

We are now in the middle of Blizzard #2 with 18 inches expected by tomorrow. The best part is that "school's out". No one wants to do any serious work. Running repeated tiny circles indoors is boring, and it can be hard on the joints so we don't do that every day or for very long. There is no chance of riding outside. Even if we could get past the glare ice on the driveway to the snowy roadside, we can't get to the fields. If we could get through the very wide, very deep and very hard snow banks, there is now a nasty crusty layer in the snow due to the 3 feet of snow being rained on all day Sunday before the fluffy stuff started again. We don't like to ride on the roadside because we can't get off of it, and if something bad came along, like a deadly giant snow plow, we would have to run up to a quarter of a mile to get to a cleared driveway.

So, I have been keeping the escape route clear and playing in the snow. Brita knows that running around in two feet of snow is a pretty good work out. When we get a blue sky break, she likes to stand out back with me and just enjoy whatever the season has to offer. That is usually a lot of hay eating...Mom spreads it all over and makes a game of it...

...and listening intently to sounds off in the distance.

But I also make snow angels... which Mom uses as spots to hold my hay.

And I play wild stallion.

Yee Ha!

Digging Out

2010-12-09T20:14:00.003-05:00

I'm trying to keep the paths open as an escape route out of the barn.

Sometimes you can get to feeling a bit bogged down in this stuff...

... and you just have to make a run for it.

I don't think I can feel the bottom.

Just throw your shoulders into it and go!

Sometimes home can seem like a long hike away.

I've got to get some momentum to make it past the tight spot.

Look Out! Comin' through. My feet are cold.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

2010-12-07T18:33:00.004-05:00

... but inside the footing is so delightful. Uncle Dad spread nice fresh sand in my playroom and it's just the right consistency for me to run laps. Which is good because we haven't been able to ride outside for a week. It started snowing and it won't stop.

As of last Saturday, the grass is all gone.

Whatever will I do with myself until spring?

Sigh....

Casual Friday

2010-11-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you just couldn't be troubled to get all spiffed up? And you didn't want to waste any time on the nonessentials when there were more important things to be done?

Brita has finally stopped interfereing with my glorious mud spa routine. After all, I'm just going to have to re-do it after she leaves. The first couple of years, it was all primping and blanketing. My clothes were laundered once a week, and my tail wash washed and fluffed. Now, the clothes reside cozily in the tack trunk all fluffy and clean smelling and only come out when I'm feeling icky and shivery. I'm coated from head to toe in two inches of muck, Brita only carves out a clean spot where the saddle goes. Sometimes it takes awhile to work out compromises so that everyone gets what they want.

Get out and Vote!

2010-11-01T18:15:00.002-04:00

...so we can put away these spooky signs. They make unexpected moves in the wind, and creep me out.

Family Foto Friday

2010-10-29T16:15:00.006-04:00

Ride 'em Cowgirl!

So you say that it used to be so much more fun to ride a silver pony that felt like a coiled spring.... ready to test the limits of one horse power in a vertical context? Sissy... Get out yer winter gear, and let's ride!

"Bronco Billy"

Bless Me

2010-10-20T17:57:00.002-04:00

Dear Linda Fromouttatown,

I heartily apologise for emptying the entire contents of my left nostril directly into your face. I know you were only admiring my soft, velvety, grey nose. But when Brita showed you how irrestistably kissable it was, I got a tickle. In fact, I think she might have infected me with the sniffles she had last week. I'm glad she had a mostly clean tissue in her pocket to help you round up the chunks. I hope you won't hold it against me and will come back to visit soon. I haven't seen you all afternoon, and you were around a lot for the past week, so I imagine you've gone back to Georgia where cold and flu season is a few weeks behind. Really, in the future, you shouldn't get that close to a guy's nose. Murphy's Law will certainly take over.

Sincerely,
William Pendleton Grey Esq.

I tried to save them... but they wouldn't listen.

2010-10-12T15:58:00.004-04:00

This morning the Evil Transporter Device backed up to the cow pasture gate and the two fat steers were loaded and taken away. I did my best to save them. I bucked and kicked and whirled and whinnied at the top of my lungs like I do whenever the Evil Transporter is in action.

Mom shut me in the barn so I couldn’t see, but still I cried. “Nay.... do not go into the Transporter Device. It is very dangerous!” I was so insistent that Uncle Dad threatened to muzzle me.

They did resist, but the fat steers are so passive (and I suspect a bit dumb) so in the end, they succumbed to the persuasion and bribery and were taken away. The Evil Transporter has returned empty to lurk outside the barn and I fear I shall never see my bovine neighbors again. Alas, the insatiable, yawning, maw of the Transporter Device frets me so. Nothing good can come of this.

A Cure for the “Octobers”

2010-10-07T16:57:00.009-04:00

It finally stopped raining! Hooray! We haven’t seen the sun in over 10 days, and we were rewarded with a perfect autumn day… high, crystal blue skies, lush green grass, and brilliant color. What a view… and what’s that I spy?

Tally ho!

The oatfield, now lush with a winter cover of red clover, was a bit mushy, but the gusty winds will soon take care of that! As soon as I rounded the lower end, I slipped into a brisk canter just knowing that I would be allowed to breeze up the side. Brita had forgotten her grab strap so she gave me a cautionary warning and tried to keep up. I held it together (despite a motorcycle whizing by) and it felt so good to get out and stretch my legs!

Mom met us on the roadside to take some pictures.

I don’t remember my canter depart being that ummm…. abrupt. Normally I am a pretty mellow fellow. But it made for inspirational photography!

Did you know....

2010-09-21T19:48:00.012-04:00

... that there are people who will come to your house and spend hours doing nothing other than rub your sore spots? There ARE. If I had known that, I would have ordered one long ago. Mom and Brita got me a session, and it was a really nice surprise, because as we all know, after the recent events around here, Brita is the one who could really use the back rub.

Brita came to ride a little later than usual, and we did a nice slow warm up. I'm doing so well with my new Dee bit. We're even starting to work on "simple changes" which are not simple at all. It took me 5 and 6 trot strides to realise I was supposed to canter again. But, I'm catching on, and I'm sure it will become more organised soon.

After I was put up and dry, a visitor arrived. Her name was Marnee and she came from Aways-a-way, which is where all good horse professionals seem to come from. Finally an Equine Practitioner who does not pull horse juice, jab me with potentially deadly viruses, or rattle my head with corded power tools. I LIKE her!

She got real familiar real fast. I don't like people messing with the top of my neck. Brita told her she thought I have tempermandibblersomethingorother. Marnee just said I was "out" at my poll, which is not the same as being out of my head. I hope.

She poked and prodded a bit, but she had some real nice smelling stuff...

...And before long I was making a happy face.

Then she rubbed my favorite spots. She said my neck was really tight, especially on this side.

When she got to my shoulders and chest I really got into it.

And I stretched waaaaayyyyy back to loosen the right muscles and get the full benefit.

She also spent time on my back and legs.

My back had some sore spots which made Brita feel bad, but Marnee assured her they weren't so bad that Brita shouldn't sit on them.

After all this rubbing and loosening, I went for a little walk, then Marnee got up on a mounting block and cracked my sackereallyack. You could really hear it pop. We all wonder if now my tail will follow straight behind me.

Afterwards, my friend Face-Off got a massage and adjustment too. He's been REALLY cranky under saddle because he says everything hurts, and not just his feet. After his session, he leaped and jumped around. I think we all feel better tonight. Brita says it was reasonable enough that if this makes us feel this good, we can have to done more regular, and in the mean time, she learned a few places that I need a good rubbing.

Such a Mellow Fellow

2010-09-19T18:28:00.009-04:00

.... and then some days I am so mellow that you would never believe that I could pull stunts like throwing my rider and performing airs above the ground. Some days I have what Brita calls a "quiet mind". On days like these, sometimes it is difficult to coax me out of a meandering walk.

Part of it is that I got a new bit that I really like. It's smooth, and unchewable. It does not beg to be fiddled with like some of the other bits I have known.

It doesn't make me want to do this....

Or this...

It makes me much more relaxed, and as Brita says, "almost straight necked" which is sort of a big deal for a Saddlebred, as we have very flexible, hingy necks and sensitive mouths.

My quiet day just happened to correspond with the re-emergence of the caveleggies. It's been almost a year since I've seen them as they were acting as the table legs for the hay soaking station. Nowadays, all my hay has been showing up dry, and the caveleggies are back in action. I admit I didn't feel much like doing serious exercise, but I know if I'm pointed at a row of poles I am supposed to come out the other side, so I did my work.

We did some dressage, which I think is soooOoooo boring. Sure, it comes in handy now and then. It's important to be able to leg yield so you can avoid mailboxes or chuck holes when you're out hacking. And yes, I suppose it makes my gaskins look sexy, but other than that, I lose interest really fast.

I was so good and quiet, naturally it was a good time to go out and about, so we took a tour of the fields and watched the farmer discing the cornfield (from a safe vantage point). I was so quiet I would have been a safe mount for even the most timid rider.

This is Brita's favorite time of the year to ride. There's something about the September sky and the colors and the air quality that make her want to travel. Last year we even came across a fox. Wouldn't it be fun to ride to hounds and gallop with a purpose? I don't know if I will ever be trained enough to jump fences and mind my manners on cold foggy mornings, but we went and leapt the ditch between the fields for practice anyway.

Schooling Haute Ecole

2010-09-14T19:50:00.004-04:00

It seems we just can't get any serious work done, these days, without being interrupted by monsters. No sooner had we gotten saddled up than a troop of tree killers arrived right outside the arena with a Bob Cat and chainsaws. I found it difficult to concentrate, but was well behaved until the Lime Green Ax Murderer sprang from the bushes.

See... there he is right there. Lurking just like Big Foot.

We stopped to watch them for a few minutes, then Brita decided our schooling session was done because she no longer had control of my neck. As we exited the arena and down the slope towards the barn, I made use of my nice warm up session, and began schooling myself in the Croupade.

It's a very difficult piece of Aires Above the Ground, and earned me a trip around the yard and up and down the driveway to collect my thoughts before we headed back to the barn. Admit it, if you knew a Lime Green Ax Murderer was lurking in the underbrush behind you, you would have been jumpy too.

P.S. Brita stayed in the general vicinity of the saddle. But she called me a naughty word.

The Big Five-Oh

2010-09-08T19:17:00.005-04:00

We've tipped the scales at fifty followers! Jason, I think it was you. Who knew that dumping my rider would get us just the publicity we needed to reach this milestone.

