Under Attack

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.