I wake up to a cold house..look out the window and we have more snow. Ugh. I am already cold and the thought of going out THERE into the snow is not appealing.......so I stall...I turn the gas fireplace on full blast, drink coffee, read the weather report, find another weather report.....decide that the first weather report is much the same as the second....so I read email, develop a "to do" list for today...drink more coffee....then put about eight layers on and get in the truck. I make the drive to the barn and the roads are not that bad. I arrive and I am met by hungry horse faces...who then grunt and snuffle and give fake whinnies as I make my way to the barn. I tell them they are not starving.....to calm down. I let chickens out, the barn cat out and I see that the raccoons have been at the barn during the night....why? the chicken food dish is turned over, the water is turned over and there are raccoon prints in the snow.
The barn cat eats and then retreats back to her "warm" kitty house....I don't blame her.
I put insulated gloves on, take hay to everyone, then I start on grain........the hot water pipe was frozen yesterday but Ryan and I fixed it, so it works this morning. Piping hot slop for everyone....even Beaver gets hot water soaked timothy pellets, which he thinks is a real treat.
No squirrels in the feeder this morning.......lots of chickadees and robins who look hungry.
I give the warning every once in a while......but here I go again. You must be careful when you sell or give your horse away.........Please do a home check, get references from a veterinarian, use a contract......do not trust everyone you meet because there are some bad folks out there who don't give a rip about your horse or you or really anything....if you cannot keep your horse, research your options, make a plan, do your homework. You are not doing your horse any favors if you don't keep his best interest at heart.....it often isn't money you are after..but PLEASE......don't think that because you give him or her for free to a "nice" family that the family is nice....anyone can sound nice, any well dressed person can speak a good game.......get references, see where your horse will live......make a contractual agreement. I have seen the worst of the worst. Euthanasia is a better option than starving to death in someone's front yard tied to a tree...
Our economic times are still challenging. Horses are expensive....expensive to feed, expensive to vet, expensive to shoe....consider your options.......buy in a co-op situation, buy in bulk, supplement hay with good quality local hay, learn to give shots yourself, deworm regularly, feed clean and good quality hay and always have fresh water available, have a dry place for your horse to stand.......split vet calls with the neighbor, ask for a discount, shop prices. You will be surprised at how rates vary for different procedures.
Monday will be here tomorrow......and soon March.......hopefully March brings spring.....and then more sun, green grass, dryer pastures......higher hopes.....bigger smiles.......and soon summer. I can hardly wait. This has been a long winter already, hasn't it?
Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:
Can you offer understanding when you don't understand?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
BRRRRRRRR on Saturday
Very cold the last couple of days.....water tubs that never thaw have to be broken, warm water offered while we feed, hot mash in the morning and evening, blankets....heat tape on pipes, water spickets get covered with insulators, heat lamps in the chicken house....okay, I am officially tired of winter. Just a week ago all of my plants were beginning to peek out of the ground, the hydrangea was budding green leaves and yesterday the leaves were frozen and lifeless. It never got over about 25 yesterday and today the weather forecast says possible snow again. YUCK.
Hard to clean paddocks when the piles are frozen stiff.
Yesterday I was feeding the whole farm crew and just about to add sunflower seeds to the bird feeder, when I noticed what looked like the tip of a tail in one of the holes........hmmm. I take the bird feeder down, open the top and sure enough...there is a red squirrel stuck in the feeder. I have to take the feeder apart to liberate him (her)......he runs straight up the tree and then stops to scold me in a loud shrill voice. It didn't seem to damage his psyche.......as he came back minutes later to eat seeds again.
I took advantage yesterday of an afternoon off, did some shopping, made an early dinner for later, took some of said dinner to my mom, fed the pony down the street (doesn't that sound like the lyrics to a song?)...I also took him water because I figure if they don't feed him, they probably don't care if he has water either...put the chickens to bed, then Brenda and I scared each other almost to death...neither of us knew the other was in the barn until we almost ran smack into each other.....she didn't hear me and my mind was a million miles away and then brought to the present in a millisecond of a short scream. HA.
