Sunday, January 30, 2011

Swell Sunday

The mare is home....she has a pretty nasty wound on her front leg..infected and she had quite a lot of mud stuck to her legs and belly. We washed/disinfected her legs, soaked her hoof, got most of the mud off....and then blanketed her. She is a nice girl...chestnut and white, good manners, was easy to clean up.......her name is Dollie. She is a registered mare (APHA) who will have a registered foal in a few months. We have some time before foaling to get her leg healed up...fortunately.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was not starved. Her weight is okay but she has a nasty injury and was very muddy. Her owners were kind folks who wanted better for her and I understand that. We had been sort of led to believe that we were going to see a lot worse and I was a little tense. We were sad to leave Dollie's foal behind......a young stud colt, nicely marked....but we were asked to find him a home with some nice people...so if you are interested, please email me? He is registered. I do not know Paint bloodlines but have been told these are well bred horses. I can probably recite the names if you need them?

Dollie is 18 and probably not broke. She deserves a retirement from breeding and babies. Very pretty face, nice markings and easy to handle. She will probably make a nice trail mare or companion.

Anyway, the day turned out better than we expected. Dollie will see the dr tomorrow for her leg. Right now we have her in a mudfree small turnout to keep her wound clean.

More details tomorrow.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

It is just one slice of the pie.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

sigh.........Saturday

Rain, of course it rained and we did stand in the barn for a while and talk.....I got so cold I had to go in the tack room and turn the heat on.....full blast.
We cleaned, folded some blankets, Susy vacuumed cobwebs......we drank coffee and talked about spring projects like it was just around the corner.

We will be picking up a mare tomorrow.....heavily pregnant and injured....
I must be out of my mind. One turns into two.......and a baby is a three year committment......and they aren't even TBs......Paints.......Paints...I have never had a paint and now I will have two. Deep breath....you know sometimes I pray for courage......I pray for strength and I pray for adoptive homes......today I pray for all three as I dive face first into taking on this project. Don't get me wrong....I love all horses and all horses deserve a chance, especially a pregnant mare who is sick.
We have a foaling stall available to us. There are enough of us to socialize a baby properly......but a baby is a lot of committment, a lot of time.....a lot of effort......oh, but you have to love that wobbly kneed little package at first glance before he turns into a large brat. My luck will bring a stud colt...I just know it.

Anyway, we could use some help. If you want to donate or heck..if you want to adopt......please call us, email us..stop by......we would love some help.

I may be certifiable by now.....crazy.

Just a day in our lives. Everything eventually calms down......gets to normal...and we will survive.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Do not look a gift horse in the face.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Feeling Friday

Gross weather today.....simply gross....rain, cold, and chores to do anyway. I was wet, no hat, cleaning stalls/paddocks with Shelli and wondering why Shelli wants to volunteer on a day like this? Heck, even I didn't want to volunteer....I wanted someone to pay me.

We cleaned stalls, fed every one and then I moved horses around again.....I put Winston up in the arena turnout so he can stretch his legs more...and of course, I had to put Louie somewhere that Grace could see him because she goes ape if she can't see him. Mares = drama even when they are old! and of course everyone screamed bloody murder when we moved them. It was cute to see Beaver and Winston doing some mutual grooming.....screaming like a couple of old ladies and nipping each other on the shoulder.....then grooming like crazy......a little pony and a GREAT big Hanoverian. Funny...and where was my camera?

It is supposed to rain again tomorrow, so chores will be limited or else we will just stand in the barn a lot and drink coffee and talk about the things we could have done if the weather was nicer.

I noticed more plants pushing up from the ground today, and buds on the hydrangea bush. Spring is coming at least in the ground.

Our chore list continues......the trailer needs washing, we need a drainage ditch around the wash rack, cement in the barn aisle, one more stretch of fence through the woods, our Pony Up building erected, the arena leveled and compacted, SAND of course and top rails on the arena fence. I am a slave driver...I know it. I laughed when someone called me an "over achiever".......Ha. I just dream big.

Our place is not fancy, but it is safe and we are beginning to love it more and more. We just wish we could stretch the acreage a bit. Maybe when I win the lotto?
I get sentimental when I think of all the time, effort and love that it takes to run this place. I am blessed with the best people who help me and a family who supports me. Nothing else matters most days.

Get ready for our tack Sale in March......we have lots of stuff....and if you have something to donate..send it on over!