And now as a reward, some old pictures you haven't seen of other firsts in my life.

My first picture at my new home (I still have my hip sticker on)

My first try at being a five gaited horse (Look Ma, no Helmet!)

Going to pick up my first blue ribbon.

Stay tuned for more adventures.........

Whoops

2010-09-02T20:27:00.014-04:00

Whoops, I dropped my passenger. I feel terrible about it. It isn't something I normally do. You see, we had another alien visitation. I could hear them all morning in the fields, and I was too nervous to be out in my pasture. When Brita came to ride, she found me hiding in the arena where I can run in and out. She could tell I was very disturbed, but told me she would go show me what was happening, and then I would see it was alright.

I could see what looked to be a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster away in the fields. There were those big red trucks coming and going. It all looked OK, and I was walking calmly through the field when it happened. One of those big trucks pulled up nearby, downshifted with a roar, and belched black smoke. This startled my into a series of unfortunate events.

First this happened....

... and Brita landed behind the saddle on my butt, which scared me worse, and I thought the monster had grabbed my flank. So I bucked a bit.... sending her into orbit....

And when she came down, she wasn't in the right place again....

So I bucked a few more times.... ( I was just trying to help, I swear)

And deposited her with unfortunate velocity into the dirt.

Then I ran home as fast as I could to find Mom.

To say Mom was alarmed to see me arrive home alone was an understatement.

But Brita wasn't too far behind. She hollered after me to let everyone know to call off the search, and then she got right back on and made me go back to the field. I certainly didn't want a repeat of that. I found out what the monster was, and it didn't look like it had time to eat a horse.

I brought her home safe and sound in the end, but boy did I feel bad. She hosed me off with cold water and I didn't even squirm. I was afraid to behave badly after my performance in the field. I couldn't even look her in the eye, and was afraid to ask for my peppermint. She gave me one anyway for standing so well for my shower.

I feel very sheepish about the whole thing. Mom says I've been too quiet all afternoon and that obviously I feel bad. I wonder how Brita feels?

illustrations from Thelwell Horse Box: Norman Thelwell

My Modeling Career

2010-08-20T21:35:00.014-04:00

Because I'm such a handsome fella, somedays Brita just like to spiffy me up and take pictures. She said of all the hundreds of beautiful pictures there isn't one fancy "conformation" shot, and we really should get one of those. Okay, I'm good at standing around looking pretty. How's this?

Oh... I shouldn't look directly at the camera. It shortens my neck? And it wasn't quite the right angle. Well, git in the right spot!

Huh? Whadya say? There's a fly on my nose?

So we tried again. And again. I got bored.... This is taking for-eh-VUH!

Ah, that's a nice pose. Perfect.

Now stand like a "real" Saddlebred.

What do you mean? Like this?

Get over my front end? Do you know what she's talking about?

Me either. Wake me up when it's over.

Whoops, I think you dropped something. You shouldn't go waving towels around like that. It's distracting.

Wait, do you have SNACKS?

You do! Let me have one!
Gimmee Gimmee Gimmee

This is the sort of pose I'm good at.

The End.

Thirst Quenchers

2010-08-15T20:44:00.004-04:00

There are few things more refreshing, after a ride on a hot day, than a little porch time and some iced tea. What are your favorite drinks?

The Prince and the Potato

2010-08-12T16:12:00.011-04:00

It has been so awful hot and sticky around here lately. Even though it’s only in the mid-eighties, I am usually damp and miserable by early afternoon when Brita takes her lunch break and comes for a ride. We go riding anyway, because a casual stroll around the hay fields is the only way to catch a breeze, and we can enjoy the good parts of summer like the shade of the apple orchard and the monarch butterflies on the milkweed instead of just sweltering in the barn and being grumpy about it.

But when we get back to the barn I’m terribly itchy and there seems to be no remedy for it. Even a cool bath and a fan and a nice scratchy towel won’t make me happy. So instead of spending an hour primping and fussing Brita just turned me loose and let me deal with it my way. Fragrant liniments and fancy combs have their place, but sometimes it better to just stretch out and scratch. I headed straight for the potato patch.

I’ll bet you didn’t realize I was a gardener. While we were waiting for the new grass to grow in my little pasture, we planted some potatoes. Now that they’re pulled up the spot makes a great wallow hole. I don’t just grow vegetables, I also have a pretty Morning Glory on the gate post.

I rolled on both sides in the potato patch. It felt so good. It took care of all the drips on my belly, and the water creeping down my legs. I didn’t even get too dirty.

But I made an awful face when I was about to get up.

Brita came to investigate and see what the problem was, and she found this big rock.

It was a 10 pounder requiring two hands to pick up. Owie. But that’s not all. Besides the rock, there was a stray potato!

Have you ever had a potato in your bed? It’s worse than having a pea under your mattress. It gives a whole new twist to the age old problem of lumpy, smashed potatoes.

But I sure do like my little pasture

Strange Sights

2010-08-07T18:16:00.008-04:00

Have you ever seen an object looming on the horizon and you just had no idea what the heck it was?

And the closer you get to it, the scarier and more confusing it looks? Well, horses have a lot of those moments. This thing looked, for all the world, like an alien ready to swallow me. Mom says it was a country sky scraper.

It makes much more sense from this angle, but this angle frightened me most. All that thing needed to do was make a noise, and I would have beat feet for home! It was all very tense. How on earth can your humans act calm and unconcerned in the face of a weird occurrence like this? They acted as if nothing was wrong, and actually scolded me for puffing up and threatening to run. And Brita grabbed my neck and yelled "BOO!" which wasn't funny at all.

These photos were obviously not taken on my first encounter with this creature. I think all you would have seen were photos of the sky, and the ground and my mane. And they would have all been blurry. After I got used to it being there, Brita went back to the barn for her phone. She hadn't planned on doing any photo journalism today, but this was too important a News item to overlook. This creature, whatever it is, and it's companions, have laid waste to one of our fields. They've tracked it up horrible, and stolen all the oats. We went through the field, and I looked for evidence despite the obvious risk of encountering bobby traps.

After all this excitement, we headed into the cow pasture and onto the wooded trails. And, we revisited the Grand Canyon, and it's much much larger tributaries. Luckily Mom and Uncle Dad went with us on foot to show me the way. I'm very concerned about quick sand, and if I see Mom walk across a suspect area, I know it's safe. I don't encounter any quick sand or canyons or fallen trees in my little pasture, so all this stuff is very strange to me.

We found a couple of these wild rivers with slippery rocks and actual WATER in them. I was very brave. Moments after this picture, I figured out a solution to the slippery rocks. I jumped from this very spot, landing well above the rocks and on the other bank. Mom said it was a perfect and impressive leap. Brita called me William the Conqueror and said I was bravest I've ever been. So, that was our day. See what can happen when you leave your camera at home and think you'll just take a nice little stroll on a quiet summer morning? Stuff happens!

Ummm... Bif....

2010-07-28T09:34:00.006-04:00

I think I found what your mother is looking for.

Muphfm.....mpfftthhhh.....wffggh.....!

Distractions

2010-07-27T19:19:00.004-04:00

Usually, when we go for rides, we're all alone. Today Face-Off was also being ridden.

It was a little distracting at first (uh oh, here he comes again)

And I didn't want to get too close to him while I was working, because he has been known to be very grouchy and try to kick my butt.

So I kept a careful eye on him, and gave him his space. (whew, he went past)

I did get a little "animated" in my canter because I was a little excited to have company. But I was very well behaved, and earned double celery!

Where do people go?

2010-07-21T14:50:00.004-04:00

I've just been pondering this existential question. When Brita isn't here... where is she? When Mom isn't here, she's down at her barn. I can see it from here. If she isn't waiting on me hand and hoof, she's down there. If I bang on the walls and yell, she comes popping out the door to see what I want.

But Brita puzzles me a bit more. She is only here for a few hours at a time, and there can be disturbingly long gaps between appearances. And when she comes she brings a lot of food and equipment. Where does that come from? Does she make it? And if she does make it, why is there sometimes a celery shortage? How does she get my jammies to smell like flowers?

And where do the other horses go? I haven't seen Ace in weeks. He got in the scary horse transporter device, and he hasn't been heard from since. Copy get's in the transporter quite often. She goes and she comes back. Then she goes again. And comes back. Every time someone gets in one of those things it really worries me. I bang on the walls and holler and run around. Sometimes Mom puts me in my room and closes all the doors, but I can still see out my window.

Maybe Copy knows how to operate the device. Maybe she's going somewhere with unlimited clover and shady trees and carrots. Maybe the reason Ace has been gone so long is because something went wrong and he's caught in a parallel universe and can't get back. Youngsters shouldn't try stuff like that until they're older and wiser. These are the things that worry me. Maybe he's been eaten by a space monster. Every time I've gotten in that thing, I've always ended up somewhere new and strange and never made it back to the starting point. Well the last few times we've made it back, but I'm not sure how it happens so it makes me uneasy.

Showing Horses in the Heat

2010-07-09T08:52:00.015-04:00

**Editor Interruption**

Mom said to me yesterday, as we were sitting on tack trucks eating sherbet, "Aren't you glad we aren't at a horse show in this heat?" I reminded her that the Lexington Jr. League Horse Show is this week. Not only am I glad I'm not sitting there in a heat wave (because I've experienced that joy before) but can you imagine hauling this rig all the way from California to Lexington, Kentucky and outfitting it? Even the headers were dressed as clowns! Thank God it didn't rain! Michele McFarlane always goes above and beyond the call of duty, and she has a grand imagination and the budget to back it up.

This is Michele McFarlane's circus wagon which I understand will represent the American Saddlebred breed in exhibitions at the World Equestrian Games. Michele is driving, and that looks like Don Trunk sitting beside her. Yes, I know Michele has a staff to help with these things but WoW! Just....WoW!

More photos of the Concourse D'Elegance can be found on Howie Schatzberg's site. Go to Thursday Evening Class 202 and click on any individual photo to see an enlarged version.

This is my favorite... Awesome! This is 2007 World's Champion Five Gaited horse Casey's Final Countdown who Michele imported from South Africa.

You will probably also enjoy the Four in Hand Coaching class below it.

Now I guess I'll have to check the results to see if any of Grey's brother's or sisters were showing.

** Update** Grey's big brother Preston won the Stallion/Gelding Fine Harness class. Good Luck Preston in the Championship!!