Anyone for a Siamese cat? A friend's renters moved and left their Siamese cat.......outside of course. He is cold and wondering where his family went. Sealpoint I think...not that it matters of course. I haven't layed eyes on him yet...just trying to find someplace for him to go. I don't know why his folks just left him, ....very cruel and why not just take him to the Humane Society? Out of sight, out of mind I guess. People....
I guess I am off to start my chores....this is my late morning and I am LATE.
Enjoy your day and email me if you want that cat???!
Pony Up fortune for today.......
Give them what they ask for.
Hard to clean paddocks when the piles are frozen stiff.
Yesterday I was feeding the whole farm crew and just about to add sunflower seeds to the bird feeder, when I noticed what looked like the tip of a tail in one of the holes........hmmm. I take the bird feeder down, open the top and sure enough...there is a red squirrel stuck in the feeder. I have to take the feeder apart to liberate him (her)......he runs straight up the tree and then stops to scold me in a loud shrill voice. It didn't seem to damage his psyche.......as he came back minutes later to eat seeds again.
I took advantage yesterday of an afternoon off, did some shopping, made an early dinner for later, took some of said dinner to my mom, fed the pony down the street (doesn't that sound like the lyrics to a song?)...I also took him water because I figure if they don't feed him, they probably don't care if he has water either...put the chickens to bed, then Brenda and I scared each other almost to death...neither of us knew the other was in the barn until we almost ran smack into each other.....she didn't hear me and my mind was a million miles away and then brought to the present in a millisecond of a short scream. HA.
Anyone for a Siamese cat? A friend's renters moved and left their Siamese cat.......outside of course. He is cold and wondering where his family went. Sealpoint I think...not that it matters of course. I haven't layed eyes on him yet...just trying to find someplace for him to go. I don't know why his folks just left him, ....very cruel and why not just take him to the Humane Society? Out of sight, out of mind I guess. People....
I guess I am off to start my chores....this is my late morning and I am LATE.
Enjoy your day and email me if you want that cat???!
Pony Up fortune for today.......
Give them what they ask for.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Twilight Tuesday
Busy....busy....busy....here we are and it is already Tuesday.
The weather on Sunday and Monday was gorgeous, today not so much and now snow on the way! I was hoping we were over the hump and sliding on into spring....but NO!...snow for the next two days.
Saturday afternoon, Ryan and I got the roof put on the new shelter........okay, Ryan did most of the work and he did a great job. This weekend we will put sides on it and block the floor in. Then we might move the prisoners around until we have everyone in just the right spot.
Sunday I went and picked up a hotwalker that was donated to us.....a four horse. We will probably sell it, so if you are in the market, give us a jingle! We just don't have that much room and ummmmmmm...no one really works that hard at this farm...except me and the volunteers. I thought maybe the pony could be trained to use it...but he has other ideas about what he will tolerate and what he won't.
Keep your fingers crossed.....Lizzie has a potential adoption! We are so excited for her. Her training is coming along so well and she is such a nice mare....someone will get a very good horse and she will get a home like she deserves.
Cooper has come to be known as "Moose" in the barn....he is big and gangly......thick brown fur, big feet.......all he needs really is a rack of horns.
I have had more than three people say he resembles a moose and you know how those names stick. He is eating like a house on fire. We just up'd his feed, dewormed him on Sunday, will deworm him again on Friday and start him on some rice bran. If Lizzie gets adopted he will go to the Jones Farm next...no reason for him to wait...he is not sick or lame and does not seem to be a pyschopath in any sense of the word. He is going to make a nice horse for someone too.
The donkeys......well, we all love them...little cuddly boys they are....only Willie brays...Waylon is more the quiet type. Visitors come to the farm to see them, pet them and feed them treats....they like their pictures taken with the guests.
I had hay delivered tonight....a ton and a half to the small barn and this weekend we will get three ton more for the big barn. Big horses have big appetites. By the way, the diet grain was a bust......NO ONE lost any weight...so back on the Strategy Healthy Edge....maybe small portions and less beet pulp. I did cut the rice bran back...only the pregnant mare and the donkeys get it....before you get carried away...the donkeys are thin, they don't get grain, but we do give them some beet pulp with rice bran, so they can gain some weight and all the local grass that they WON'T eat......LOL.....they refuse the local grass and so they get timothy like the big horses. I give in to this right now because they are thin, have bad fur and are always hungry.......but when the fat comes back......no more extras.
