Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Time OUT Tuesday

24 hours of rain, wind and more rain. My paddocks and pastures are SOGGY......little creeks of running water make their way to the drainage ditch down by the road. Stalls are a mess because at least most of the horses have the sense to stand inside. Here I was thinking it was summer after last weekend. I thought we were home free from the cold and wet of Washington state but..... It feels like November today....I never took my coat off. There was so much rain last night the peacock slept in the chicken coop......voluntarily.

I am raising six chicks in the barn...with a light bulb, some sawdust for a bed, a chicken waterer and chick starter. I must be crazy. .......well, it should only be a few weeks and then they can join the flock. These are Lace Wyndottes.....I think I got that name right and they are all supposed to be hens........we shall see....I find it hard to believe you can properly sex a chicken when they are so little, but hopefully they know more than me....right?

Promise and Breeze are still sharing a loafing shed and doing well until the grain comes out......then Breeze is a "monster" filly and poor Promise runs for her life.

Mercy is not coming around. It takes two of us to brush her and she will not allow her legs or butt to be brushed. It is very sad. A horse must be touched.....must be groomed.......must be handled..... I cannot have my leg broken, nor can I have a volunteer kicked. Mercy eats really well and her weight is almost normal........but I fear her spirit will not come around. The part of my job I hate. You want everyone to get better.......the fairy tale should have a good ending.......but sometimes there is no answer. It is enough to make you want to quit.......throw down everything and just quit.

But then.......you hear about Vinnie and how well he is doing in his new home.......how much they love him........cherish him.......and it becomes worth it again....some of the hurt leaves you for a while. Vinnie is going out on trail rides, learning to side pass, learning to give to the bit, learning to flex.......learning to be a saddle horse. We will have video and pictures soon. His new mom calls or emails me every once in a while........Thank you Tanna....I couldn't have asked for anything better for my favorite boy! So glad you are happy.

I look at TarBaby and I know he is happy and better off with us...........he looks like a million bucks and he feels good.......so he, in fact, finally got a happy ending with us.

Days when you feel like everything is BAD and it turns out it really isn't....just a corner of your heart is dark.

As I posted before, we got our ASPCA grant for the arena fencing.......which is so great....our arena fence currently is leaning and almost in need of being propped up........Big horses with big butts did not help! The fencing will be much more stout this time and it also allows us to use it as a dry turn out.

Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club also donated half of the proceeds of their dessert auction to us........and that will enable us to finish our wash rack/shoeing stand. Thank you to LPSDC for their support and friendship.

Off to watch American Idol......have a glass of wine.......relax a little.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

You will be drawn like a moth to a flame........

Proud to announce.......

Pony Up is the recipient of a 1000 dollar grant from the ASPCA!

The grant was specifically applied for so that we could repair our arena fencing and so we will begin the project this coming weekend!

Thank you ASPCA!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

post script Saturday

Beautiful weather today......I got a lot of good pictures and so did Kim. I will try to post tomorrow for your viewing pleasure.

We got a lot done today........put rocks into the concrete form for our new shoeing stand/wash rack, put a new section of fence up......let Beaver out to play for a long while.....and boy did he play.
Horses got groomed, wash tubs got scrubbed........hay got moved.....so much can get done on a good sunny day. Thanks to my volunteers.......Kim, Matt, Ryan.........you guys are the best.

My chickens are laying four eggs a day........doesn't seem like a lot, until they start adding up in your refrigerator....so I give some away to volunteers and other folks who help us out.

We had a man come and fix our tractor today......free of charge.........thank you Jim! We had a blown hydraulic hose.

We still have mud....and tonight it is supposed to rain again.......ugh. Just when I see my way out of the dark.......R A I N. What is it that we have a gorgeous day followed by several rainy days.........it is enough to make me cranky.

Clouds settled late in the afternoon and so BACK on with the horse blankets.......then another dose of the power pack de-wormer.......they are starting to look at me like I am THE ONE TO BE AVOIDED.........."SHE WHO POISONS US".........and I will do it again tomorrow.

Mercy is no better.........such a problem....such a heartache........she seems miserable. She does not want a human touch.......period.

Promise is much, much better.......putting some weight on and actually likes to be groomed/touched by us now. Some things get better with time .......