I'm Melting...melting....

2010-07-08T16:00:00.009-04:00

At what temperature does horse begin to melt? How about sizzle?
It’s so awfully hot and I feel sticky. The flies are bitey and the grass is either dry and tasteless or wilted and tasteless.

Every one is cranky. Today Brita tied me to the wall again and attacked me with a water hose. She claims to have only wanted to shampoo my tail, but I admit I still have some trouble standing still when tied, and the situation escalated until I was soaking wet from my ears to my toes, and there was a dry, horse-shaped spot on the arena wall. Everything else in the vicinity was soaking wet.

Once I realized it was only water, I felt better about it, and even splashed it with my lips. It didn’t feel half bad. But afterwards I had drippies running down my legs and pooling under my tummy and it made me itchy and wiggly all over again. My tail did turn out fluffy and white.

Another big problem is that the wind machines are stalking me and blowing their hot breath on me every where I go. It makes me nervous.

Under Attack

2010-06-24T14:50:00.004-04:00

There is something trying to get into the barn and eat me. I don't think that closing the doors and windows will help because it's trying to come right through the wall. It's creeping me out. And it's elusive. I sent Brita out to try to get a good look at it, and like most unidentifiable monsters, it refuses to be photographed. I think it may be related to Big Foot .

Wet Saddle Pads

2010-06-19T19:47:00.005-04:00

Whoever said that the best way to train a horse was a lot of wet saddle pads was a big meanie. Brita set out today to ride me until I got tired. She managed to ride me until I was sweaty and itchy and thirsty and cranky. I could have gone longer, but I didn't want to. We did ride until Brita got tired. I sweated so much my coat turned almost blue. Actually it wasn't that bad. We didn't see any flies, but I got really itchy by the time we got home and had to keep stopping to rub my face. As soon as my bridle was off I got some big, cold, juicy stalks of celery which were so refreshing. Then I got a nice warm bath and a fan, and I grazed in the breeze for awhile. I guess I'm not that cranky about it any more. But I WAS.

How do you like my new hat? It keeps the bugs out of my ears. The ears are too big, but we can fix that. I have shapely little Saddlebred ears. Not big muley ears.

Lazy Hazy Grazy Dayz of Summer

2010-06-13T19:40:00.003-04:00

When it's 80+ degrees at 10 in the morning. And your rider can't bring herself to put on boots. So she shows up at the barn in short pants and flip flops.... you know not much constructive is going to get done.

And look....

It's Strawberry season again!

Prepare for Takeoff

2010-06-07T19:39:00.011-04:00

An alarming new piece of equipment has arrived at the barn. Actually, there are two. They’re related to a helicopter, or maybe a prop plane. You can practically feel the energy they generate when they’re preparing for take-off. The most worrisome part is that they are both aimed right at me. Thankfully, only the one across the aisle seems to be active. The one behind me in the cross ties hasn’t made a sound, so I’ve mostly ignored it. Is it looking at me? It is, isn't it?

I was OK with the wind maker at first, but when we came back in from riding, it went faster, and created more wind, and I was literally blowing around in it. I could barely control my hind end. First it blew to the left, and then it blew all the way over to the right, and back again. I felt like a whirly-gig. The funny part was that Brita was trying to braid my tail at the time, and she was dangling around back there like the tail of a kite. This made her cranky, so she went over and fixed the windmaker so it was a little quieter, and didn’t make as much wind, and I was able to stand still finally.

Training note of the week:

When cantering, always make sure you are rounding your back and using all your muscles. This may be a little difficult for your rider, but they will be just fine, although they may not be able to sit as pretty as they would like.

Round boundy canters are more fun for the rider anyway, because everyone enjoys a challenge. Don't forget to bounce your butt up...

But this roundness and bouncing might cause your saddle to creep up around your shoulders and armpits which is uncomfortable. When that happens, blame your rider and threaten to dump the whole package in the sand. Sounds effects like that of a rodeo bronc will help drive home your point.

Afterall, you were just doing what you were supposed to. It’s not your fault if stuff gets out of place and pinches. It is totally your rider's fault and she should be held accountable.

If she's still aboard, finish up with a nice workmanlike trot to let her know there are no hard feelings.

Bath Time

2010-05-25T19:37:00.002-04:00

So here I am, soaking wet, tied to the wall.

I feel much better now, and I was sort of full of shenanigans today. It's been awhile since I got to go out in the hay fields. First we did a few days of schoolwork in the arena, then I was infected with a potentially deadly disease, then it rained. So I was feeling pretty good to be out. Aaand I may have been a little naughty. Anyway, I am back from what was supposed to be a quiet stroll around the freshly mown hay fields soaking wet with sweat and covered in flyspray scum. Brita had been saying how clean I've been lately. I'm almost all shed out and slicked up in my summer coat and I haven't had any mud to roll in.

Brita brought me in, skipped my snack, and tied me to the wall. I don't like being tied to the wall. But since she got that magic ring, I've gotten tired of trying to figure out how to pull the wall down. It just doesn't work anymore. nothing breaks, the rope just keeps coming and coming and coming... So I've learned to stand still. And this is what it gets me. Actually, the warm water did feel sort of good. but don't tell anybody. Aren't my dapples pretty when they're wet?

Ouch! Again!

2010-05-20T19:45:00.007-04:00

I've been on Light Duty again because I have an Owie. I like Light Duty, because it mostly involves lawn mowing. See the Owie on my chest?

It's all sore and swollen and twice the size of the other side. You see Knucklehead across the aisle...

...had the Doctor in to see about his boy parts. And while the Doctor was here, he slipped into my stall and jabbed me. What is it about Doctors? Is it possible for them to visit and NOT poke a needle full of some deadly disease into one of my soft spots?

So, I've been lawn mowing with my fly mask on.

I love my fly mask. It keeps the ear bugs away. In fact, I've been thinking about getting a bonnet to keep them out of my ears when I ride. Something that doesn't cover my face. But anyway, the only downside to the fly mask is that it gives me Hat Head. This isn't a very bad episode of hat head.

Sometimes I look like this....

My lawn is growing. It's starting to green right up. It will still be awhile until I can mow it. But I'm practicing.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

This isn't actually my Mom, this is my Grand Mom who's name is Camilla Fox. But I figure my Mom looks pretty much like this anyway. Actually, I have three Moms. My real Mom, Galatea, my sarogate Mom who's name I don't remember (it was probably Mom wasn't it?), and my Human Mom. It's all very confusing. Apparently, I'm a miracle of modern science, and I have a brother and a sister born at the same time as me, and we were all raised by different volunteer Moms. Something about embryo transfer, which just sounds really expensive.

But now I have the best Mom who takes care of me every day. She makes sure that I get out to play every day. She makes sure I get fresh green grass, and sometimes that means she has to pick it herself and bring it to me. She notices when I don’t feel good and brings me a warm blanket. When she leaves the barn and walks past my stall she usually has a goody, but always tickles my nose. She makes sure my lunch box is always packed and I have water to go with it. Whenever we have company she brings me out to show me off, so I think I’m her favorite. And because of this, I try not to accidentally bite her too often.

So Happy Mother's Day to my favorite Mom.

Hogan's Heros

2010-05-03T08:57:00.004-04:00

Good News for Hogan, the horse with a huge heart. A home has been found for him, now we are raising money to ship him from SBR in New Jersey to his new home in KY.

P.S.A. for our friends at Saddlebred Rescue

2010-04-30T13:36:00.004-04:00

Saddlebred Rescue is very motivated to move some horses. Each week they are having to turn away more horses who are being shipped to slaughter because they are out of room. They have pledges to help with adoption fees and from what I understand, no reasonable offer will be refused.

Here is their page of available rescues: Available Everything from show ring candidates, to proven lesson horses to personal trail horses... Each horse has been evaluated and is receiving training by SBR's resident trainer.

In addition Hogan the horse with the huge heart is available as a pasture ornament for a $0 fee. The Amish called and wanted him to be picked up by SBR because they did not want him to go to slaughter. He was pulling a buggy 60 miles a day. Hogan's wind is broken, and he is not a very enjoyable ride (he's very game, and I guess he would have to be to go 60 miles a day). He needs to be a lawn mower. If a home cannot be found, he will be humanely destroyed in two weeks. This fella deserves a good retirement home. He has done his best and paid his dues.

Please spread the word. If anyone is interested in adopting and lightening their load so they will have room to help new horses in need, please call Pat Johnson at 908-304-3560

The Blustery Day

2010-04-29T19:35:00.015-04:00

Spring has been winding on with beautiful sunny days, and quite a bit of breeziness. Today was blustery, and I was feeling very fresh, so to avoid getting me all sweaty and deal with the grooming issues, we opted for a quick jaunt around the fields (short version) and we took the camera along so you could see what we see. Ready?

This is my first view south across the valley towards Pennsylvania (furthest set of hills). We are on the border between Mom's cornfield (to the left) and the family farm hay fields (to the right). Up ahead is the cow pasture.

And I think I see my cows. They hang out here in the corner where there is about 20 feet of old fencing between the cowlane gate and the corner. I think they are scoping it out and deciding whether or not to make a break for it.

Hello Cows. (this is as close as I like to get just in case they do make a break for it. I don't want to be involved.)

To the right (and west) is the family farm. That where we see all the Amish. They have been working on the barns for more than a year now. The barns belong to Mom, and Uncle Dad. That's where we keep all the extra horse hay, and where I am told, the cow operation will be located when it gets bigger. Just beyond the barns (look just to the right of them through the trees) is my field where I like to gallop. That field belongs to Brita.

And so do these trees and the pasture beyond. You can see the road. It divides the family hay fields from Brita's land. That road is nice to trot up and down because it is fairly flat and doesn't have too much traffic. Brita makes me work on that road. But sometimes I get to gallop there.

So we've gone down by the barns, trotted along that road, rounded the corner of the fields to the right and are headed back to the top of the hill where we began. We like to make a big loop of these hay fields. On blustery days when you can't hear traffic coming, they are the safest place to be. We are lucky to have plenty of wide open spaces so we can see traffic coming a long ways away, and if some scary farm machinery or something heads in our direction, we can get off the road into the field. Traffic doesn't bother me much, but when goes past at 45 miles per hour only a few feet away, I get a bit anxious. If there is so little as a ditch and some field between the speeding car and my precious cargo, I ignore it completely. At this house, there are lots of sites to see. The lady who lives there is usually working outside, and I like to stop and watch her. Today she was planting something in her vegetable garden. Hi Lady.