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Say it out loud.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Winsome Wednesday


The first news of the day is that Jones is OFFICIALLY adopted! WOOO HOOO! Congratulations to Jones and to Cutter Creek (Annie..thank you!) We are so grateful for Jones to get such a great home and I know he is too! I can tell you he is not missing us one bit.....
This is how it is supposed to go.....we take horses in and then they get a home like this and a new career! We are looking forward to seeing Jones in some hunter shows this spring. Pictures please?

We have a new routine we are trying this week and I am such a creature of habit...I suck at any type of change. A couple of my volunteers are feeding/cleaning in the morning, so I can go straight to work and this morning, I totally forgot...and so I stopped and fed.......and then Rebecca called me and said "DID YOU FEED?"......ummm, yeah....I did. Anyway, I trust that by next week, I may fall into the routine and maybe I can go to the gym or sleep in a little.....maybe. Thank you Rebecca and Shelli for the break.

We had a Pony Up visitor for Grace this evening. Her secret friend Jaime stopped by...brought her treats, some pellets and brought me some wine.....they had a nice visit and Grace loved the cookies...but had to keep an eye on Louie just the same. Jaime helped me feed and listened to the weird noises in the barn.....rats? I don't know...but the noise is strange. Anyway, thank you Jaime...always nice to see you and your mother.

We get a visitor and I take blankets off to show horse flesh and weight to them...I like visitors to know that horses are well fed and cared for. It is easy for people who are there everyday to take it for granted....but I always feel like people who donate and bring us things have a right to know that horses are well fed and healthy.
Jaime, you can chime in here if you want? LOL. Grace's weight is good although she has been through some trauma the last few days.

It will be Thursday tomorrow and that means it is Friday night to me...this has been a long week......I am tired...mentally and physically. I wear my heart on my sleeve and sometimes it gets heavy. The loss of one of our horses stings...and the sting stays with us a while....sometimes I would venture to say that we never get over it.....but eventually we find our way around it.

Thanks for the notes......send a note to Cutter Creek and thank them for the adoption of Jones!

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

You never know how it ends.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

So often Sunday

Lots to do today, I thought it would be another beautiful day, but it was only so so..it rained a little with gray skies all day. None the less, the usual work needs to be done and then some. I always find something else.
Today, Ryan and I work on fencing....fixed some loose posts, tightened up some stretches of wire, cleaned up old lumber from the back of the barn and ran a temporary fence line through the woods. It doesn't sound like much, but we worked all day.....
Grace is not eating much, still very shaky on her feet, she layed down a lot today and I checked on her several times.......the first time I made her get up...I was worried and nervous.....the second time I got a grip on myself and let her lay there. At dinner time, she was still not sold on the idea of eating...We sliced apples for her and she ignored them. I can only say that I am not ready for a second.....so I ask her to please hold on....please.
I made a new squirrel feeder today too....and it works great. I was tired of the raccoons tearing up every feeder I got.....who knew that raccoons wanted sunflower seeds?
We built a big fire to burn up the old lumber and it was nice to stand next to...and warm up for a little while.
Our old friend the eagle came by today and surveyed the chickens......too many people around and so he didn't stop.....I had really forgotten about his visits and how fond he is of chicken dinner.

We surveyed our waiting list and found that out of four waiting horses, all four had found homes........which is a good feeling. I hope they all are GREAT homes.
It gives us breathing room and rest for pasture areas.........spring will be here and I hope the pastures are green and lush.

Enjoy your week.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Look behind you several times.......then move forward.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Soliel Saturday


Thank you for all the kind regards for Tarbaby. It was a hard day yesterday for all of us who loved him. He had quite a reputation in the community and was a well known horse. His past was not that great....but he had a lot of love and good care with us during his stay at Pony Up. Valerie.....you let him down without so much as a backwards glance....I want everyone to know your name as the person who abandoned him and never looked back. Don't ever let there be a next time.

Grace is still very upset and calls out. Yesterday, we let her stay with the body, sniff him all over and when she seemed upset, we let her come back to the barn. Today she has latched onto Louie and is very fretful to the point of exhaustion if he gets out of her sight. We moved horses around until I was practically crazy today...and finally, Grace is in the middle paddock, surrounded by handsome men....but she still does not want to eat. Her legs are shaky from pacing....and so I worry about her. We soaked her abcessed foot today and she was very good for us, let me clean and squeeze and rinse......no worries...she stood still as a rock.