Freedom Friday

Friday comes and I have the whole day to myself....but still have things to do.
Breeze goes to the vet today so that we can determine her lameness........stalls to clean, paddocks to clean, horses to groom.
Mary comes and helps me with paddocks......such a nice lady who gives up her time for us.
I take Breeze out and groom her. She stands like a princess. Her mane is long and I think about cutting it...but I don't have time to do a proper job and I don't want her to look like she has a "home haircut"........you know, the kind your mom gave you as a kid? Yes, THAT one.
I pick her feet, run a finish brush over her......and voila, we are done.
I haven't loaded her in the trailer for a long time, so I think I better get started, so we don't have zero time to get there.
She loads right up. I love this horse. No screaming, no fuss, she just gets in and off we go.
I get there and we must wait while the vet finishes with some other clients.
Breeze paws.
I bark at her to stop.
She stops.
Then she starts.
I open the window.
She stops.
Then she starts.
I bark again.
She has had enough.
Okay, she has been pretty good.
I get her out and walk her around.
She is happy......no screaming.....just looking.
She stops to pee.
The wind comes up.
I clench the leadrope tightly.
She is fine.
She SCREAMS for the nearby geldings.
They ignore her. They see horses all day.....yawn......
The vet comes over.
We talk about Breeze, discuss the lameness.
I walk her.
I trot her......and she begins to morph into a young TB filly........puffs up.......throws her head........screams.........I bark at her.
"can you go the other way?" the vet says.
Yes......and off we go.
Okay all done.......let's examine the leg....
hmmmm, did you see this little puffy spot?
No.
right here.
Ok, Yeah , I see it.
It is the left hock.
Fascia-itis.
or it used to be called a "curb".
Too much exertion.
Let's see, can this be caused by a filly running and kicking her left leg up over her head or by a filly who stands and kicks at the boys at the fenceline like an automatic weapon?
Yes.
Solution?
Stall rest, cortisteriods, shock wave therapy..........no kicking.
oh boy.
The track would probably blister it. (We won't)
Okay, well, there goes an adoption.......sigh. But we are glad to know and glad to tell the prospective adopter because we are honest and truthful.......but still it is disappointing.
Back in the trailer.
Loads like a dream.
Rides quietly.........
unloads like a champ.
Back in with Promise, who is so glad to see her. Promise loves her and Breeze is her security blanket.

More work.
I "power pack" de-worm TarBaby, Breeze, Promise, and Mercy. I know that Promise is loaded......bad hair, poor weight......coarse and long hair. Mercy probably is too. I take no chances with Breeze because she is now sharing a paddock with Promise.
I will order fly predators next week.

The weather turns to sun in the afternoon and I take my mom to Strohs and then we run a few errands. I buy some plants.........(the sun made me do it) I love these plants called Corral Bells and I must have a million of them around.

We have a banty who is setting on eggs. I cannot find her. Hmmm. I try to stop this when it happens.....we might have to have a search party today to find her.

Well, I am late.......gotta get running..........

enjoy your Saturday.

Pony Up fortune for today:

Expect an unexpected surprise and be delighted!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Winsome Wednesday

I don't know why I ever attempt to wear a white shirt. Black is my favorite color, I rarely wear anything other color and for many years my license plate read "Widow".........but every once in a while I think , "well it is spring" or "it is summer" and so I break out the "white".....or "red".......but today I wore white and I immediately knew why I shouldn't have.
I drive to the barn and let the chickens out.......feed the cats.....I am careful with the wet catfood.......I don't get a drop on me. I then put a barn jacket on so that I don't get my pretty white shirt dirty. Right. I go to give Church his hay and he grabs and then pushes the hay .........right into my face and of course hay goes down my shirt......inside my bra and I have hay all over my hair. Hmm. Well......at least hay is not dirty...I can shake it out later. Did I mention I am allergic to hay? I finish feeding hay......then I have to take blankets off because the day promises to be warm. I still have my jacket on. By the time I reach horse number 5, I am too warm and my body is threatening to sweat. Off comes the coat and NOW I must be really careful. Me and four more horses........and I have a white shirt on. STUPID. I was stupid to think I could/can pull this off.
I am so careful....I hold the blankets in my fingers and keep them away from me.......until Max decides to turn around and push his giant rump into me. I suspect dirt right away.......and yes, there is some on my arm. It might brush off? who knows?.
You know I haven't fed grain yet.
Yep.....you know what is coming.
You know I feed wet grain.
You know they are all hogs........they slurp and they slop.
I am never going to make it to work in a clean white shirt....never
I give up........my shirt will be dirty........I may have to keep my work jacket on.........I may have to wet and scrub a spot or two.......
such is life.

The weather was awesome today. It was seventy degrees.......and I did have to take my jacket off.
This is the weather when you take horse blankets off and you put horse blankets back on.........too chilly at night and too warm during the day. I am a maniac during this time.......do I leave them off, put them on? Will it rain during the day? Another month and I will relax.