And then we finish up with a stroll through the woods across the road. This is a good spot for cooling off. In the summer it is cool and shady. Right now the leaves are just starting to open.

Well, it was nice having you come with us. See you soon.

Making Waffles

2010-04-20T18:20:00.007-04:00

I've been cooking this month ~ and waffles are on the menu. Hair Waffles. I've been so warm in my winter coat. Finally it's coming off in big chunks. We left a trail in the yard of hair waffles when I went out to pick grass. The birds were happy, and started carrying some off.

But wouldn't you know it, some of the nights are still cold. The Doctor came on Friday to get some horse juice, and he also gave me a poke in the neck. It made me feel lousy. I was stiff and sore and grumpy. Mom got out my winter blanket and tucked me in for the cold nights. That made me feel better. But now my blanket is a mess. This is what it looked like even after a good brushing. So Mom is off to the laundromat.

There has been some progress on my pasture. The farmer came back with a different piece of equipment, squeezed through my gate, and fluffed my dirt. I've been very sad that I can't go to the pasture to play. Mom let me out there at first, but I ate great big wads of dirt. It was so easy. I guess she was afraid I would get filled up on wiggly earth worms. But when the Doctor came he took away some poop, and he looked for worms. He said he couldn't find any, earth worms or other kinds either. So I don't have to eat any nasty paste this spring. I think it is much wiser to spend money on poop tests instead of icky paste.

So the back pasture looks like a farm. The farmer guy has been very busy around here, kicking up dust in all the fields. And there were lots of rocks out there in those fields, some nearly as big as my head. A big herd of Mexeecans swarmed through and picked all the rocks. I wonder if they store them in the barn? Rocks don't seem like a very good crop. Even I wouldn't eat a rock.

But Buttercups are Pretty!

2010-04-08T14:40:00.005-04:00

Last year my little pasture was full of beautiful yellow buttercups.

No one has really used this pasture in the summertime for a few years, and the buttercups took over. Mom and Brita have been talking about what to do about this, since I have been trying to eat every little bit of green I can find. They said that buttercups will make me sick. and the more I eat, the sicker I'll get. So, today Mom was standing above my pasture with the crossthestreet neighbor talking about tilling them under. All of a sudden, on the horizon, Mom spotted the downtheroad neighbor with a tractor and plows, and he was headed past our little farm. I don't know what it is about a man on a tractor that gets these gals all excited, but add an implement and they just go wild. Next thing I knew, that big tractor was in my pasture just ruining the grass. And apparently, he will be back next week with more implements. I sure hope he plans to put things back the way it was.

So anyway, we went for a nice little ride. But while we were out, the winds changed, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees. I'm not kidding. It was like opening the refrigerator door. The wind was so high that we couldn't hear important stuff like traffic coming, so we'd gone for a little mosey around the fields, visited the tame red cows, had a nice little canter, and were headed up the woods trail when that blast of cold air hit us. We turned and hightailed it back to the barn before we got caught in the rain. Brita said when she got to the barn today it was 72 degrees and when she left, it was 50 degrees. Now it's pouring rain out, everyone is inside and we're munching our hay. April showers bring May flowers... but they won't bring buttercups.

Like a Heat Wave

2010-04-03T19:50:00.009-04:00

OK, it's not LIKE a heat wave. It actually IS a heat wave. All weekend we had temperatures in the eighties. Which is about 20 degrees warmer than it should be. Way to warm to be running around in your winter coat, but I did anyway. We had a good gallop around the cornfield. It was firm and dry and made really good "clop" noises. Then we took a stroll in the woods. All this activity got me really sweaty. Brita washed my tail and waited for me to dry off so she could scratch my itches, but it didn't really happen. Not to worry, I have a solution to wet itchy coats.

For our purposes today, we will need to find some dry dirt. Wet dirt is good for lots of things, but not for drying sweat.

Then you get yourself situated directly over the deepest dusty spot.

Drop down and get right in it.

Make sure you get your wet neck deep deep into it and scratch back and forth.

Then "Alley-ooop" and get your props back under you.

See? All nice and dry.

The Mud Spas and the Aftermath

2010-03-28T22:06:00.012-04:00

I have been spa~ing it in the mud. I am so happy with my messes. First I apply a primer coat, then a base coat, and finally a finish coat. Sometimes I wear mud pies on my rump. It's very flattering.

Brita attacks it with a shedding blade. Can you see all the dust flying? She even puts on a dustproof-hairproof suit.

Then she measures the pile to see how well she did. This one was 3 inches deep and a hoof pick wide.

This is how I look with the mud removed, half an hour later. Still not clean by any stretch of the imagination, but at least Brita isn't ashamed to be seen in public with me, and my dapples show through.

Really, it couldn't have been too bad... see how clean my saddle pad was? Mom even turned it over to see if the expected dirt was hiding on the other side. The key is I did my trot work and hills and didn't break a sweat. I am getting fit quite fast. what does Brita think I do all day? Sit around? Nope, I DO stuff.

We even found a little green grass. It wasn't much but oh it was so good!

Afterwards, when Brita left, I went out and repainted my blank canvas! I can't waste all this beautiful mud!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T10:49:00.004-04:00

May St. Patrick's Day put a little green in your Spring.

If I had grass, I'd roll in it and celebrate with a little wearin' o' the Green!

You know I would!

The Best Thing About March

2010-03-16T15:13:00.009-04:00

.... is no bugs. I can nap in the sun and not worry about getting bit. I get soooo sleepy.

I managed to stay dry until Brita got here today. We went for a nice little ride on the flat route and did quite a bit of trot work. She says I did really well and that without shoes on I have more extension in my stride.

When we were done, I went back out in the sun and rolled in the mud.

Both Sides. I'm sure she's glad she didn't waste much time on the beautification routine.

What?

Good Day Sunshine

2010-03-13T20:25:00.013-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't blogged much lately, but not a whole lot has been going on. I've just been hanging out in the primordial ooze of my paddock waiting for Spring to arrive. This past week was beautiful with warm weather and sunshine. I spent a lot of time looking for grass, but there isn't any. Brita would show up, and take one look at muddy me and find something useful to do in the barn. We did go for a looonngg walk last Saturday in the sunshine. It was great, and I even got to stretch my legs in the first gallop of the year. On a long straight spot, with firm footing. Glory!

But on Thursday, I looked up, and she was headed out for a ride on Ms. Copy. She said it was because Copy was clean and I wasn't. She just didn't have the time to scrape the mud off AND ride. Well I yelled for her to wait, and came galloping back to the barn, but she was already out of sight. I went to the gate and waited for my turn, but when she got back, she said she was sorry but she was out of time, and I had missed my chance. Well Poo. It was a beautiful sunny day, just perfect for a jaunt.

Of course, Ms. Copy-Poppy doesn't really enjoy going on rides, and I DO, so we put our heads together and came up with a solution. Yesterday before I came in, I rolled in the dry sand of the arena, and polished all the mud off. So when Brita came to the barn today she thought Mom had helped me because I was all slicked up and ready for my ride.... We go now?

And Ms. Copy-Poppy........

.........Was NOT.

On a dietary note, I've decided I like celery. The best part of celery (besides the green leaves) is that it comes in long crunch stalks and I get to eat the whole thing instead of having someone cut it up in little pieces and ration it out. I can put the whole thing in my mouth. It's great!

Ummm...I Think You Forgot Something?

2010-02-27T15:04:00.021-05:00

Today Brita forgot my saddle. You know, that all important piece which attaches the human to the horse, and has climbing equipment necessary for getting the human ON the horse in the first place. I am seriously concerned for her mental well being. She has never committed such a blatant error before.

The first problem this caused was getting her up on my back. You would think she would have noticed she had forgotten something at this point because it wasn't easy. There she is, wallowing around on my back like a drunken monkey, poking and pulling and heaving about. This was VERY alarming to me. If Mom hadn't been holding my bit, I think I would have left.

All this activity wore her out, and she just lay up there panting for a minute while I settled down. She patted my sides and told me everything was OK. After my eyes stopped rolling around, and popped back in my head, she tried again. This time she made it.

Once she was up there it wasn't so weird. We walked around a little and everything seemed OK. I have to say though, that having human legs around you feels different than wearing a saddle. Muscle to muscle like that you can feel all the moving and twitching in your human. In fact, it feels a little..... naughty.

I felt so fresh and frisky that I started to look for something fun to do. The open back door is always a good excuse, especially when it is snowing out. So, I shied at the door, and ran. And she pulled my hair!

OK, Brita speaking, let me interject something here:

Yes, I rode bareback, and it was fun. It was more fun because when he shied and bolted I stayed on. And bless his heart, he did not buck even when I was hanging off his side like a Comanche warrior as he gallumped across the arena.

I don't remember what gait we were using, my mind was otherwise occupied. I grabbed mane, decided I was going to fight gravity, and also managed to steer him to the gate where he stopped.

Mom and I had a good laugh over it. It WAS funny! I mean look at the picture again. See my face? Don't I look like I'm having fun? HA! I'm so glad Mom caught some of it on camera. She missed the part where I was hanging off over his right shoulder, but you get the idea.

I had anticipated that getting ON would be the big problem. I figured Grey would react at least a little to me heaving myself across his back and flopping around like a trout. Once, a year or two ago, my saddle slipped as I was mounting and he can do a very good impression of a saddle bronc, complete with sound effects. I remember the good ole days (like 25 years ago) when I could swing up on a 16+ hand horse with one hand. I was pretty good at riding bareback. In fact, the first time I qualified for the State 4-H show, it was in bareback equitation. Saddleseat. With posting and everything. It was my specialty. Fast forward a few decades and walking and trotting both ways of the arena without falling off was a challenge. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Fun is something that has been sort of missing from horse ownership lately. Today, sometime on the drive to the barn, I became weary of horse ownership. I dare say I am a few weeks behind Mom. Why is that? Because Mom is on the front lines of the soaking procedures. Ever since Grey's Insulin test came back high, and Mom's horse's came back even higher, she has been soaking the sugar out of everything. First there is the hay soaking which Grey showed you in his last post. This is quite a production. All the hay they eat has to be soaked for a minimum of one hour which lowers the sugar content by 30%. We do have one batch of hay (8% sugar and starch, 10% is the wise limit) that doesn't require soaking, but the stuff they were eating was a whopping 27%. We use the "bad" hay for when someone just has to throw them a piece of hay. Everything else is soaked. And they really don't like the "bad" hay. They'd much rather eat the soaked "good" hay. Heck, even the cows don't like the "bad" hay. Including Ugly Betty who will climb the manure pile and pick hay out of the horse manure. It looks pretty and green but it must taste worse than... well you know.