It was a beautiful morning. I got to the barn first and opened up doors.....let chickens out, let barn cat out, doled out the chicken food, cat food and then played with the squirrels for a while....they are not afraid of me anymore...and I can practically touch them....they are so cute with tufted red ears and their shrill little voices. The jays are busy at my mom's feeder stealing peanuts and a couple of gray squirrels fight over corn cob treats......a peaceful morning and I feel like maybe spring will happen after all. I notice that some of my plants are just busting the surface of the dirt....and some buds on the current bush.....I trim some of the old plants back......clean some pots out.....I am getting spring fever already.

We had a full compliment of volunteers this morning....Mary, Susy, Sarah, Aspen, Rebecca and Ryan......we got a lot done....scrubbed some walls, cleaned paddocks, cleaned stalls, scrubbed water tubs, fixed a gate, moved stall mats back into place, put a new receptacle in, fixed a leak in the roof and fixed some leaky gutters. We have a mountain of manure to move......fill dirt to get, sand to get, some fence posts to be put in (fencing chores never stop).....some fences to tighten up, some paddocks to scrape, horses to groom, and next week.......all horses get a deworming. Already that time again.

I took Ryan and Susy to lunch to celebrate Tarbaby's life and we talk about future plans, what we need, what will help us and how we will achieve the things we want and need. Dream big......keep your eye on the distance...I have a good group of folks...Pony Up is a good group of folks.

Thank you to Cenex and Nutrena for the donation of grain today! What a great surprise.. I went to buy a new pitchfork, Show Sheen, beetpulp, dog food and wow...also got ten bags of grain! Grace eats a lot of grain...and beet pulp.....since she cannot eat hay...so again, thank you for your generosity.


Tomorrow some more fencing work....Beaver has an escape route all planned but we caught him and will put an end to it. The weather is supposed to be nice again and I will take blankets off for the early afternoon....so the convicts can get some sun on their backs and dirt in their souls.

It was interesting to note that when I took blankets off today, the blankets looked like they had shrunk.....only they hadn't.....it was expanding bellies and butts...the Pony Up horses are ......umm.....well......FAT. All of them. I smile when I type it...FAT...okay, not like foundering, blubbering fat......but FAT. I bought some diet grain for a couple of them. I laughed when I saw "diet, low calorie grain"......HA...ummmm , why don't we , they or whomever just reduce the amount of grain, quit giving grain or ? DIET GRAIN???
Okay, I bought it. They love grain.... Beaver and Louie never get grain because they are Macy's Parade balloons.....Grace needs full calorie grain.....but Church, Ollie, Winston, Max, Blue....all fatso's...so they get the diet variety.....we will see how it goes.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."

Friday, January 21, 2011

Tarbaby


I am very sad to tell you that Tarbaby died this morning. We let him and Grace out for a while in the arena.......They both rolled in the sand, played a little, then Grace was tired....but Tarbaby continued to buck, rear and play....... he came running up to the stall, reared and then fell over ...already dying. I got to him, he whinnied a little and then passed away. I have not cried so hard in such a long time......like losing your friend.
We have loved him for the past year and a half....we will miss him. He has been the horse that has kept me going when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. He sang for his grain slop each morning and it always lifted my spirits to hear him sing his "give me grain" song.

For those of you who asked, Tarbaby was 25'ish, perhaps a little older. A Thoroughbred, tattoed and very handsome...of course, love is blind, so if he had any conformation faults......we didn't see them.

RIP Tarbaby....you were a good boy.

Thank you Mary and Jason for the help this morning.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Blustery Sunday

It has been windy all day, without so much as a break.....and did I mention is was raining too?
Susy and I cleaned this morning in the rain and the wind....drank coffee, talked about horses, gave Grace some "scratchies" and then decided the day was too miserable for almost anything......where is spring? While I was dumping wheelbarrows.....I did spy some of my plants starting to come back in my garden and that alone gave me some hope that spring will return before I float away into oblivion.
Jones has been at Cutter Creek for a little over a week and he is being treated like royalty....massages and beauty treatments, pretty girls to fuss over him and he got to run in the sand arena without a blanket and then roll! Pure heaven. It looks like he might get adopted.......such a lucky boy!...and someone will be lucky to get him too.....one of our personal favorites for sure. His pasture mate is lonely for him...and is having to resort to sharing the fence line with Beaver...now that is DESPERATE.
We got Beaver's half wall up just in time.....he was standing in the corner tonight taking shelter from the wind......sometimes it works out just right.