A chicken hawk came and grabbed one of my hens.........but she got away. She is banged up and limping......I kept her in the barn for two days and today she is much better. You should see these chicken hawks.......so small........as small as the banty hen, but as vicious as Jack the Ripper.........they come in fast, knock the chicken down and then rip it's throat out........unless you hit them with the broom and I do, if I can get there in time. Those little guys are fast.
We are playing a little game of chicken survivor on the farm.........its either eagles, chicken hawks, or coyotes........on any given day.

Breeze is spoken for and should leave around the second week of April. Someone is getting a very nice filly..........we will announce it later.

The tractor broke a hydraulic hose and so we are tractorless at the moment, but should be fixed by the weekend. I know nothing about tractor repair or hydraulics.......I just know when it is not working. Most of the manure pile is gone from our weekend customers and we are appreciative. One guy was concerned that the manure would all be gone, but I informed him that the manufacturing plant worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week........and doesn't even stop on holidays. He was relieved.

I have a very loud frog chorus out the back door again........clear sky.........no rain. Let's hope it lasts until next week.

Thank you to Kathleen for the flower essences........it was nice to chat with you. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Share something you love with someone .........

Friday, March 19, 2010

Fine fine Friday

I got to sleep in a little.......okay...until 6:45.......then up and at the day. Coffee of course and toast.......dogs fed, email.......shower and then to the barn. It was chilly but BLUE sky promising to be nice all day. Wahoo! I can certainly use a nice day and so can the horses.
I throw hay, change water in tubs, take blankets off, feed chickens.........ummm.....yes, the peacock is still here.........feed the barn cats, rake some manure..........I have to run home for a little while.........
Ryan is at the barn and he takes down two old fixtures and puts up two new ones........we feel like we have a whole new barn lately.........he also puts up a new porch fixture for my mom........Pony UP personnel take good care of my mom........just part of the chore list some days!
I come back to the barn around 11 and Mary is there......cleaning paddocks..........thank you Mary for coming each week.......I appreciate your help and friendship....

Mercy was very quiet today and I was concerned about how she was feeling, but she ate and pooped, so both ends are working.......still, you never know about horses who are coming back from being starved.
Promise is sharing a paddock with Breeze and they love each other. They spent the afternoon hanging out, drinking water and eating hay together. They are almost the exact same age and the same color.......but Breeze is of course in full flesh and a gleaming coat, while poor Promise is underweight and has long, thick, coarse hair. She will come along, in time......it just takes time.

Sully is home and bewildered as to where his swank surroundings went..........he is now in a common paddock.....with a loafing shed and no high priced warmbloods sharing his aisleway........he had a good roll in the dirt today and he and Beaver made faces at each other.
TarBaby had never seen Sully before.......and he was enamored with him.........really fascinated....so strange.

We had two eagles flying overhead today.........watching the chickens........they never swooped down, probably too many people in the yard ..who knows.

I drove out and visited Winston today..........he looks fabulous and moves like a real dressage horse. I am very happy with his progress. I bathed him after his lesson and he was such a good boy..........they all love him. He really is showing the ability to do some upper level work.........I am so proud of him.

Tomorrow, work at the barn of course, a visitor or two.........blankets off........it is supposed to be seventy degrees........ooooooooooohhhh.......just like summer, huh? Time for fly masks and spray.......well, you have to go hand in hand........flies and warm weather. I suppose.

Let's see......our work list seems like it never gets smaller.........new arena fencing.......new fencing up the driveway......better windows in the stalls..........more gravel?...gosh, I haven't said the G word in a long time......G R A V E L.........a necessity for Washington winters.........and winter is just around the corner in my paranoid mind.........sick, isn't it?
I think we might pour cement tomorrow......it will be nice to have that done and then we have a wash rack!
We were also looking today and we think we can extend the paddocks by ten feet......doesn't seem like much, but ten feet is ten feet........enough for a small stall and if everyone is extended ten feet, then we have about sixty feet in width.........enough for a paddock....Beaver needs a bigger paddock.

All in all I had a great day today..........I hope yours was as good as mine.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Practice makes perfect, but perfect may not be what you are after.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Thorough(bred)ly Thursday

LONG day.

It was frosty this morning and I was happy to serve up "warm" grain, courtesy of our hot water heater. If it doesn't make the horses feel better, well, it makes me feel better. I fed, cleaned a couple of stalls........jetted to get gas, check the mail box...........and get on the road to work.
I listen to Jimi Hendrix..........yes, I said Jimi Hendrix..........Purple Haze to be exact. I was a kid when Jimi died but his music still rocks.......umm.......well, most of it. ...some great guitar for sure.