It is cold out tonight......I wrapped pipes and disconnected hoses. I left the stray cat a nice bed next to the water heater...and shut the regular barn cat in her room.
Everyone should be comfortable..I left the light on in the chicken coop too, so the girls wouldn't be cold.
Thanks as always to our supporters and volunteers.......we couldn't do it without you.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
It will strike you like lightning.
The weather on Sunday and Monday was gorgeous, today not so much and now snow on the way! I was hoping we were over the hump and sliding on into spring....but NO!...snow for the next two days.
Saturday afternoon, Ryan and I got the roof put on the new shelter........okay, Ryan did most of the work and he did a great job. This weekend we will put sides on it and block the floor in. Then we might move the prisoners around until we have everyone in just the right spot.
Sunday I went and picked up a hotwalker that was donated to us.....a four horse. We will probably sell it, so if you are in the market, give us a jingle! We just don't have that much room and ummmmmmm...no one really works that hard at this farm...except me and the volunteers. I thought maybe the pony could be trained to use it...but he has other ideas about what he will tolerate and what he won't.
Keep your fingers crossed.....Lizzie has a potential adoption! We are so excited for her. Her training is coming along so well and she is such a nice mare....someone will get a very good horse and she will get a home like she deserves.
Cooper has come to be known as "Moose" in the barn....he is big and gangly......thick brown fur, big feet.......all he needs really is a rack of horns.
I have had more than three people say he resembles a moose and you know how those names stick. He is eating like a house on fire. We just up'd his feed, dewormed him on Sunday, will deworm him again on Friday and start him on some rice bran. If Lizzie gets adopted he will go to the Jones Farm next...no reason for him to wait...he is not sick or lame and does not seem to be a pyschopath in any sense of the word. He is going to make a nice horse for someone too.
The donkeys......well, we all love them...little cuddly boys they are....only Willie brays...Waylon is more the quiet type. Visitors come to the farm to see them, pet them and feed them treats....they like their pictures taken with the guests.
I had hay delivered tonight....a ton and a half to the small barn and this weekend we will get three ton more for the big barn. Big horses have big appetites. By the way, the diet grain was a bust......NO ONE lost any weight...so back on the Strategy Healthy Edge....maybe small portions and less beet pulp. I did cut the rice bran back...only the pregnant mare and the donkeys get it....before you get carried away...the donkeys are thin, they don't get grain, but we do give them some beet pulp with rice bran, so they can gain some weight and all the local grass that they WON'T eat......LOL.....they refuse the local grass and so they get timothy like the big horses. I give in to this right now because they are thin, have bad fur and are always hungry.......but when the fat comes back......no more extras.
It is cold out tonight......I wrapped pipes and disconnected hoses. I left the stray cat a nice bed next to the water heater...and shut the regular barn cat in her room.
Everyone should be comfortable..I left the light on in the chicken coop too, so the girls wouldn't be cold.
Thanks as always to our supporters and volunteers.......we couldn't do it without you.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
It will strike you like lightning.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Freely Friday
Long day.......ending with the donkeys getting their little hooves trimmed, as well as Cooper and Church. The donkeys were so very well behaved as was Cooper. The donkeys were content to stand still as long as they were being scratched on the neck......Cooper was unconcerned with the shoer, but very concerned with chewing the lead rope and trying to get the zipper on my coat....a regular ham! I think Cooper must be a young horse.......he is so coltish...did I tell you how much we liked him? We like the donkeys too....they are just no trouble at all.
Tomorrow, we work on finishing the new loafing shed, order some hay, clean up paddocks/stalls......groom horses, bang tails, plan the new building.....drink coffee and probably complain about the weather.
One of our hens is sitting on eggs.....she is a first time "setter" and she doesn't quite get the hang of it....she sits on the eggs for most of the day, but then will leave them for a couple of hours....long enough for them to get cold....then she comes back and sits on them again. I think tomorrow, she is going to get some chicks under her after dark.....if you know what I mean....the same thing we did last year...it works wonders. The hens are always so surprised, like "wow" that was fast, wasn't it?" It makes it easier on all of us. Maybe next time she will really get the hang of it.