We allowed Grace to go into the bottom field where there is less mud, easier for her to get around.....and Tarbaby had a fit....screaming and pacing and Grace ignored him. Mares are fickle like that.

Blue destroyed his Rambo blanket and so now he is wearing a hand me down rain sheet, but at least he is dry. Louie got Max's old blanket and Max got a new blanket....so far so good with everyone else. If you have size 87 blankets........we can use them. Louie and Max are both 87's......Ollie and Winston wear 84's...Lizzie wears an 82....Beaver won't wear one at all........Tarbaby wears a 80 and Grace and Blue wear 76's. We should have really called this Big Horse Ranch or something catchy like that.

The weekend went by fast, we got lots done, as usual and keep planning for more.

Thank you to Sarah and Cutter Creek farm for helping Jones! It means the world to us.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

She still shines.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Sequel Saturday

Up early.......can't find my glasses......turns out glasses had an "accident"......which means trouble for me. I am blind as a bat. Normally I wear contact lenses. Contact lenses are ordered.......but late...which means I am relagated to wearing GLASSES. Except, this morning, my glasses are broken.
I cannot drive, cannot read.....cannot hardly get dressed. Problem. Scotch tape....duct tape. I have to go feed, run errands....I can't sit around and wait for glasses that work. Why don't I have a spare pair? Good question.
Anyway, off to the barn with glasses and tape. I hope there are no photographers waiting.
Nope..only horses and chickens and a barn cat or two.
It is raining.......of course it is raining. But at least it is fifty some degrees...I clean paddocks with no jacket.
I forgot my coffee at the house and hope to make some at the barn, but I forgot to buy said coffee...so I am out of luck.
Rebecca show up, Ryan shows up,Mary shows up...and Aspen shows up.......and we clean paddocks, stalls, water tubs, scrub and scrape floor of barn, clean buckets....hang up wet blankets.....and the build a half wall in the pony shed , so that Beaver has a wind break. Aspen cleaned the chicken house and scrubbed stall doors...filled waters.
We soak Grace's foot, as she has an abcess in the hair line. She is really not in favor of it, but she allows it as best she can.
We do some electrical work. The outdoor receptacle is not working,the GFI burned up....so..........
Ryan and I go to Lowes to get stall pellets......on sale for 3.49.....as well as a new GFCI receptacle and some staples. We come back to replace said receptacle and meet the bodyworker who has volunteered to work on Grace....Vanessa.
Grace is body sore and off in her hips...she walks with a couple of limps and is not all that stable. We appreciate the help and Grace is pretty patient while the work is done. We agree that Grace has some issues in the hips/pelvis region.....some severe issues...but Vanessa does her best and Grace seems to like it. We thank you Vanessa!
Ryan and I put up a new shelf to help better organize our stuff....shampoos, fly sprays, medicines, supplements......all shelved now. Big improvement.
Our new friend Mary shows up and brings Grace a blanket......it fits perfectly and is a beautiful red color.....Grace looks lovely. Thank you to Mary and Lucy for thinking of us.

Susy....we missed you today and hope you are feeling okay? Susy is about the nicest person on earth.......we love her.

Thank you to Sarah for the help with Bonnie. As you know, Bonnie was humanely euthanised yesterday and Sarah was there for her. We hope she is running free with a large flock!

We continue to plan for next spring and summer.....concrete floors in the barn, a new pony stall complex, sand in the arena.....better drainage.....the list never stops.....it only grows. We are fortunate in what we have accomplished.....due to a host of volunteers and supporters. We want this to be a good place for a horse to come to....and so we strive to improve what we have. We dream big.


Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Imagine it times ten.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thursday Rain falls and falls

It has rained all day...water, water everywhere, coursing through streets, making furrows through pastures...making soggy creatures out of all of us.
Although I dried my hair this morning, it was wet again by the time I really left for work. I should have put a hat on. I think of these things like some rocket scientist ex post facto......I have a hat, it is at the barn and still I think perhaps I really don't need it because I will just be a little while.....go figure.

Almost like a vacation this week......I have have all kinds of help and I feel like I haven't done my share. I am off for half the day tomorrow and have lots to do....order hay, get grain, get stall pellets, vet appointments, Fred Meyer......don't you love Fred Meyer? It has everything.

