Tuesday.......brrrrrrrrrrrrr

Usual start.....laundry, dogs out, dogs fed, cats fed, make coffee......eat a banana..shower.
It is light out when I leave and it sort of makes me panicky about "feeling" late for work. I hate to be late. My mind says "hey, it is light and you SHOULD be at work by now."
I listen to the oldies again......Eric Clapton's "Layla".......look at the open fields on the way to my barn. Multi colored horses in one field....I always look for them.....a pony further down who looks like Beaver and then some more mid sized ponies. Familiarity....comfort......the same scenary each day of my life. Who needs a road trip?

The peacock has not left and he is starting to beg treats from me. Does this mean he won't ever go home? Isn't someone looking for him? Wondering where he is?

Horses are all fine, all annoyed because I broke a granola bar in pieces and gave it to the chickens....the horses love granola bars....but so do the chickens.

I leave for work after opening the paddock gate for Max to go out in the arena today. He needs the exercise.

Now for the bad parts of my day...

Later today, Chelsea and I make the decision to euthanize the old mare we took in on Sunday. She is in rough shape.....her hoof wall is separated and her eye has been ruptured......no one ever did anything for her pain. It makes me weep to think of the pain she has experienced for months as well as being constantly hungry .....a pampered show horse who became a nobody.....I wonder why no one ever loved her enough to take care of her in her old age and now it comes to this. Two strangers take her, give her some final dignity and respect....so very sad. My heart feels good knowing that tonight, for the first night in a long time, she is not hungry and she is not in pain (pain medication)......I will say it over and over again........you owe your old horse a decent retirement.....either provide it, pay for it or euthanize them. They don't deserve to be sent off to this type of "good home" and never checked on again. Nicolette.......we are talking to YOU>>>>

On another note:
I hate it when I hear horse owners say......"this is not a pet......I don't treat him or her as such. I don't feed treats, I don't pat or scratch him or her....they perform and that is it.......no head rubs, no pulling on the zipper of my coat or I will smack them because I am a professional rider".
Excuse me......but I call BullsXit on this. Maybe not a pet,surely not a stuffed animal...but how about a partner? A partner who without their participation, you couldn't perform any riding sport..or perhaps you could ride a stick horse (but then the rest of us would really laugh). Horses, like dogs and cats are living, feeling creatures......they feel pain, they crave attention,they feel happiness, they get sick, they get sore, they love praise, they have personalities....they can be clowns and over achievers.......or lazy and sullen. Get over yourself Ms. Professional rider....get way over yourself and let the partnership extend beyond you and your image in the mirror. Yes, horses should have good manners...they should be taught good manners. They shouldn't be scared of you....Riding isn't a sport unless there is a horse and rider who are committed to each other, who look out for each other's safety and compliment each others strength's and weaknesses. Not a pet.....okay, but a partner...so treat him or her as such. And as for me....if I see you slug your horse in the face or anyone else's horse....expect me to say something...in fact, expect me to verbally lambaste you......and never, ever expect me to "promote you" as a trainer or a catch rider or anything other than an out of control, ill tempered vile human. Anyone who slugs horses in the face doesn't deserve a horse and seriously.... you should get some anger management help. Hit an animal, hit a child...people hit because they lack emotional intelligence and the ability to reason.....it is easier to hit and bully and scare something that is vulnerable, something that can't fight back or get away. .....look at the fear in your victims eyes the next time.....does it make you proud or does it make you sick and ashamed?. Find out why you feel the need to hit/scream/blow up instead of correcting behavior at the root of the problem. =======

If your trainer hits your horse in the face as discipline.........RUN. Pack your stuff, load your horse and run. Professional riders/trainers don't hit horses in the face nor do they hit horses in anger because they are having a bad hair day or because it is raining or because the horse rubbed it's head on them......

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Anger manages everything badly.
Anger doesn't win games.
Anger doesn't solve issues.




Pony Up fortune for Wednesday:

You know who you are at all times.