Besides that, we have upped Grey's beet pulp and added beet pulp to Face-Off's diet. This qualifies as roughage and reduces the amount of hay Mom has to soak. It also serves as a good way to give them their supplements (since we've cut most of the nutritious stuff like fortified feeds and hay nutrients out) and makes them think they had a meal. No more grain. Only small amounts of fatty seeds like black oil sunflower seeds and flax seed which slow the digestion and release of sugars into the bloodstream, thus reducing the insulin spikes. It's all very scientific and wearying. BUT, the beet pulp also has to be soaked then rinsed. This removes any residual sugars, as well as the excess iron and calcium, Mom moved the beet pulp soaking to the kitchen to make it easier.

SO, here's a picture of Mom's kitchen sink during the beet pulp soaking procedure which takes place twice a day. Note the one element in the upper left corner which is necessary to this fodder soaking ritual.

That strainer is really perfect isn't it? First the beet pulp (Beep for short) has to soak for awhile. Then it's rinsed three times. You have to stir the rinse water. See, she even has a special spoon.

Then pour it through the strainer. See how black the water is? It's Beep tea. This is the third rinse. But, you have to get the bad stuff reduced so you are left with the beneficial fiber for roughage.

When you're done, your sink looks like this. Fun huh?

Then you have to measure out the supplements. They are getting Thyrol-L for increased thyroid activity. D-Carb Balancer which has all their vitamins including selenium which Grey tested low on. And, the D-Carb also has the recommended levels of Chromium Yeast and Magnesium, which Mom had been adding separately, which helps with the insulin resistance. Luckily, these guys are so starved for anything that resembles horse feed, they eat their supplements easily.

Next you have to add the BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) or the Flax Seed. They both are fatty foods which slow the sugar and help their coats. Mom runs the 4 oz of flax seed through the fancy schmancy coffee grinder although some people claim this isn't necessary. We haven't been grinding the BOSS, but that would probably help. Both horses LOVE the BOSS and the Flax. After all, it tastes better than rinsed beep and watery hay.

They've both been stuck on the Atkins diet without any choice in the matter. They can't have any carrots or horse cookies. They do get sugar free mints. Have you ever seen a horse get excited about a leaf of lettuce? Well, it's the end of February in New York, and green lettuce is pretty exciting. Face-Off also loves celery. Grey, not so much, but if that's all we got...fine.

So this soaking crap goes on all day. Mom feeds the horses five times a day to avoid insulin spikes. That means there is always hay soaking. The soaking area looks like a swamp. Grey is wary that a sea monster might surface there. We are planning improvements this spring that will make soaking easier and draining a possibility so Mom doesn't have to dump the tubs into the wheel barrow and wheel it out back each time. They get beep at least twice a day.

To make life more complicated, Face-Off cannot be trusted to eat his Thyrol-L and he has sore feet. The first thing you need to know about Face-off is that he is known around the barn as "Pinky" or "Pinkster" because of his pink nose.

To ensure that The Pinkster gets his Thyrol-L, she just mixes it with water and shoots it in his mouth with a syringe.

And to help his sore feet, she bought him horse sneakers. In PINK. I admit that was my idea. This is supposed to be fun right?

Well, Pinky was good about his new orthopedic shoes, but probably a little humiliated. He tried to take them off with his teeth. He thinks we are dressing him up like a girl.

He would prefer something more dignified like Saddle Shoes.

He looks a bit put out doesn't he?

But really these horse boots are pretty ingenious. I was impressed with them. They went on easily and look like they would hold up to all the claims made about them. I never thought about him trying to take them off with his teeth. He pulled one of the fasteners right off. Luckily it was a metal failure, not a leather or nylon failure so I just stopped by the hardware store and found something to replace it. A 69 cent part to repair a $126 pair of sneaks. Yup, this horse ownership is fun. They are always trying to destroy what you have spent a whole lot of money on. And they never look like they appreciate it.

There is Something Amiss with Le Menu

2010-02-11T11:56:00.013-05:00

Since last Saturday there has been something really wonky with my food. All the good stuff has gone away. Brita says the test results came back and my horse juice was way too sweet, so I am on an emergency diet. Face-Off is too. His is way worse than mine. Apparently, this is the same thing that ultimately did ole Hairy in so everyone is in a panic, and they have made some pretty rash decisions about my diet.

Firstly, no more carrots. OMG! WHY?!? Brita has been on an exhaustive search for sugar free horse treats, and she found some here at Withers and Withers. Thank Heaven! Those are on the way, and in the mean time, Brita has made some homemade cookies that aren't too bad. But they don't crunch, and I'm really in the mood for something crunchy. The can it comes in is so pretty! The horse looks just like me!

Secondly, my Uncle Jimmy Ball is used up and it will not be renewed. Not to worry, Brita says, she as corresponded with Uncle Jimmy himself and she assures me that he has a treat ball in the approval phase that will fit in my diet. I just have to be patient.

Thirdly, Mom has created what looks like a seaweed factory. She is soaking all our hay. This washes out all the taste. Bleh! I don't mind eating wet hay so much. In fact, now that she is wetting it for me, I don't have to dunk every bite, and now I have a sparkling clean water bucket instead of frothy, frozen hay tea. That part isn't so bad. I think it is more of a trauma for Mom than it is for me. I would like some sweet dry hay now and then though. We do have some hay that doesn't have to be served soggy. We can have little bits of that. Boy is that a treat! It's hay I would have turned my nose up at in the past but suddenly it tastes so much better!

Fourthly, Mom used to feed me sweet feed. Brita says she didn't know this was happening and has put a complete stop to it. That made me mad. It wasn't much grain, but it was really important to me! Mom gives me more hot beets, but it isn't the same. Yes I love my beets, but I've eaten beets until they're coming out my ears, and I want some grain! The Sunflower seeds she sprinkles on the top are yummy but they aren't enough. You know how it is.

And lastly, I'm back to work. That isn't really out of the ordinary. We were planning to get back to work because spring should be just around the corner, and we want to be ready for it. But getting dressed for work is kind of a hassle in the cold, and with shedding season starting up, we really need to spend more time scratching than usual. And it's so boring going in little circles. I miss galloping through our fields and perusing the roadsides. That's what is fun about riding. Not this circle stuff. My girth is a bit tight. Apparently I've put on about 100 pounds since last spring. I'm not really fat, you can still feel my ribs... sort of...but I should probably lose a few pounds until this gully on my topside goes away.

Brita says all this dieting is good for her too. She says every time she gets a snack she thinks about me and feels guilty. So far, she's lost 2 pounds. I think that's only fair since I end up having to cart her extra weight around too. So I guess all this food study is going to benefit us both.

R.I.P. Hairy

2010-02-08T19:46:00.002-05:00

My good friend Hairy went on to greener pastures yesterday. He just had too many health problems. God speed Hairy.

One Eyed Willy

2010-02-03T09:18:00.003-05:00

I owied my left eye. I must have scratched it on my hay bag. It hurts a little, and I can't see very well out of it. Brita squirted some stuff in it and looked real close and said she saw a scratch in there. Mom gave me some medicine. That made me mad. I came all the way into the barn like a good boy because they said they had something for me and then she squirts funny tasting applesauce in my mouth. Bleh.

Brita came back later with some sticky stuff in a tube. She says Dr. Best sent it. My eye does feel a little better. Except for the sticky stuff of course. It isn't all watery and I don't have to squint as much but still, it's no fun. It makes things look funny and then I get nervous. Good thing the sun isn't shining. Then it would be really bad. Owwww..... I feel bad for myself.

Open up and say AHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHH !

2010-02-01T16:27:00.010-05:00

So there I was, enjoying my lunch hay bag and a freshly cleaned stall, when this strange pickup truck backed up to the barn door. Hmm, says I, it isn't time for the farrier yet. And that truck doesn't have hay or sawdust in it. I wonder who... OH NO! It's ....drum roll please.... the Tooth Lady!

The Tooth Lady is a very nice lady. She has a much better bedside manner than some of the other people who come in and poke me with stuff. But, she has a LOT of strange, scary equipment. True to form, she began hauling in buckets and bags and things with cords. The things with cords worry me the most.

It appeared for awhile, that the subject of this invasion might not be me after all. But finally she peered into my stall and I knew the gig was up. I was trapped like a rat. Dr. Best is what Mom and Brita refer to as "the Good Vet" which means she listens when they talk, and makes good suggestions for modern health care. However, to me, the suggestions usually boil down to "shall we stick him with one needle or two" and "how much horse juice do we need for our evil experiments?"

Dr. Best (I think they call her that because she's the Best Horse Vet) has a nice website and can do some really fancy and surprising things with her tools. One of those things is tickle my teeth. She also comes from a land far far away, so we don't get to see her all that often, and her visits are a momentous occasion.

She came and said "hello" to me, which is the polite thing to do, and I gave her the hairy eyeball and did some snorting. She put a tape around me and declared I am bigger than last time. She felt my ribs and poked me a little. She and Brita discussed my menu and things like vitamins. Then she juiced me. I hate that part. She took juice out, and put juice in. Then I started to feel all woozy, and the world started to recede a little. Before I knew it, I was all strapped up and my chin was propped up on a chin-stand.

Then the power tools came out. Now at seven years of age, I've seen a lot of tools with power cords. There is the one that makes the bucket of water smoke and hiss like a volcano, there's the one that buzzes and tries to bite my ears, the one that sucks cold air through my coat. And then there's the scariest one of all, the one that makes my head vibrate. Guess which one Dr. Tooth Lady has.

This thing is awful. It tickles my teeth and makes a thunderous noise in there. And here I am, completely incapacitated and unable to defend myself with my butt wedged, unceremoniously in a corner. I was a good patient though. When she turned the tooth shaker off the first time I let out a looong loooooow Snooooorrrrrttttt. And that's all I have to say about that.

Pretty soon it was over, including the nasty little file which I also hate, and the gear came off and Brita tied me to the wall. Actually she's been doing that quite a lot lately. I can't believe she expects me to stand around and do nothing. I used to just back up and leave, and if stuff needed to get broken, then I'd do that too. But she bought some magic ring that just keeps letting rope out until I get tired of backing up, and somehow, I'm still tied. (Editors Note: It's a blocker tie ring, very handy little gadget). Foolishly, she left it hanging on the arena wall and it mysteriously disappeared. Brita says only Ace and I are the possible suspects, but we're not telling what happened to it. Little did we know, she had more than one.