I worked all day, then came back to the farm, threw hay.........put the fillies together (held my breath).. the fillies seemed to like each other....some squealing......a lot of running and sniffing.......then drove like a mad hatter to get Sully. He was eating when I got there, to the fancy Gig Harbor barn........and looked at me like huh????????? Leave? me? ...but he loaded right up, stood like a little man and off we went. I stuffed him in a paddock....he looked around, went down and rolled.........made faces at Beaver........then looked for food. I fed grain and a little more hay to everyone, then checked fencelines.. the fillies were eating nose to nose(thank you God)......tucked the chickens in.......and came home.

I have a busy day tomorrow, my day off from my regular job.......lots of errands, catch up on the paddocks.......run to see Winston......groceries......bank........phone calls........you name it. OH and my house needs to be cleaned........the house cleaner comes tomorrow to help me but windows need washing, baseboards need wiping down........more work on my flower gardens to get them going.

I am hopeful that everything will be in one piece in the morning.......no fences down......no horse injuries........keeping my fingers crossed.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Sometimes it is not what you know, but simply who you know...........you know?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Time out Tuesday


Sully is coming home.........we will pick him up on Thursday evening. A very full farm......but we will squeeze him in for the time being and try to find a foster home for another. Sully has developed issues with cantering. ...probably some sort of pain......lengthy explanation but he is willing to hurt himself in order to avoid cantering and I don't believe it is due to being "bad".

Anyway the foster home and barn has been very generous to us and we appreciate it...but time to bring him home and have him checked out.......chiropractic.....and soundness evaluation.

We love Sully........one of our favorites for sure.


Rain again today, lots of wind, loss of power for a while.......and cold.........but now, outside my window, frogs croaking up a storm and patches of moon in the sky. Maybe tomorrow it will be nice?


Ryan came and worked on the electrical today........and a fine job he did. The electric fence is now on a switch.....we upgraded the breaker box and the wiring.......added another receptacle. So nice to have things more useable and safe! He also moved the manure pile in the back........it was monstrous and hot.


We say goodbye to Carerra, who has finished her project with us.......and we wish her luck in her future....thanks for helping the horses and sharing your ideas with us. We like being involved with the Running Start program, we meet such great students!


We are hearing great things about Vinnie.......and how happy his new owner is with him! YAY!! All of our stories should have such happy endings..... The picture on the blog today is Vinnie...one of my favorite pictures of him. I told his new owner Tanna that this is really why I do what I do..........this is what rescue is all about. You take a horse like Vinnie from a dead end situation and you get him into a home that is perfect for him. Love at first sight. Makes me want to cry.......really...it does. You go Vinnie........we miss you already.

The crabby old bat was not so crabby today........and Promise did not stall walk as much as she has........somethings improve and it makes the day seem better. Somedays I get overwhelmed with work, finances, time........whew......I don't know how it all gets done....but it does.

The cement for the shoeing stand will have to wait for good weather.......the frame is all up.....just need some sunshine for just a little while.

Did I mention that we have hay stashed everywhere? Three ton.........in every nook and cranny. Great buy.....it goes fast..........they eat like threshing machines these inmates. Two hots and a cot, as my husband says....life is good.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Do not forget to show your humility.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Still around Sunday