I got a good look at our pony down the street during daylight today.......she now appears well fed, full fleshed and looks nothing like the skeleton she was at this time last year. One of the things that makes it all worth while....a horse who looks and feels better because of us.
Lizzie's training is coming along.....she is under saddle and being a well behaved mare........no buck, no bite....pretty quiet....she should be home in two to three weeks and ready to be adopted.
Enjoy your weekend.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Cold hands, warm heart.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Work week winding
Wednesday evening....cold outside and it will probably freeze.....chance of snow, so the weatherman says. I say NO....just go away and let spring commence.
I went and got the forgotten rice bran, stall pellets...visited a while with the Cenex crew......drove back, collected eggs as I head counted my hens....they were all there.....then fed the horses, filled water tubs, filled cat bowls (stray cat and Miss Kitty)....cleaned Winston's stall....I swear he had 100 lbs of poop today.....all nicely piled in the corner of his stall. Beaver was wet and dirty......lord only knows what he was up to today, but it didn't look good. Donkeys are LOUD and want a treat. Shelli is coming in the morning and she will spoil them rotten....so I give them a little beet pulp with sunflower seeds and they quiet right down.
Max is for adoption......very handsome big boy......17H 1600 lbs, picture attached with this blog. He is 14 years old, not suitable for jumping due to some arthritis, but is fine for trail, low level dressage....he could be your lesson horse...not a lesson horse..but a horse for you to take lessons on...and he could benefit from hock injections/Adequan. Adoption fee of 600 dollars.
We cannot say enough good things about Cooper....at least currently! He is very sweet, loves to lean into you, smell your hair, pull at your coat...like a youngster. He has good stall manners and is very polite. We are working on putting some weight on him. He will get his feet trimmed on Friday afternoon and another deworming shortly thereafter. He has a very deep whinny when we come to feed him and then he grunts and has learned to bang the stall door ...thanks Max! Max is the king of banging the stall doors and now it sounds like a chorus......of course everyone is dying to eat.
Off to bed......early to rise.>>I doubt it will make me wealthy or wise......I have horses......I should have my head examined.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
If nothing matters.........everyone loses.
Wet wet Wednesday
Perpetually late...perpetual task lists.....one crossed off and another added to the top. We need to buy hay, I bought grain yesterday, left the store without the rice bran....need to go back today, need to go the store....need to ...???
I am fifteen minutes off my schedule this morning...so I must fly.
Lizzie was actually under saddle yesterday and is being a very good girl, no lameness issues yet (keep fingers crossed) and she had her teeth floated. Turns out she had really bad teeth and her mouth was probably very sore, so she is going in a hackamore until we know the pain has gone away. Her weight is good, which is a wonder, considering how bad her teeth were. I would bet she has never had her teeth done...ever. Sad.
The pregnant mare is still with us until we can work some details out...but she probably has a new home, just waiting for confirmation. Her name is Dolly and everyone loves her. She came to the farm with a bad leg wound, but it is almost healed and she is walking much better. She loves her foot soaked and will now hold it up for us. We watch the baby kick and move.......it is very active. My volunteers spend a lot of time with her...grooming and petting. This is a very sweet mare...one of the nicest we have known.
Well, I am off to start my work day....also will scout around for hay today and see what is available. There is some real junk out there.
Enjoy your day.......
Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:
Do not carry a heavy heart by yourself.
I am fifteen minutes off my schedule this morning...so I must fly.
Lizzie was actually under saddle yesterday and is being a very good girl, no lameness issues yet (keep fingers crossed) and she had her teeth floated. Turns out she had really bad teeth and her mouth was probably very sore, so she is going in a hackamore until we know the pain has gone away. Her weight is good, which is a wonder, considering how bad her teeth were. I would bet she has never had her teeth done...ever. Sad.
The pregnant mare is still with us until we can work some details out...but she probably has a new home, just waiting for confirmation. Her name is Dolly and everyone loves her. She came to the farm with a bad leg wound, but it is almost healed and she is walking much better. She loves her foot soaked and will now hold it up for us. We watch the baby kick and move.......it is very active. My volunteers spend a lot of time with her...grooming and petting. This is a very sweet mare...one of the nicest we have known.