So, she tied me to the wall, and ruined my entire afternoon of munching. I really wanted some hay so I could check that my teeth still work, but they said I couldn't have any until the horse juice wore off. I guess Doctor's and Dentists are a necessary evil. They say an apple a day keeps the Doctor away. If Brita would feed me those instead of carrots, we might not have to go through these little ordeals.

Warm Thoughts

2010-01-29T19:25:00.005-05:00

Sleek Hides

Cool water from an unfrozen hose

Fresh Grass

Dandylions

Bare pavement ....

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming....

They Say It's My Birthday!

2010-01-23T13:00:00.004-05:00

Today is my Birthday! I'm 7 years old. Apparently, Birthday is yet another gifting holiday. I got extra food treats, and a brand new Uncle Jimmy Ball 'cause my Christmas one evaporated. Isn't that strange?

Fresh Air and Sunshine

2010-01-21T15:06:00.011-05:00

I got to go outside today! Outsideoutsideoutside! Boy was that a surprise! A whole month early, and I was barely ready. It was a gorgeous day. Thirty six degrees and blue skies. Of course, last night was cold. It was only seven degrees this morning, and our carrots had frozen solid in the tack room overnight. Brita had to drop them in the hot wash water to thaw them out.

I spent the morning out back. Yes, I was brave enough to go out there by myself. I explored and had so much fun. I rolled in the snow and my coat was all swishy and crinkly from getting damp and then drying in the sun. Brita came after lunch and immediately put my saddle on. It may have been thirty six degrees out in the sunshine, but it wasn't that warm inside the barn, and my saddle felt like a block of ice. All my tack was cold. Not the bit of course, but the bridle behind my fuzzy ears, and the girth in my warm armpits. Brrrrr... I made some bad faces, but you would have too.

First Brita turned my loose in the arena with my tack on. I took some great big leaps for joy. I was excited at the prospect of being ridden. Pretty soon I pulled up and stood still to let Brita know I had my saddle where I wanted it and I was ready to see what we were going to do. She mounted up and we made a few rounds, but we weren't really interested in going in little circles. We wanted some fresh air and sunshine!

Now the shoulder of the road may be thawed and nice soft sand, but the barn driveway is still hard and frozen thick in ice like an ice rink. So we picked our way around the picnic table and through the yard. Mom was so proud of me for being such a Steady Eddy. I was cautious of things but was very solid and reliable. Brita hadn't even bitted up or put a martingale on me or anything. This was me leaving the driveway last March on my first spring ride. I was well behaved, but a bundle of nerves.

This is me today, sauntering casually up the road on a loose rein. Mom says it's official...I'm a grown up, trained horse. I admit I did feel quite mature and responsible.

We trit-trotted a bit. I was a little more tender footed with my bare feet than I expected. When Brita said I could canter, I was so excited I wasn't sure which leg to use first. I invented a whole new gait which was a mix between a rack and a canter. Brita called in a "ranter". But I got it sorted out. Boy it was great to be able to move out in a straight line on nice smooth footing.

Face-Off and Hairy were out in the paddock. I think Face-Off would have liked to go with me!

We didn't stay out long. Pretty soon we were picking our way back through the snowbanks in the yard back down to the barn.

Even that little bit of exercise warmed me right up and I got to use my new Christmas sweater. It worked great! In no time at all I was dry and comfy and ready to go back to my stall. The carrots were thawed, and I ate one of those. I enjoyed napping in the warm afternoon sun coming through my window, and I felt so good having stretched my legs and seen some sites. The thought of being able to ride outside will give me motivation in my fitness training for the next couple of weeks....or months.

Back to Basics

2010-01-20T15:00:00.006-05:00

I have been enjoying my vacation but we have hopes that someday the snow will thaw, the mud will dry up, and the sun will come out. With that in mind, I have started a little basic exercise program to get toned and limbered up.

We always start with the Kindergarten basics. Like, what shape is a circle? hint: both fit in a "round pen" but only one is acceptable. There are no extra points for creativity.

We start with the "starter bit". Yes, it's actually a pelham, but we only use it for it's big fat rubbery mouthpiece.

And side reins... This is my "Shhhhh I'm concentrating" face.

And we work on stuff like

What should you be doing when you are asked to "Whoa"?

a. slam on the brakes and face your trainer
b. drag to a stop, and then inch backwards one step at a time chomping on your bit
c. engage your hindquarters, ease promptly to a stop, stand square on the circle waiting for the command to walk off
d. I'm sorry, what was the question again?

Actually, I'm pretty good at this. After a few sessions, I get used to carrying myself in a proper frame again. I never forget the words, and I have nailed every walk canter transition. Yay me! After a few short session a week on the longe, I can graduate to mounted work where we can do more interesting stuff like bending and leg yielding and maybe some ground poles. I plan on being all tuned up and ready for March when we can maybe get OUTSIDE again.

Yes, I know that I am allowed to go outside on my own, but it has been kind of scary looking out there lately. The other day it was really really bright like the aliens were landing behind the barn or something, and I'm scared to go by myself. If someone goes with me I'll stay out there and explore. But it takes a more courage than I can muster to walk into the light alone. Plus, the arena sand is nice and soft and great for running and playing. The ground out back is hard and rough. A guy could twist an ankle out there! I'd rather just stand at the door and look.

Who Are The People in Your Neighborhood?

2010-01-13T08:49:00.012-05:00

Bif's Mom commented on the last post that she was confused as to who my "human staff" is. We've got a lot of new followers so I thought it might be a good time to stop and introduce everyone so you can keep them straight.

This is "Mom". She's in charge around here.

She takes care of me from dawn until way after dark. She makes my hot beet pulp, makes sure I always have plenty of hay and dry bedding and brings me lots of goodies. She likes to garden so we get carrots and pears and things like that. I even took her for a little ride once. But mostly, she waits on us hand and hoof. All day long, every day. She contributes many of the photos here.

This is Brita. She is Mom's daughter. Does that make her my sister? I don't think so.

She is my BFF! Brita is the one who got me started blogging and helps me edit my writing. She doesn't live here but we see her about 4 times a week. She brings a lot of supplies and toys, and does my grooming. We go riding a lot! She is the only one who has ridden me since I got here when I was two years old. Except for that one time when I took Mom for a ride.

This is Uncle Dad. I used to call him Uncle Dick. Then he married Mom so I changed it to Uncle Dad. Everyone else calls him Richard.

He is my friend. He does all the hard work around here. He likes to farm and has a tractor and other equipment. I think he planned on using them for his cows, but it seems that us horses require a lot more work than the cows do. He cleans our stalls, brings the hay from the hay barn and does the grounds maintenance. Sometimes he brings us our food but he does not give treats and a half empty hay net does not seem as dire an emergency to him as it does to me! Sometimes I have to bite him to keep him in line and remind him that I am more important than his casual treatment of me would indicate. He also talks to the other horses too much. Hairy is his snitch and tells on me so I get blamed for a lot of the maintenance that has to be done when it isn't entirely my fault.

But we all try to be nice to Uncle Dad because he does lots of stuff for us. Here he is this summer trying to keep our pasture (and barn!) from flooding. That tractor comes in pretty handy. Between mud and snow and stall cleaning it gets a lot of use.

And finally, this is Tim. Tim is Brita's husband.

Tim only shows up when there is a big project to do. When Tim shows up with tools, we know there is going to be a lot of noise and disruption. But he does bring treats. And he doesn't even make me earn them. And he likes to play ball with me, so I consider him to be a good friend too.

So that is my human family. I'm a pretty lucky horse to have all these people at my beck and call all day. Of course, it does take a small village to manage all of the things I need doing all the time, and I appreciate all they do for me.

Snow Days from the Human Perspective

2010-01-11T17:00:00.007-05:00

Since most of North America has been plunged into uncommonly cruel winter weather, I thought it would be a good subject to touch on. Grey has gotten over the novelty of going outside in the snow, and hangs in the indoor next to his haynet and heated water bucket, happily dipping and munching.

His human staff has been persevering despite the inconvenience of frozen buckets, frozen manure, deep snow, and general unpleasantness. Day in day out we head to the barn to battle the elements. The first battle is getting the sliding door open. No wait, the first battle is staying on your feet on the glare ice of the driveway. Still, we have not adopted too many of the modern conveniences that make winter horse care so much easier. We don't have hot running water, or a heated tack or feed room. The tractor and spreader are parked outside. There are no heated buckets in the stalls which seems just plain silly but would require some rewiring (in the summetime). I don't have an electric wall mounted bit warmer. If I decide to ride or long line, I have to spend 10 minutes trying to thaw out the bit. I do enjoy my chemical hand warmers though. Those are nice to have in my pockets when I start to lose feeling in my finger tips.

Owning horses in Western New York in the winter has never been easy, but I remember it being a whole lot more fun when I was younger. When I was a teenager, a fresh snowfall was irresitable, and I could be found charging bareback through snow drifts and hoping for at least a little bucking. One winter my sister and I spent so much time riding we literally wore the hair off them. Both of our horses had thigh shaped patches of fuzzy worn hair on their backs. When we got bored with riding, we found other winter activities like...

Sledding

Skiing

And sleigh riding

I even competed in the local Sleigh Rally a couple of years. I was so frozen in the photo below! I caught cold and missed three days of school. Actually, I saw that as a bonus.

A year or two later later, we found these note cards in a local gift shop... Ironic that Mom should have snapped the exact same photo.

Sleigh riding may be very picturesque and romantic, but it has been a long time since I had the gumption to put it all together. I'm still hoping someone out there will invent an automatic, push button remote control horse harnesser. There's not much I hate worse than frozen harness!

In fact, it has been a long time since I rode in the snow at all. Much less exercise outside or practice a winter sport. Heck, with the weather we've been having, it seems inconvenient to leave my warm office in the afternoon go to the gym to work out, sloshing through ankle deep snow and braving winter roads. And, woe unto she who forgets her gym bag in the car all morning and has to put on cold shoes, or worse, shower with frozen soap! But, despite the "inconvenience" I soldier on, every other day, in the comfort of the nearby YMCA, keeping in shape so when riding weather returns I will be fit and ready to go... and will be able to get into the same breeches.