I made the painful decision to have Bonnie euthanized. Painful for me but better for her. It is no life to never walk again, never hang out with other chickens and she is very thin...probably not getting enough to eat. I am selfish to ask her to continue. RIP Bonnie, we love you.

Jones is still at Cutter Creek and soaking up the attention, being a good boy and working like a pro. He is a great horse for someone and he really needs to get out more. He is a beautiful boy.

Saturday we have visitors at Pony UP...some new volunteers and some folks who want to see the farm.

Grace is settling in. It is apparent that she is arthritic, a little spoiled and has a hard time keeping warm. I double blanketed her during the rain, even though the temperature was up, she was cold and wet. Not a good combination for an old horse. She seems to be eating just fine and looks forward to her slop. We were short on smaller blankets, so I had to use a bigger blanket over top of another......she seems much warmer tonight.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

The path is lit before you.......

Monday, January 10, 2011

Manic Monday


I wake up early to SNOW......which means I have to hurry so I can have everything nailed down before I leave for work. You just never know if it is going to really snow or just come and go. I can't take chances.
I decide I should feed at both barns in case anyone has trouble getting there......I cannot remember if Brenda has an early morning today or just what....so I leave and feed at our borrowed barn first....Everything is okay........no frozen pipes...no bleeding horses...all noses are accounted for and hot grain is fed.
Off to the next place.
Did I mention my four wheel drive is not working? It isn't. So I take the car....all wheel drive.....but not really a farm vehicle......just the same, it gets me there.
I pull up to barn number two.....
let chickens out, let cat out, get Bonnie out.......take insulation off water faucet, hook hot water up........soak alfalfa cubes......throw hay...feed Bonnie, decide it is too cold for Bonnie to hang in her underwear....put her back in cat room with water/food....mix grain........check water, throw chicken scratch, put cat food out..fill up squirrel feeder......check alfalfa cubes...squeeze alfalfa cubes....shred alfalfa cubes......I decide I HATE alfalfa cubes.....so labor intensive. Grace cannot chew hay.....and so she must eat slop........senior grain, beet pulp, either hay pellets (soaked) or alf cubes (soaked).......I am allergic to alfalfa. Supposed to wear gloves.....but I don't take the time this morning and my hands swell.....then itch.....turn red.......then I decide to put the gloves on....but my hands are wet and I struggle with the damn latex gloves for a while....in the meanwhile I have touched my face.....and now my face itches....
I have two shirts on so that I can make it to work in a clean shirt....and I have a coat on.
I decide that I should move the gas can from the shed to outside the barn. I pick up the gas can by the spout and pull it up and towards me......it sprays me with gas.
I look at my watch.......no time to go home......my gloves let the gas go right through and to my skin. Great.
I go to the sink and run hot water over hands with soap......they are bright red now.
I smell like gas...that ought to be popular at work.
Do I have clothes in my car? Nope...they are in the truck.
Okay...I am ready to leave........I pour Grace her soaked slop and then decide to undo the hose. It has a quick connect.
I reach down and un do it......I am sprayed on the leg with water. ...I forgot to turn the spicket handle.
I give up.
I am short on time and must get going.
Into the car....I smell like gas.
I shed one shirt. My forearm smells like gas...not the shirt.
I put another jacket on. Look in the mirror.....my nose is bright red. Great...I am Bozo the clown.
I think about allergy shots.

Off to work. It snows on and off all day, but nothing really sticks. It is cold when I return to the barn.
Greeted by our real barn cat.......she is hungry......I put her in the cat room with Bonnie, close them in...feed the horses and go through the same routine with Grace's slop.....but I have gloves on.
Pretty soon I hear the profound wailing of the stray feral cat who comes and eats/sleeps in the barn at night. He/she is hungry and anxious for me to leave the barn, so he/she can eat. I call to him/her and he/she answers but will not come in the barn. I make a bed out of hay and horse blankets......hoping he/she can get warm.....I leave plenty of food out and some fresh water. I wondered where the mouse carcasses were from....not from our real cat....she doesn't catch mice.

I close the barn up, take hay to the pony down the street.......go home........glad to get into clothes that don't smell like gas....

just another day.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

an old friend will call.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

So So Sunday


Cold this morning, almost freezing....I am anxious to get to the barn.....check on Grace.....check on Louie....Louie was fretful without Jones yesterday and he cried and paced for a long while before hanging over the fence with his new friend Grace. Grace was really unimpressed with him but tolerated the nuzzling....Grace is generally unimpressed with us and not sure she belongs back here. I try several different blankets on her and find that most of what we have is HUGE........so I have to make something fit.