Well, I am off to start my work day....also will scout around for hay today and see what is available. There is some real junk out there.
Enjoy your day.......
Pony UP fortune for tomorrow:
Do not carry a heavy heart by yourself.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Gelding Clinic
Tacoma Equine Hospital is hosting a gelding clinic on Feb 28Th. for $50.00 the surgery will be done by one of the 3 Drs on staff and include necessary medications for the procedure. Priority will be given to financial need and rescue horses. Both testicles must be descended and horse halter broke and safely handle-able. Limit 2 horses per owner. Limited spaces available-email for more information or application form.
You may call Tacoma Equine Hospital (253) 535-6999
You may call Tacoma Equine Hospital (253) 535-6999
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monsoon Monday
Can you say RAIN? WIND? We have had it all.......currently no power. I got to the barns and used my truck headlights to feed and I think I actually got stall pellets in the right places in the stalls. Branches everywhere and power is out for fifteen miles or more away. When you least expect it, I suppose. I am running on generator power.....best investment we ever made!
Lizzie enters her first week of training...she got her teeth done today......another horse with the WORST teeth. Gee whiz......doesn't anyone pay attention to teeth? No training can be done without it.....and tomorrow, Lizzie will start with fresh teeth and begin to be a saddle horse. She really is a pretty mare and has a great disposition. Of course, you know, there has hardly ever been a horse that I don't like........and if it is bay.....well, all the better. You can forgive almost anything with a bay horse...at least I think so.
Cooper is a love. I wish he could talk and we could know where he has been and what he knows. Right now he knows that we feed him and he calls to us......softly, then more loudly to get us to know where to exactly drop the feed.
The pregnant mare suddenly has a HUGE belly. ...now where did that come from? Her leg is so much better and she is so used to soaking it, that she sees us coming and begins to lift her leg up for us. I am sure it feels really good.
The eagle got one of my hens. I hate him some days. I know he has a family to feed, but gosh, I wish he would go elsewhere.....like maybe Brenda's house! She has chickens.
Lots of plans for the upcoming weekend....work of course.always work. We need to have some fun I think. Maybe a huge party.....? Maybe just coffee and doughnuts...
I bought grain today and most of it is still on my truck seat..too dark to unload it....I forgot the rice bran and will have to go back for it. I should have paid closer attention....I get busy and lose my brain.
A big thank you to the Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club for the donation! Thank you and we will be using this for hay....we seem to go through a lot of it as the machines never stop production!
Off to let dogs in again and settle them in for the night.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
From your lips to God's ear.......it works out.
Lizzie enters her first week of training...she got her teeth done today......another horse with the WORST teeth. Gee whiz......doesn't anyone pay attention to teeth? No training can be done without it.....and tomorrow, Lizzie will start with fresh teeth and begin to be a saddle horse. She really is a pretty mare and has a great disposition. Of course, you know, there has hardly ever been a horse that I don't like........and if it is bay.....well, all the better. You can forgive almost anything with a bay horse...at least I think so.
Cooper is a love. I wish he could talk and we could know where he has been and what he knows. Right now he knows that we feed him and he calls to us......softly, then more loudly to get us to know where to exactly drop the feed.
The pregnant mare suddenly has a HUGE belly. ...now where did that come from? Her leg is so much better and she is so used to soaking it, that she sees us coming and begins to lift her leg up for us. I am sure it feels really good.
The eagle got one of my hens. I hate him some days. I know he has a family to feed, but gosh, I wish he would go elsewhere.....like maybe Brenda's house! She has chickens.
Lots of plans for the upcoming weekend....work of course.always work. We need to have some fun I think. Maybe a huge party.....? Maybe just coffee and doughnuts...
I bought grain today and most of it is still on my truck seat..too dark to unload it....I forgot the rice bran and will have to go back for it. I should have paid closer attention....I get busy and lose my brain.
A big thank you to the Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club for the donation! Thank you and we will be using this for hay....we seem to go through a lot of it as the machines never stop production!