Short weekend.....lots of work.........hmm......you know the list never gets shorter.........we don't see daylight yet but we still get a lot done.
Saturday it's just me, Ryan and Carrera for a while........then just me and Ryan. We get stalls cleaned, waters filled and then we groom a few horses. We start with the worst.....Mercy and Promise..........the sun is out for a little while and we take advantage of being able to hose/soap/rinse Madam Mercy's legs, back end and give her a good brushing. I will give her this...........she was SLIGHTLY better........she kicked at us a couple of times, screamed but the biting was at a minimum.......she is very hairy and shedding like crazy. It looked like we had a snow storm in her paddock, we had that much hair! We also groomed Promise.......and she was much better than last week....she is still stall walking, tooth grinding, generally neurotic.....it is a concern.........she stall walks like she is in a trance. The stall walking is bad because she burns too many calories........and does not eat enough to keep up. For those of you thinking it........she is not locked in a stall,,,,,,,,,, she is living in a loafing shed and has free access to her paddock. I also gave her a toy to play with.......and she has the wonderful Beaver sharing her fenceline for company.........but she is still neurotic about the walking and grinding of her teeth. She is not much for grooming either but so much better than Mercy. I am giving her Mare Magic along with Madam Mercy.......I hope it will kick in. It cannot be much of a life to be so worried. I feel badly for this little mare.......she is homely.......she is sickle hocked, she has a broken sesmoid, MULE ears, little eyes.......badly set on neck....bad fur........skinny...............so many strikes against her at such a young age. We, of course, never hold looks to be of importance, but you know as well as I do, that many people do. We want to give her a chance because she has had so many humans fail her. She is not yet four.......very tragic, isn't it? You know, Breeze is the same age, and was at the track the same amount of time......it is simply the difference in how a horse is treated by the trainer, grooms..........the owner. Breeze has no bad habits....great manners......while poor Promise shows the evidence of how she was treated.
The rest of Saturday afternoon, we load manure, work on electrical items in the barn. (two new light fixtures, a new receptacle, a new switch).......go get coffee at Starbucks, marvel at the tool section of Lowes buy some electrical items..........come back, work a little more, feed every one, talk about next week............and then go home. Ryan.........again...you are such a help with the projects............Thank you. This week Ryan has spring break and has offered to work on some barn projects..........siding, electrical........manure.......plumbing......as I said, we have a million things to do.
Sunday I go to the barn by myself, we have a little sunshine in the morning..........I feed and clean paddocks........drink coffee..........gather eggs, clean stalls........go see my mom.........and then I put up a bird feeder, move the bird bath........hang up a bird house........and it is noon.......already? I head home..........drink coffee.....then go outside to tend my gardens.........weed and prune, then rake.........wash the sidewalk off........play with the dog.......take a shower, feel ready for a nap,,,,,,,,,,,but I need to go to the store..........Fred Meyer.........dog food, cat food, prescriptions, bath mat...........and a few other things that I don't really need. Socks.......why was I lured into buying socks?????? and of course, some more Starbuck's coffee.....sushi for lunch..........
then back to the barn to meet the hay man...........three tons of orchard grass.........I helped unload it............VERY heavy bales....which gave away my age.........and then I raked up loose stuff and fed it to the inmates and they LOVED it.........much better than the last stuff which was rather stemmy.......I fed dinner like I was a gourmet chef.......rice bran, sunflower seeds, oats, senior grain, beet pulp........hot water.......everyone is happy.

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

Can you afford not to?

Friday, March 12, 2010

aaaahhhh Friday




So last night I go to clean stalls and feed horses......it has been raining and stalls are shall we say "full of it".........I want to clean in the daylight I have left so I go to Max and Ollie's first. I have two jackets on because it is cold. I start raking and picking and soon I am too warm.......so I take a jacket off and lay it on a top rail and then I get back to work. I am not paying much attention to the horses.......they are sort of milling around complaining to each other that there has been no food distributed as of yet. They bite at each other and push each other.......I tell them to knock it off and keep cleaning. It gets kind of quiet. Then I hear it.... a noise. Water splashing. I am on the back side of the loafing shed and I am like.......hmm.........what are they doing....step around to the front......to see that they have my jacket........both of them and they are playing with it in the water trough..........dunking it up and down while it makes a noise that delights them to no end. I take it from them. The zipper is crushed. My jacket no longer zips. It is soaking wet and so are the dollar bills that are in the pocket. Okay, okay..........I go and get hay for them. Idle hooves are the work of the devil, that is for sure.
You would think that that would be enough juvenile antics but when I pull up to the barn this morning.......late because I actually did sleep in..........and immediately my eye is drawn to the fact that there is a horse at the front paddock of the barn that doesn't belong there......why? because no horses at the front of the barn are wearing green turn out blankets and there definitely is a GREEN turnout blanketed horse at the front of the barn. OH boy. And who praytell is wearing a green turnout blanket? Max. Max is .........Max is a very big boy........17H, black, stocky.......and he is now in with mister old man TarBaby........and oh,,,,,,,,,if Max is out, then so is Ollie........another bruiser.........and he must also be in with TarBaby....but I don't see him yet.......or TarBaby either. My blood pressure is rising. I JUMP out of the truck, open the barn, run in .........and I see Ollie.........in TarBaby's stall.......eating....shortly joined by Max. Where is TarBaby? Out to the back loafing shed.......and there is TarBaby. Now I have three horses together and only one of me.......hmmm........what to do....what to do. No one is bleeding.......they all look okay......no one is fighting. I grab Tarbaby and lock him in the arena......then take Max and give him food.....grab Ollie......take him and give him hay too........okay everyone is back where they belong......now how did they get out? ......I examine the gate.......snap is broken.......gate pushed.......not enough to do and idle hooves are the work of the devil as I said.
Phew.......deep sigh. It could have been so much worse.......but I have a feeling that TarBaby held his own..........Max and Ollie are pushovers to alpha type horses. I am sure they were sorry about busting into TarBaby's paddock. ...I wish I could have seen it to begin with.