Of course, not all my winter horse memories are of fun and frolicing. I also kept some cows at my grandparents farm half a mile away. Every evening after school, and before dinner I would ride half a mile to the farm to do chores and milk my cows. Then I would ride home with a gallon of warm milk wrapped in my coat. That was another bitter cold winter. I remember making the trek with the Jim Reeves song Just a hundred yards from Mary Ann where the cowboy freezes on his horse outside the door of his lover, running through my head . It seemed a distinct possibility. Nowadays, freezing before I get to the barn door also seems possible!

"Dan, get up you ornery cuss, or you'll be the death of us.I'm so weary, but I'll help you if I can. Alright Dan, perhaps it's best, if we stop a while and rest.For it's still a hundred yards to Mary Ann's. It's still a hundred yards to Mary Ann's."

And yes, my horses name was Dan. Well, Daniel to be precise.

But, hang in there. Every day is one day closer to spring. How is everyone else handling their winter weather?

2009 The Year in Review

2010-01-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

It has been nearly a year since I began blogging. A lot has happened, and now I have 30 followers! WOW! I enjoy sharing my day to day experiences and love to hear about yours. I'm so glad that my view of the world is interesting enough to keep that many people coming back for more. Let's look back at some of the happenings from 2009.

One momentous occasion was the arrival of the baby horse which awakened my studly instincts and made me want to gather a herd and act like a wild stallion. Now he has grown up to be a teenager. My how time flies!

In more quiet times, we followed the activities of my real family. This portrait features my big brother Preston winning at the Royal.

As the weather improved, we went riding. This photo was from last March when the ice first melted enough for me to make it out the driveway safely. Now the ice is back! Ho Hum...

Some days were just beautiful. The rest were RAINY!

We went galloping a lot. I LOVE galloping! Brita does too!

But we encountered many hazards. The worst of which was featured in the Great Cow Incident. Jeez! She still looks sinister lurking in the high grass! It was just as traumatic for Brita.

As it was a wet year with record rainfalls, I had many opportunities to plumb the depths of puddles.

And investigated all available soft earth.

Brita and Mom dealt with the consequences.

I struggled with my fear of confined spaces, and have gotten quite a bit better. Now you can shut me in the tin box without me trying to take it all apart.

Did some product testing which, basically, involves destroying things.

Although we sort of put my athletic endeavors on hold this year, I did do some actual work, and tried to further my education.

I learned some fancy tricks, and was photographed for a book.

And there was lots of fun and frolicking!

I'm looking forward to 2010 and hope it will be just as good or better for us all.

Happy New Year!

Thanks Santa!

2009-12-28T08:24:00.008-05:00

Santa was very good to me. I got Pears! And Carrots. And a huge Peppermint stick that I didn't even know was edible. Everyone else got stuff too. There were Uncle Jimmy's Hanging Balls for each of us. And my girlfriend Copy got all pink brushes, and her little tyke Ace got a grown up set of grooming tools too. Now I don't have to share mine and get girl and teenager cooties. Then I got something Brita called "Scratch-the walls" or something.

And I got a funky new sweater. It was inevitable. But I sort of like it. It isn't something I would have picked out for myself, but it's pretty comfy, and it might come in handy if I get stuck out in the cold rain and get shivery.

I love my Uncle Jimmy ball. I didn't even know I had an Uncle Jimmy, but I sure thank him for the gift.

It's hard to get ahold of though....

Then I helped Brita install my "Scratch-the-walls" or Scratchnalls or whatever they are. At first I thought they were some sort of chewy toy. But before too long I accidentally found a good use for them. They are great for scratching my neck! Now they are all full of white hair.

So all of us had a pretty good Christmas. I know Copy and Ace got carrots too, and we shared our pears with Hairy.

Did anyone else get any goodies from Santa?

Visions of Sugar Plums

2009-12-23T11:59:00.003-05:00

Dear Santa~

I have been a very good boy this year. But, I don’t really need any toys. Because, let’s face it, I’m a horse, so food is my main concern. I don’t need any new boots or gear. I don’t need any funky new clothes. What I’d really like is more food. Brita was telling me about Christmas, and I think those sugared plums sound really good. And if I can’t have those, then some plain old pears would be great. I’m so sad that pear season is over. Maybe they are growing somewhere else and you can find me some. Other than that, carrots would be good. Or some peppermint candy. I know it isn’t good for my teeth, but there ought to be plenty of it around this time of year, and I’d be happy to help clean it up. So in that order, fruit, veggies, candy. That would be great.

Sincerely,

William Pendleton Grey Esq.

P.S. Please bring Pinky some Christmas spirit and make him stop giving me the stink-eye. I thought we were getting along great, and he would let me hang out with the boys, but then last week the fence between us got destroyed. It wasn’t my fault at all. He started it. And it wasn't me who bit his nose. He did that to himself. Said he wanted to look like Rudolph. You can give him vitamins and stuff in his stocking, because he doesn’t deserve any fruit.

Christmas Crafts

2009-12-21T15:15:00.005-05:00

Since it has been snowy and cold we've been staying inside a bit more, and to keep us busy, Mom helped us make Christmas wreaths for our stall doors. We think it makes the barn look very festive!

We each got to chose our own bow.

Christmas Cards

2009-12-14T18:59:00.004-05:00

Today is the busiest day of the year at the Post Office. And, since I couldn't get there anyway, I thought I would send my Christmas Card this way instead....

To all my loyal followers and new found friends,

Have Yourselves

a Merry Little Christmas

Humans and Winter

2009-12-08T14:36:00.008-05:00

I have decided that humans are very poorly adapted to winter. If they were expected to live in the wild, they would freeze almost immediately. No wonder they don't enjoy coming to the barn in winter. I wouldn't want to if I had to change my clothes and shoes everytime either. And their ears don't grow chickie fluff, and their noses and chins are bare. What are they thinking? I can understand getting some gear out, I never leave the barn without stopping to put on some equipment. But, a whole layer of coats? Shouldn't that be a more permanent thing? The first thing Brita does when she comes to the barn is plug in her red lamp in her Stuff Room to make it warm and cozy. Then she plugs in another cord to make the hot water. Next she rummages around for her gloves. Sometimes she puts on another layer. What a sissy!

I love snow. Snow is a cause for celebration. It's almost as much fun a my mud puddle. I can make snow angels...

....and throw snow balls from my hooves...

If I slam on the brakes, it makes a very pleasing spray. And Brita doesn't get upset when I lay in it. Snow is the best!

Hmmmm... now where was that puddle.....

Frosty Mornings

2009-12-05T21:38:00.005-05:00

The weather has gotten quite cold now. All the mud in the back paddock is frozen and rough, with hoof shaped holes full of ice. After enjoying my hot sugar beets for breakfast, and a quick pile of hay over the fence with the cows, Ugly Betty and Ethel Merman, Brita and I went for a stroll.

I am officially on vacation until spring. I have all my shoes off (on purpose), and I have gotten a bit out of shape. I was full of vinegar, but Brita said she didn't have time to wait for me to dry if I got sweaty, so I behaved. I only tried to gallop once to race a big truck up the hill, but she talked me out of it. I saw a big flock of pigeons down by the dairy barn. At first, it just looked like the frosty field was moving, but then I saw it was birds. I would have liked to go galloping through them, but the fields are too muddy now.

It was nice getting out in the neighborhood to check on everything. We will have fewer and fewer of those opportunities now with winter on it's way. It's snowing a bit now, and it looks very peaceful drifting lazily through the outside light. The ground is just coated as if you sprinkled powder sugar on everything. It's a good thing I grew all this chickie fluff around my ears. They are quite toasty.

My White Face....

2009-11-25T17:53:00.005-05:00

... which appeared, from a distance, to be the only clean part of me, upon closer inspection...

Was not.

And thus, I missed going for a ride due to general sogginess. And Brita said something about being tired of cleaning my halters. Then she gave me a nice, soft, conditioned one, a cookie and sent me back out in the drizz. No matter, I was enjoying the slop. I love being an outdoor horse.

My Showbill

2009-11-23T18:14:00.002-05:00

Brita's birthday was last week, and we got her something special... to encourage her to teach me more tricks, and to celebrate the ones I've already learned. I think it's lots of fun! Even Uncle Dad got in on the act with a poem to accompany the gift...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I have your attention please!

You're about to see a trained horse act one seldom sees

A spectacular display of equine intelligence and ability

There are a select few horses with this amount of agility

And the trainer so to be commended for an unusual skill

Not many horses can be trained to do what this one will

He'll fetch a ladies glove if she'll let it drop to the floor

Then hand it back to her (you can hear the crowd roar)

Then Brita makes her horse do his bow his special way

Again there is applause for Brita and William P. Grey

I can't wait to see what tricks are on the agenda for the long cold winter months. And special thanks to artist David Miller who added the lettering and portraits of me to the stock Cowgirl print. David isn't a horse person, but he read my blog and did wonderfully capturing my personality!

The Out Back

2009-11-18T15:43:00.010-05:00

I barely got to spend any time at all in the big pasture this summer before it was taken over by cows. But this week we have a whole new arrangement! Uncle Dad used some of the corral panels to make a path from the barn to the small pasture out back behind the indoor arena.

It's a whole lot bigger than the small areas around the barn that we've had access to all summer. Now I can get out there all by myself, and if bugs eat me or I start to worry that I'm missing something in the barn, I can get all the way back to the barn aisle. That way I don't have to run and stomp and holler if I get left out. I can "run-in". And just because it's called a "run-in" that's exactly what I do. I run in, and I run out. Then I run back in. It's great!

Today I was having so much fun out there in the sunshine that when Brita came I didn't bother to come to the barn to see her.

I mean who needs to go for rides when there is grass and sunshine free on demand? So, she took another horse out for her ride. I saw them go up the driveway, and I looked up from my grass and felt jealous for just a minute. They were gone a really long time... like ten whole minutes or more. Then I realised I had missed the ride and all the good stuff that goes with it. So I came storming into the barn to wait for her to come back.

How could she go without me?

Can I have my cookies anyway?

I'll have to be more careful from now on and not get so carried away with my new freedom that I miss out on all the usual fun stuff.

Wild Life

2009-11-14T17:42:00.006-05:00

Remember these cows from the summertime? Well, I saw them again....