Off to let dogs in again and settle them in for the night.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
From your lips to God's ear.......it works out.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Random Thoughts on a Sunday
Up early...in the shower, drink coffee...go to barn. The sun is out this morning which is a great surprise to me.....I expected rain. As I travel our country road I see a beautiful rainbow ending just there and then over there as I move towards it.....so beautiful this gift from nature. On down the road and I see the pony we feed......scrounging for the last bits of hay from the evening prior. I think I might throw her some hay on my way back home..who cares if they don't like it? I feel outspoken today...a pony needs to eat doesn't he? This year the pony doesn't look emaciated and I suppose the owners don't even notice, don't even care...but I do. If I have to get a second job, that pony will eat until the day it dies.
I get to our barn......horses are looking at their watches....you are like five minutes late! I let the chickens out, I feed the cat......I throw hay.......the donkeys are BRAYING......and then I dole out the grain. The pregnant mare softly whinnies.....and I feed her grain first...my heart swells a little to see that her leg is better and she is more relaxed with us and I pet her a while after I give her grain.
Beaver is throwing a fit.....he wants grain. I give him a handful...and I tell him that is it.....no more. He is fat......too fat...and he doesn't need grain...but it doesn't stop him from wanting it. We have nut cluster treats in the cupboard and I give him one of those. He loves them. They have almonds, honey and squash seeds.....I am sure they must be good for him. Winston bends his head this way and that, so he can have one too. Church turns his nose up....he wants a carrot.
I clean stalls, fill waters.........Ryan comes and we work on a few detail items......then I clean buckets....take the trash out.....and then I must head home. I have a dog psychiatrist coming to my house today........LONG story...no time for it today.......but I have a certain Bull Terrier who has issues....we love her to death, but issues are issues.....and they must be addressed.
I go back to the barn in late afternoon, and Erin brings us some local hay for our donkeys and Beaver (shhhhh...don't tell him its local!)...Christine E. brings us a check from LPSDC.....from their dessert auction.........Thank you so much! This will be used for a hay purchase this next week.
Cooper has settled in and he is eating well. He is a little worried ..but when I am doling the grain out, he suddenly has NO manners.....he bangs the stall and whinnies at the top of his lungs......I tell him to chill out......and then Max starts in.....and he can really bang the stall door. Max is huge.......Max needs more exercise.
I am thankful for friends today.....I have some of the best!
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow....
Rest easy..it is not an oversight.
I get to our barn......horses are looking at their watches....you are like five minutes late! I let the chickens out, I feed the cat......I throw hay.......the donkeys are BRAYING......and then I dole out the grain. The pregnant mare softly whinnies.....and I feed her grain first...my heart swells a little to see that her leg is better and she is more relaxed with us and I pet her a while after I give her grain.
Beaver is throwing a fit.....he wants grain. I give him a handful...and I tell him that is it.....no more. He is fat......too fat...and he doesn't need grain...but it doesn't stop him from wanting it. We have nut cluster treats in the cupboard and I give him one of those. He loves them. They have almonds, honey and squash seeds.....I am sure they must be good for him. Winston bends his head this way and that, so he can have one too. Church turns his nose up....he wants a carrot.
I clean stalls, fill waters.........Ryan comes and we work on a few detail items......then I clean buckets....take the trash out.....and then I must head home. I have a dog psychiatrist coming to my house today........LONG story...no time for it today.......but I have a certain Bull Terrier who has issues....we love her to death, but issues are issues.....and they must be addressed.
I go back to the barn in late afternoon, and Erin brings us some local hay for our donkeys and Beaver (shhhhh...don't tell him its local!)...Christine E. brings us a check from LPSDC.....from their dessert auction.........Thank you so much! This will be used for a hay purchase this next week.
Cooper has settled in and he is eating well. He is a little worried ..but when I am doling the grain out, he suddenly has NO manners.....he bangs the stall and whinnies at the top of his lungs......I tell him to chill out......and then Max starts in.....and he can really bang the stall door. Max is huge.......Max needs more exercise.
I am thankful for friends today.....I have some of the best!
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow....
Rest easy..it is not an oversight.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Rain soaked Saturday
What a long day! Wind, cold and then the rain started! Well, we worked anyway....demolished the old pony shed, put in a new gate, and started a new shed....this time it is plumb...I mean it's square? level, even....and looks great!
I had a full compliment of helpers.....thanks to all of them and thanks to Arrow Lumber for the great deal!