Lots to do today.....it really never stops. Scoop manure from stalls and paddocks, straighten blankets, sweep barn, wash feed tubs...put Bonnie in her underwear.....check water, call hayman, go to Lowes...buy insulation (Is it really going to snow?).....decide to run a new waterline to the back of the barn because I am really tired of wrestling the hose........Ryan works on the fifth wheel ALL day....pretty soon it's dark and time to feed, turn heat tape on, turn warming light bulbs on......and close the barns up.

Time to reflect on the past year and all we have accomplished. We tend to forget I guess. .......we have put new arena fencing up, new gates on two ends of the arena, built a wash rack, built a chicken coop, put down about a million mats, fixed the pony barn, put up several stretches of non climb fencing, poured cement, put new light fixtures in the barn and outside the barn, got a new hotwater heater, put a sink in the barn, put up an automatic gate on the driveway, fixed the electrical panel, built another loafing shed, shoveled gravel, moved manure piles, took some trees down, adopted out Breeze, Promise, Vinnie and Wally. We also lost Jake, Sully and Mercy. We have gained volunteers, lost volunteers, met new veterinarians, met supporters, held fundraisers, and had some fun, as well as shared our sorrow. It was a good year. We know we need a bigger farm, a larger budget, we need to do more grantwriting and fundraising. It is expensive to care for horses.....you all know that. We are thankful to the people who donated time, money, food, tack, veterinary services (Dr. Julie Page, Dr. Mike Alberts, Dr. Maci Paden), also the Jones Farm (Cam and Carrie). Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club, The Mowries, .....and to our shoer Jim Ward. I can never express enough thanks to my constant volunteers......Ryan, Caryn, Brenda, Susy, Rebecca, Carmen, Shelli......you all work hard and I could not do it without you.

Some of our goals this year are:
Improve drainage in the lower fields
sand in the arena
adoption outreach newsletter on a quarterly basis
Veterinary clinics on a quarterly basis (seminars and hands on)
Improve grant writing
Selection of two periodicals for advertising
attend schooling shows with adoptable horses
Host a schooling show in August to benefit the rescue


Off to another week of work and more work.

Again, thanks to all of you who help us.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

The path of least resistance is for the lazy.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Saturday Grace

Lots to do today.....not enough time....so we spread people out. Rebecca came early and cleaned/fed......then I came and scrubbed water tanks, spread some shavings in Beaver's stall, moved Winston's mats back to a normal position, fed chickens......then hooked the trailer up and we went and got Grace. Brenda stayed to meet the shoer and Ryan made phone calls for me....we took Susy along for the ride. Susy is recovering from surgery so she is on very light duty.

It turns out that our dear Grace has become somewhat of a spoiled little brat...doesn't want to be lead or held.....I was met with a swift head butt when I tried to lead her to the trailer. We had a discussion and she came to her senses. She loaded nicely and trailered nicely.......She is blanketed and in the barn tonight.....sort of back to her dear self. The boys were glad to see her and she was sort of glad to see them.

Ryan ran some errands for us and I scrubbed stall mats for the afternoon. Sarah came and got Jones to take to Cutter Creek. He will have a spa day tomorrow and get an evaluation under saddle by three event riders. We are keeping our fingers crossed that someone will like him. He is a beautiful boy.......loads and hauls nicely too.

The forecast calls for snow this week. Yikes! I am not ready for snow....not ready for more freezing temperatures. I need to order more hay. I feel a little nervous not having the barn FULL of hay.

We have some stall work to complete tomorrow.......a halfway in the pony stall, for a wind break......and some work on the old RV. The chore list never stops...really.

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

Your deceitful behavior is not necessary.........tell the truth and everyone wins.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Let's talk about Michael Vick...warning GRAPHIC discussion and photos



So let's talk about Michael Vick. My blog....my opionion...my forum.

I am sick of the notion that we all just forget his hideous behavior.....

but is he just a "dog fighter"?

Hardly.

This man committed heinous acts of torture against living creatures. The kind of stuff that serial killers start with....think Ted Bundy...think Jeffery Dahmer. The kind of stuff that makes you want to vomit when you think of the horrible suffering that occurred. I don't think the really bad stuff was publicized or perhaps people just quit reading when they read "dog fighting"....I don't know.
Dog fighting is hideous in it's own right......but the torture that occurred.....Mr. Vick participated in it, directed it, filmed it and by all accounts laughed as it went on in front of him.