This past week has been absolutely beautiful. Warm weather, clear skies, the mud has dried. I have been going galloping again in my big field. Oh it makes me feel so good to stretch my legs! I've been feeling quite mischievous, and getting a chance to run just makes me so much more relaxed. The only down side is that I have my winter coat, and I get really warm. Brita says no sense clipping any of it off since we will be needing it later and we won't be running in the winter. It just takes longer to get cleaned up, and I have to wear my blanket for part of the day until I'm really dry and comfy again. Since the weather has been so warm, being damp around the edges hasn't bothered me much.

Today when we went to the field, we startled four deer. They had been hiding in the weeds, and they jumped up and ran.

Deer don't scare me. Whenever I see them, they are always running away. They seem more scared of me than I am of them. But, while I watched them, they jumped the pasture fence and went running off to the left. I followed their progress because it is so interesting to see their fluffy white butts bobbing away in the distance. Then I realised that far away, over there, was that herd of cows. All of them! And they were looking at me. I guess they've been over there in the pasture all along but I've never really noticed them before.

Brita put me right to work and said there would be no fun galloping today. Only cantering and circles and stuff so I didn't lose my marbles and get carried away. I behaved rather well under the circumstances. After all, the cows were far away. But every time she let me stand and look at them, I would snort and flag my tail and try to look big and dangerous so they wouldn't come after me.

Cows must either be really dumb, or hard of hearing. Even when I snort four or five times in a row and make a big fuss, they still don't run away. I was still snorting half way home. But from there I really couldn't see them. I looked, but they were just tiny black specks like ants. It seemed silly to snort at ants. But I tried it a couple of times anyway, just for good measure. I don't want those dumb buggers following me home and knowing where I live. I've got enough cows to deal with as it is.

Snow

2009-11-05T12:10:00.005-05:00

Since today is a snowy, rainy, mushy, muddy day, I have been inside leafing through my favorite Christmas catalogs dreaming of sleigh rides and cozy blankets... And I saw this beautiful poster print in Back In The Saddle catalog.

Somehow I think the Bavarian Alps do not have a mud season prior to winter. What do you think? Look at that sparkling mane and tail! Not a yellow hair on him!

Uh Oh... New Neighbors...

2009-11-03T15:16:00.007-05:00

Look what arrived next door to my pipe corral this morning.

When I laid down to roll in the mud, they all jumped to attention and lined up staring at me with their little Mime Faces. It was creepy. There are pretty close to a herd of them. I am very very nervous... I tried snorting to scare them away, but they just stand there looking at me.

Apparently they arrived in the horse trailer. Since it was hooked up, Brita said I should practice standing in it. No problem! It's a cinch.

I got on and off a bunch of times, and looked in every corner. I think I smell Mime Cow here.

Nightmare

2009-11-02T11:42:00.015-05:00

I had an awful nightmare last night. I dreamt I was at an auction. At first I thought it was a horse show because there were lots of other horses there, and everyone was getting groomed and ready just like we were going to show. But when I got to the ring, I was the only horse there and everyone was staring at me and whispering to each other, and the announcer talked really fast. I tried my best, but it made me dizzy. Somehow I knew I had to try my very very best or things would go badly. In fact, I felt as though my very life depended on it.

Before I knew it I was back in my stall, and my people and the horses I came with were gone and I was all alone in the world. A man came I that I didn't know. He didn't talk to me or pat me or anything. He silently led me out of my stall and to a trailer. I followed him because I didn't know what else to do. I looked for someone I knew, but they were all strangers.

At first I was afraid to get on the trailer because I didn't know anyone and everything was strange. But they pulled on my rope and spoke gruffly, and I was afraid not to do what they said. I got on the trailer with other horses and we rode all night in the dark.

When we stopped, I didn't know where I was. Everything smelled different and there were strange people and strange horses, and they didn't know my name. They gave me food, but it wasn't the same as the food I was used to, and there wasn't quite enough. I didn't know what came next or what the new people expected of me.... I wasn't sure I was in a safe place....

When I woke up this morning, at first I didn't know where I was. Everything began to swim back into focus. I was still here at home in my own stall, and Mom was opening the door to give me my breakfast. She said she was glad to see me and said nice things about me. Briefly, I remembered when I first came here and everything was strange at first. I came from that auction far away when I was quite young. I remember trotting back and forth and doing my best. I picked my knees up as high as I could and put my ears up.

Then it was over and I went back to the stall. Mom and Brita came to my stall and introduced themselves and petted me and admired me. The tall lady who was in charge told them I was still a little nervous around people. They brought brushes and a warm blanket and food. They put boots on my legs and took me to a room where I could run around and play, and they laughed when I snorted and petted me and told me I did well. They came back often the next couple of days, then they took me to a trailer. I remember that the ride was very long. I was afraid, but when it would stop, someone would always open the door and pat me. This is my first picture at my new home. I had just gotten off the trailer. I was happy to be in the place Mom and Brita said was "home".

I didn't have many close friends back then so I didn't really miss anyone. I tried to go along and do as I was told because they were nice to me. Things ended up very well for me. I'm happy in my home, and I barely remember the places I lived when I was growing up. I hope the nearly 500 Saddlebreds who were sold at the big Tattersalls Fall sale this past weekend do OK. Some sold for only a couple of hundred dollars, less than the cost of a nice bridle or a new set of shoes. I know it is scary to go to a new place and sometimes the work might be hard, but do your best and don't kick or show your teeth. Hopefully you find a safe home and your new people will be kind and look after you like mine do.

I did it again! NaNa-NaNa-Na!

2009-10-26T14:39:00.009-04:00

This time I did it really well. I was in my paddock waiting for Brita to come, and when she got here, she didn't come right out to see me. Instead she went and got that other horse, and let him eat grass. I wanted to go for a ride, or eat grass or something other than be ignored. So I started to squeal and kick the fence.

That didn't work, so I rolled on both sides. She continued to ignore me. The problem was, the sand I rolled in was pretty dry and I only turned an icky shade of tan. There were no chunks or wet spots or anything. So, I ran down to my favorite mud puddle. First I splashed in it really hard. I had muddy water spraying for 30 feet. I got it all over my face...

and soaked my clean tail...

Then I laid down right in the middle of it. I didn't roll, I just flattened right out.

After that I came running back down to see if I had gotten her attention, and Mom was taking pictures of that other horse.

So, I rolled again. And again.

That got their attention. They put him back in the barn and came and got me. I thought we would do something nice then, but instead, Brita got the hose. Mom sprayed me off with cold water, and washed my tail with purple smelly stuff.

The only good point was that after getting my cold shower, I got to graze in the warm sun until I dried. Brita says it wasn't a proper bath and I still have lots of stains and grit in my coat, but I look a whole lot better than I did. That grass was sooooo good!

Mmmmmm............

I wish my people would listen to me and do what I want. We could have skipped the whole rolling in the mud and cold hose business if she had just come and got me first thing instead of making me wait. I hate waiting.

A lovely Autumn ride... from the rider's perspective

2009-10-20T15:40:00.018-04:00

I have taken W.P. Grey's computer away for the day.... new keyboard...I'm afraid he will get mud on it.

Yesterday the awful cold, wet, snowy weather we have been suffering since last Thursday finally broke. Today was the second beautiful day in a row. I was unable to get to the barn yesterday, so I was really looking forward to a ride today. I even snuck out of the office 15 minutes early. Who wouldn't? It is 65 degrees, clear blue sky, sun shining through the golden autumn leaves... perfect.

I ride on my lunch "hour", which means time is of essence. It generally stretches to a lunch "hour and a half", but in that amount of time, I can change and drive to the barn (8 minutes), dust off Grey, tack up (10 minutes) and ride for at least half an hour (1 mile in any direction, and back). Then, basic grooming and wipe tack (another half hour), check his water bucket and hay bag (4 minutes), rush back to the office to clean up, change and get back to my desk.

Mom tries to make sure he gets turned out to "bounce" in the morning on the days I am expected. This is really appreciated, because although I consider him to be well trained and highly cooperative, he still has his moments and "bounce time" is very important, especially if he hasn't been ridden in a week.

As I drove towards the barn I saw Grey out in the pipe corral in the hayfield. He looked pretty grungy and I remembered Mom said yesterday he had coated himself pretty well. I met Mom on the porch and she said she had just turned him out a bit ago, but he was very fussy about going out into the mud.

When I went to get him, THIS is what I found...

I really don't think the photo properly conveys what a swamp monster he was. He made it worse by crowding me and tasting me as if he thought I didn't mind getting mud, dust and grass slobber on my clean polo.

From the time I got my first pony (35 years ago next month) I have clung to the romantic side of horse back riding. I take pride in my horse and my equipment. I do not go riding in old jeans and dirty tee shirts. I believe that a proper grooming takes an hour and does not include shampoo. Stalls should be cleaned thoroughly and deeply bedded. Blankets should be plaid wool and changed regularly. When I think about riding, I picture myself perfectly turned out, cantering along a bridle path on a fine horse with well oiled leather and shiny buckles. And my busy Career Girl schedule does not allow time to deal with THIS....

I weighed my options. I could put him back in his stall and pretend he doesn't belong to me... spend my time with weanling Ace (who was clean). Devote my hour to a proper text book grooming. Get the hose. Scrape off the worst, and enjoy the day. I opted to scrape off the worst.

With a towel and a shedding blade I removed most of the chunks, went over the saddle area and girth with a stiff brush and decided to skip both picking out his hooves ...

and soiling a clean pair of splint boots. I had a dusty saddle pad from last week in the laundry pile, so we used that. I tried again with the towel to de-muck his head before putting on the clean bridle, and off we went.

It really was a beautiful day for a ride. We saw a blue bird, and chipmunks skittered busily through the yellow leaves storing acorns for the winter. We were even besieged by Lady Bugs. I barely noticed the horse beneath me was still encrusted in mud.

When we returned, most of the mud had dried enough to brush out. His furry elbows remained wet and there was a chunk of something hanging from his throat latch. But the steaming towel trick did go a long ways towards removing the worst of the stains. There is still a beige murkiness to the left side of his head and elbow. I put a clean halter on him, double bagged the soggy one and put it in my bridle bag with the bridle and lathered girth to take home for cleaning.

Mom did her part to restore some civilization to the day by having a snack ready when we got back. She brought out fresh apple cider in a decanter on ice along with a plate of cookies, and she and I had a little party at the picnic table under the maple tree in it's golden autumn splendor while a mostly clean Grey horse munched happily at his hay bag. My romantic notions are still intact.

Ppppttttthhhhhhhhh!