Cooper is settling in......still eating like a house on fire! He loves beet pulp///grain and his big spacious stall. Brenda groomed him today and he was a good boy. We like him a lot! Picture above is him in his new paddock. I expect him to look completely different in three weeks. Anyone who knows his background, please let us know.
The barns are full again.....almost time to buy hay, spring dental floats....deworming, feet trims.......it never stops!
We have had thirty fence posts donated and we will put these to good use! The last part of the farm can be refenced. We also had a nice blanket donated by Mary V and we have used it on the pregnant mare.
Oh we are anxious for spring....no more rain please!
Pony Up fortune for Sunday........
Let your heart loose today.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Free Fall Friday
Cooper is home!
I have to say, contrary to popular speculation.....Cooper appears to be a Thoroughbred. He is about 16.1, lanky.....plain brown.....small than my TB.....but let me say this....he has superb manners....loaded like a pro....hauled like an angel......he waited nicely in the trailer while we went in the store for snacks.. and he simply ate and ate and ate. We unloaded him in the driveway, he walked calmly to the barn.....and we put him in his stall, he found more hay and that was that. No fuss......no drama. He was still eating when I left...sort of like a house on fire.
He is thin, dirty and has longish feet......but he should clean up fine and shine in no time. We will deworm him in the morning and then give him a good brushing, bang his tail and feed him some treats.
We will take some pictures tomorrow..next to my own TB for those doubters and you can see his size. My own Tb will probably not stand still for long and it is supposed to rain, so we will see.
All in all we are pleased with Cooper.
Lizzie went to the training barn today and she also was a very good girl....loaded right up, hauled nicely......got out nicely......no sweat...no fuss. She will have her teeth done and be started under saddle. We did notice that her hind pastern is a little swollen. No heat....but ?
A lot to do tomorrow...I am already tired.
Thanks Shelli and Caryn for the help today!
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Forget about troubles for today.
I have to say, contrary to popular speculation.....Cooper appears to be a Thoroughbred. He is about 16.1, lanky.....plain brown.....small than my TB.....but let me say this....he has superb manners....loaded like a pro....hauled like an angel......he waited nicely in the trailer while we went in the store for snacks.. and he simply ate and ate and ate. We unloaded him in the driveway, he walked calmly to the barn.....and we put him in his stall, he found more hay and that was that. No fuss......no drama. He was still eating when I left...sort of like a house on fire.
He is thin, dirty and has longish feet......but he should clean up fine and shine in no time. We will deworm him in the morning and then give him a good brushing, bang his tail and feed him some treats.
We will take some pictures tomorrow..next to my own TB for those doubters and you can see his size. My own Tb will probably not stand still for long and it is supposed to rain, so we will see.
All in all we are pleased with Cooper.
Lizzie went to the training barn today and she also was a very good girl....loaded right up, hauled nicely......got out nicely......no sweat...no fuss. She will have her teeth done and be started under saddle. We did notice that her hind pastern is a little swollen. No heat....but ?
A lot to do tomorrow...I am already tired.
Thanks Shelli and Caryn for the help today!
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Forget about troubles for today.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
His name is Cooper, so says Lilja!
Lilja is our volunteer's daughter.....and we gave her the responsibility of picking the name out of the hat!
COOPER it is!
Thank you Lilja!
Ok...let's chose a name!
Okay, we have narrowed names down to Cash, Brown, Cooper, Rielly, and Dante........
Not sure how we will chose.....draw a name from the hat? Let someone pick ...and who?
or throw a dart?
The plain brown gelding needs a name.
I think I will let Sarah's daughter Lilja draw from a jar! That will be fun?
Mr. Plain brown horse will be picked up tomorrow....and at the same time Lizzie will leave for thirty days training. YAY!
Beautiful weather today.......we thoroughly enjoyed it, hope you did too!
Not sure how we will chose.....draw a name from the hat? Let someone pick ...and who?
or throw a dart?
The plain brown gelding needs a name.
I think I will let Sarah's daughter Lilja draw from a jar! That will be fun?
Mr. Plain brown horse will be picked up tomorrow....and at the same time Lizzie will leave for thirty days training. YAY!