Can you say SOCIOPATH?

The psychopath/sociopath is a social predator. He is ruthless, manipulative and often charming. Once referred to as “moral imbeciles,” psychopaths exhibit a marked lack of conscience. They are callous, remorseless and spectacularly self-centered, willing to use and abuse others to achieve their ends, and they are inclined to blame others.

I had a late night Facebook discussion with some folks about Mr. Vick. There was the same old response......"hasn't he paid his dues?"..."can't we just go on and let him live his life?".(can't we just watch him play football?).....well, I guess he has paid his dues as sentenced.....but that doesn't mean he developed a conscience while he was in prison.....you cannot grow a conscience if you never had one to start with.......it just means he knows what he needs to say publicly in order to play football and make a lot of money off of all the football fans. It frankly makes me sick.
He can parade around the county doing his little talks and speeches....but what I want him to do is to take pictures of the dogs he tortured, electrocuted, fought, hung and show them to the kids he is talking to.....I want him to answer how it ever occurred to him that torture was pleasurable......I want him to answer how he decided to clamp jumper cables to ears and throw dogs into swimming pools?

I even had a couple of folks reply who said..."you aren't one of those who equate the lives of dogs with humans?"

What?

Umm.....you aren't one of those folks who think that animals can't/don't suffer? or do you think it just doesn't matter?
Who made you God?
My dogs are part of my family......they are not vegetation......they are not stuffed toys.....who are you to tell me how to value their lives?

When you have someone who lacks humanity.....one who has less conscience than a bottom feeding fish....do they deserve some Godlike status? Do they stand on a pedestal above the rest of the world?? NO, they do not.
The word "torture" isn't only used when involving humans. Dogs feel pain...dogs suffer....dogs scream. This person tortured for his pleasure.
Read the account here.........
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-11-03/living/17117102_1_vick-dogs-vick-s-bad-newz-kennels-pit

There is no more punishment available to him for these crimes through the justice system....the best punishment is to turn him back into the shadows to "nobody status".....take his hero status away.....NO more football. This guy has no redeeming value except athletic ability.....he is no role model. What happened to the days when football players really were genuine guys....not morally bankrupt gangbangers wannabes? And what happened to the discerning public? Will we tolerate anything now?
Without football he can really be the loser that he is. Football players come and go ......make him go.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Years Day


Welcome to the first day of 2011! Sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel, doesn't it?

We started off the morning like any other Saturday.....because there are still hungry horses, still horse manure piles to pick up, hay to sweep, things to fix......It is really cold this morning as it has been for the past several mornings.

There were fireworks last night much to my chagrin......I hate fireworks.....the dogs hate them and so do some of the horses. Seems like we cannot avoid them. Anyway, I was not totally surprised to find that Ollie had a deep gash in his face this morning, blood everywhere......he hates fireworks and I really should have tranquilized him...but he is in the new barn and it is not close to neighbors and is surrounded by woods.......so anyway, I was wrong!!!!!!! He needed stitches.....right over his eye. Poor guy....swollen eye and sweaty body.......he is very tired today.

Then back to the barn and chores to be done. Rebecca cleaned the barn and washed Beaver's tail. Beaver has chronic diarrhea.....and we have chronic tail washing....it will clear up in the spring...until then we wash away. We built a fire and burned up some of the extra scrap lumber from behind the barn....cleaned the chicken coop and collected eggs. Got a few things moved around in the barn for ease of working conditions....more hot chocolate in the cupboard. We made plans for our new building and developed a lumber list. I love to build things.....I can hardly wait.

We bought more gate openers......a better keypad and some tubing for water....defrosted hoses......hung up Chippy's feeder so the cat can't get him....we need to work on better water access at the far end of the barn so that we don't have to drag hoses all the time.

All horses had hot mashes this morning and psyllium......there is so much dirt in the new hay......I almost feel like sending it back. Hay is always fickle......good, bad, indifferent......stemmy, brown or green.....lush or lackluster......always something. I am sure prices will continue to go up and am considering buying some local stuff to allow daytime forage/fillage. These big horses eat a lot.

Because it is so dry out, I have allowed access to the large fields during the day. Tarbaby and Churchie played and bucked and kicked for several hours yesterday...it keeps their stalls cleaner too.

Enjoy your New Years day!

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:

The same old routine becomes something new.