So it was Friday and I went to the feed store, to Starbucks, made phone calls and then went to see Winston........he is doing so well! Then back to the farm, feeding time again, check waters........tuck chickens in.......home to eat dinner.

Tomorrow we will do it all over again........

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

It's not all about YOU>

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

There goes Tuesday

So the weather went "south"..........so to speak. Sunday promised to be a sunny day but turned ugly like a stepmother gone bad. Monday was no better and voila, we got snow on top of it. COLD...I was cold like it was winter again.......I mean it is almost spring. I have tulips sprouting, trees budding, grass growing and oh, did I mention that every mare on the place is in heat?
Yes, I guess I did.

The cement guy came and layed forms today and soon we will have our washrack/shoeing stand. It will be a much needed addition and so valuable to us in the winter. Here I am already thinking about winter. Sick, isn't it? It never stops, honestly.

I got hay Sunday afternoon and the horses are not thrilled. Well......let's say the horses who have not been starved are not thrilled........the two newest inmates are eating it like it was carrot cheesecake. ...it will be a while before they turn their noses up at any food that is offered to them. Beaver, of course he wants it......he wants anything he cannot readily have.

Madam Mercy ..........well, we are trying hard to be friends. Sometimes I think I am making headway and then I think that she will always hate everyone. She likes carrots and handfuls of oats.........she likes the boys on both sides of her paddocks. She stands with her tail to one side and lifted, she walks with heavy hooves and her head down. She has no spark....no joy. We hope to change that. I am giving her Mare Magic and hoping it will help. She is uninterested in seeing her large paddock and spends her spare time standing by the fenceline of the other filly. I will see how she feels about sharing a pasture space on Saturday......maybe company will cheer her up....maybe not. I will deworm her again in a week and start her on some vitamins.

We had a new volunteer tonight.........welcome to Shelly. Shelly has a donkey who is a coming yearling and she lives near us. .........we hope she visits with the donkey when the weather is nicer. We love donkeys. I learned to ride on a donkey when I was a little girl.....his name was Pedro.
Iam still cold and I turned the fireplace on, put my flannel sweatpants on and a sweatshirt. I ate dinner while I fed the dogs, and then put them out/put them in for the night.

Oh, the week just goes by so quickly........never enough time. Friday is already booked and Saturday too... horses to go to the vet, horses to get hoof trims..........electrical work on the barn, cement to be poured..........fencing to put up, horses to groom.........more hay to get........stall pellets, rice bran and black oil sunflower seeds...........I need to get to the mall..........to the cemetary..........I need to work on my taxes.... oh boy....and who is going to bake cookies?
LOL..........NOT me. If I want or need cookies, you can be sure I am going to buy them.

I drove to work this morning, resisted the temptation to go to Starbucks.........and I must have changed the radio station a hundred times. One of those days when I can't stand to listen to the conversation craziness of some disc jockeys........one of those days you just want to listen to something good, something that gives you a smile from fond memories.........I finally end up listening to Don Henley.........singing "The Heart of the Matter". I love that song....it has good memories for me in a special way......

Well, I am off to remove my contact lenses........my eyes are tired.......a few more things to do and then I will DIVE into bed.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Figure it out.........don't depend on others to do it for you.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sunny Sunday




We had a fabulously sunny day yesterday........temperatures in the 60's.....what a treat for us and the horses! We got a lot done too. Ryan installed a 50 gallon water heater in the barn, so now we can bathe horses! The cement man will come this week and pour our concrete slab, so that we have a wash rack and we will put a roof on it....that way we can use it for a shoeing/vet stand in inclement weather. Ryan had to work really hard all day..........he had to change some electrical connections and install a new electrical box.......thanks Ryan for the hard work!



Kim and I put up a couple of top rails on some stretches of fence, Carerra cleaned paddocks.........Betsy groomed horses (and she didn't get the easy ones either!) Betsy is new to Pony Up and brings a lot of horse experience with her.....welcome!




We got rid of most of our BIG manure pile yesterday thanks to many local gardeners.........they kept us busy all day loading trailers and pickups. It really is nice stuff........the compost at the bottom is very fine soil and absolutely chock full of big red earthworms. The chickens love scratch at the pile for bugs and worms.




All the horses had blankets off and took the opportunity to take dirt naps. Ollie stood over Max while he napped and then Max got up, they played some gelding games (I am the King Stud Horse) and then Ollie napped while Max stood over him. It is cute to watch.


The crabby old bat mare is now officially named Mercy. We groomed her........three (Kim, Betsy and me) of us did. The only part she enjoyed was the neck grooming........otherwise she remained THE VERY CRABBY OLD BAT. I may try some Mare Magic on her or I may call a Voodoo spell caster or we may need a horse whisperer.......I don't know yet....like I have said.... MARES = DRAMA. I do like Mare Magic though.....I actually used it on Winston when he had a case of nerves (when I first bought him)


Breeze is enjoying her new paddock and she has a patch of mud with surrounding grass which she enjoyed yesterday.


We have had Beaver on a diet and we have been wondering why he hasn't really shed any pounds........well, now we know. We watched as Beaver climbed up on top of a railroad tie (which is a base to a wall in his loafing shed, which attaches to the next loafing shed).........and then he reached over the wall divider and helped himself to the "good" hay found in the hay rack.........the kind of hay he is not supposed to be eating. Hmmm. ...back to his circus pony tricks. He is a smart little criminal. He is the biggest reason for our no climb fencing and the top rails and for installing plywood panels on gates.




Suggested reading for this week (if you have the time or can make the time).......


"The Soul of the Horse" by Joe Camp. The book was given to me yesterday by Betsy (thank you)...and I read it last night. Last night? ....... yes, last night. It is a short little book......all of 225 pages and I am a voracious reader, as in once I get started, if the book holds interest, I cannot put it down.......so there you have it. Anyway, it is a great book and I give it a thumbs up. I got some great ideas for Mercy.




I am going to the barn to feed and clean the inmates stalls, listen to any complaints, take their blankets off for the day, make sure water tanks are clean and full.....................and then I am coming home to work on my flower beds for a while.....while the sun is out. I will let the lab hang with me and she will annoy me about every five minutes with a toy or a stick.....or she will be in the pond......I have several little ponds here and there........she knows where each one is and how much water it has and then she will do regular hose checks to see if there is any water there or if she can make it come on. Such a lab....how many ways can you spell LAB? WATER, FETCH, BIRD, WAG, RUN, PANT..........I have not seen her point yet, but I am sure she does it. We are a terrier family...........how did we get a LAB? The Russells do not like to get wet and they don't like the lab to get them wet....but they do like to chase birds together.




I hope your Sunday is grand and you get to spend it doing something you like....get out and take a walk (come and get our lab to go with you) or go and take a drive, look at the some of the beautiful blooms........I have a flowering plum tree at the barn that is just gorgeous.




Pony UP fortune for today:




Make a decision to move forward and then don't look back.




Saturday, March 6, 2010

Early Saturday

I am supposed to be sleeping in.......but I first got up at 4;30 am to let the dogs out.........then again at 6:30 because it was so light outside. Lots to do today as usual for a Saturday and the day should be sunny and warm.

I took Vinnie to the racetrack yesterday. I cried a little when I loaded him on the horse transport. He loaded right up and traveled like a trooper....such good manners.........I am going to miss him. He should be at his new home on Sunday, after a brief layover today. I hope she is going to love him as much as I do.

I came back to the farm and Mary was there cleaning paddocks. I took everyone's blankets off so they could sunbathe. I switched horses around and had to mend a fence (due to MARES).........then I curried Sophie, banged her tail and cut her wispy mismatched mane. She was umimpressed......kicked at me several times. Oh boy. Today she really has to be bathed so that her skin can heal. She has been in raging heat since she got here and her hind legs are a mess too. She even has rain rot on her ears.

I put Breeze in Vinnie's paddock and it is the first paddock you come to.......so she gets lots of attention there and she will like it better I think.

I went out to watch my horse Winston at the trainer's barn and he remains a superstar. Everyone loves him (including me) and his workouts have been fabulous. I rinsed him off afterward and walked him in the sun. I miss him.....he is such a big clown.

I stopped at the feed store for grain, de-wormer and dog food.......Sophie and the new TB filly will need to be de-wormed today.
The weather is so unseasonably warm, I will need to start thinking about flies. I like to use the "fly predators" on the manure piles and hang fly traps. I am not big on spray.........I am allergic to a lot of it and it seems so toxic........ aren't we toxic enough?

Pete the peacock thinks it is spring. He has been giving a show of his tail to the hens...........he shakes it and struts.........and he admires himself in the diamond plate of my horse trailer.....as I have said numerous times......he doesn't seem to be going home, wherever home is, anytime soon. I think he owns us.

The little sparrow is back at my glass doors........not sure if it is actually the same one.......but he/she acts the same.........flying up to the window, perching on the wooden chair, bring scraps of bugs.......the cats are enthralled as it is right next to their cat tree.

Well, I am off to shower and then to the barn.

Enjoy your day.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thoroughly Thursday

No rain today........and the frog chorus is even louder. I wish I could record it for you.....simply amazing.....sounds like an old Rainier Beer commercial..........dating myself I know.....but yes, there used to be a Rainer beer........produced locally...with cute commercials.

Vinnie is adopted and tomorrow he will journey to his new home. I will be sad.......I have gotten very attached to him....but early tomorrow morning I will take him to Emerald Downs and he will catch a ride with a horse transport company. Wish him luck!

The mare drama continues and I ask myself each time I go to the barn, why do I take mares? We all know the reason.,I would never turn a horse down based on sex.....but honestly.......high drama......striking, squealing, peeing........it goes on and on. The boys are like...hmmm.......I know I am interested but really not sure why???? Funny how the horses choose who they like and who they don't.........TarBaby hates Sophie but loves Breeze............Sophie hates Church but likes Breeze....Beaver doesn't like anyone...........Breeze loves Beaver and don't you dare take him away..... I am thinking of renaming the rescue....Pony Up Rescue for Equine Geldings.....or consider the acronym....PURGE............LOL....Pony UP Rescue for Geldings (Equine).

The days are already longer.......such a pleasure....a simple pleasure......it gives me so much more time to clean in actual daylight. In a week or so it will be light way later and I will be much happier...........I am working on getting a caretaker to live on the barn property so that there is someone there at night and also someone who can help clean. It will be nice because it will allow our little rescue to also help a needy person with a place to live. I am going to try and have something put together this month.......I already have a couple of persons interested. It is just a matter of getting the finances aligned for such a project.

This weekend Ryan will put a large hot water heater in and we will pour cement for the wash stall..........and Sophie will get a bath. She might get a new name too.... she is one crabby old bat.
Again.........I do not blame her, after what she has been through.........but gee whiz..........she is an equal opportunist on both ends...........she bites and she kicks. Ouch! Not for the faint of heart.
I called her Mercy this morning...........I said she needed to have Mercy on me...........I was a mere mortal.........and trying to care for her the best I could............she was unimpressed........a work in progress that is for sure and totally unadoptable at this point..........but that is our job......to see her through.

I made some good contacts this week.......in the horse community and the general animal rescue community. Good things will come....I feel it.

The sun is supposed to be out all weekend...............YAY!!!!!!!!! We can move the manure pile........we have had lots of folks coming to get compost. It is really great to be able to have someone use our waste..........Pony UP goes green!

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Your hands cannot build a dream without your heart...........

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Too much Tuesday

It really is turning into spring.........I am greeted by a frog chorus right outside my door morning and night. Last year I was the lucky recipient of thousands of frog eggs and tadpoles........courtesy of my neighbors with an old swimming pool and so now I have a virtual frog festival. I love to hear them.......really I do. I always remember being a Brownie (do they have Brownies anymore????) and being taught about nature's warning signs...........one of them was when frogs suddenly quit croaking........it means a predator is about.........another was the scolding of a Blue Jay.........funny how you remember stuff, isn't it?
Now that I have told you I was a Brownie........I probably sound like I am ready for a walker and depends..........HAH> not quite yet.

The mare drama continues at the farm........all the girls are in heat and the boys are bewildered. There is squealing and kicking.........and then more squealing. Good golly.........enough already.

Vinnie has been adopted. He is leaving on Friday. I will transport him to Seattle and he will be picked up by horse transport. Congratulations Tanna! I am going to miss him. He has quickly become one of my favorites.......so handsome and such a boy. Good luck to the both of you and let us hear from you often!

Sunday we had a memorial service for my grandma. Most of the family was there. Funny, I had not seen some of the kids for a long time....they are getting so grown up. The weather cooperated and we had a nice little service. RIP Grandma.

The barn cats are finally going out and hunting.........hopefully they are after the rats.....we have a bumper crop and I do not want to resort to poison. I hate poison. I hate the word......the concept..........I don't want to poison anything....not even a rat. Maybe I should import some weasels???????? I had a family of weasels living at my last house....under the woodshed.........rarely saw them.........early in the morning and once when the cat cornered a young one..........what a scream they have.........and a stink........I had to save the cat from the adult weasels.....but that is another story.

Sophie is a crabby old bat. I have had to put signs up to warn volunteers.........she kicks, she bites.........we have to be careful. She must be haltered and contained when you enter her stall. We don't want to be mean but we also have to have rules. NO kicking.....no biting .....so she must be managed and we have to be strict......but kind. No hand feeding and we leave her alone while she eats. We have to give her some time, she has been through a lot, her skin is raw, her feet hurt and she is afraid that she won't get enough to eat........sad, isn't it? Sophie will be hard to adopt out if her behavior doesn't come around.

Off to eat dinner.........watch American Idol.......go to bed and do it all over again.

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

Mind over matter........if you think you can or cannot........you can or cannot.