Beautiful weather today.......we thoroughly enjoyed it, hope you did too!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Two boys saved
Thanks to our friends and supporters......Pony Up has saved a plain brown gelding from the kill pen.
He is said to be friendly and a big boy.....and of course he is bay. I always love a bay horse, of course.
The gelding with the blaze was purchased outright this morning by a private party. He had been our first choice..but the plan is to try and get all horses out of the kill pen, so we took our second choice......the plain brown gelding who was in with the blazed gelding. We don't have any history, but then we usually don't get much history.......so it is kind of like a Christmas package......you don't know what you have until you have it in your hands. No worries about being plain brown.,,,it doesn't make him good or bad....his coat will shine anyway.
We will pick the gelding up on Friday and bring him home to quarantine.....let him chill out a little, rest and then see what he knows....if he is sound and how he moves. He undoubtedly needs his teeth done, we know he needs his feet trimmed......and he needs to be assessed under saddle.
He needs a name........and we are taking suggestions....please feel free to drop a name in the hat.
The donkeys are happy......they are getting so much attention. I think we are fighting over who gets to feed them and groom them. They are mannerly little guys and have caught on to begging for treats like fire takes to straw. They do not bite or kick, but they sort of stick to you like a wad of chewing gum. The horses have gotten over their initial "what the hell is that?" and are just giving them casual looks now, like when they bray. Beaver of course, has general disdain for them...nothing new.
Today was beautiful......blue skies......sun......and tonight it is freezing...hopefully that means that we will have another good day tomorrow.
Lots to do on Saturday....we will tear the pony shed down and put up another shed for the donkeys. It never stops!
Enjoy your day tomorrow.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Make that call......someone is waiting.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Kill Pen
I am in the kill pen awaiting my fate.
I was left here by my owner....they didn't leave me with anything, not even my name. No kisses goodbye, no note to tell any prospective owner what a good boy I am or how old I am or how I like carrots.
I am in a smelly, dirty paddock with other horses and we are all scared.
The slaughter bus comes next week for those of us who do not have homes by then. I hope I won't be one of them. I am still young and in my prime.
Pony Up has offered to take me in, but my bail needs to be paid or I can't come.
If you want to help, please make a donation to Pony Up and note it as bail for me.
A few dollars will help me. No one wants your children to go without or for your mortgage to be short......but if you have a couple of dollars....it will help me and if my bail is made, it might help my friends. Some of my friends are old and some are injured. We all want out.
If you can adopt one of my friends.........leave a message here and we can direct you.
You can paypal funds to Rosemary@ponyuprescue.com
thank you. I need a name too.......
Trying to raise some funds......look what we have
We have some items for auction to highest bidder, please leave a comment with your bid.
1. Parelli bridle, maybe tried on....but hardly used, looks brand new.
2. Parelli pad, looks brand new
3. Parelli hackamore, looks brand new
4. dressage saddle zip up saddle/carrier cover, green with black fur on the inside (fake fur of course!)
We are trying to raise bail for a gelding in the kill pen. Lots of horses ended up in the kill pen this month.....
Donations may be paypal'd to Rosemary@ponyuprescue.com
High bidder will have Parelli item ups'd to them.
Remember.....leave your bid and your first name in the comment section. Bidding ends on Friday morning of this week.
Good luck!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Post script
A post script to yesterday......
The horses were very upset with Grace's passing. I expected Louie to be the most upset..but I was wrong......first of all Church got frantic and he created such a fuss, I had to let him out of his short run and into the long paddock. He ran and screamed and then ran until he was exhausted....but secondly, my own boy Winston, was very upset......so we let him out with Grace's body. He went to her, sniffed her, licked her, nudged her and then screamed at her, then he took the blankets off her body....stood with one hoof on her for a while, then licked her some more......then stood with his head down by her, in the rain for over an hour. It was very sad to watch. I finally caught him up and took him back to the barn into a new paddock. He seemed to be over it and was happy to be in the main barn again. He never made a peep the rest of the day.
Our vet was right in that you have to let them grieve.......you have to let them get over the loss too.
Thank you Dr. Julie for your kindness and support. Thanks to the rest of my volunteers who were there with me and with Grace.
The horses were very upset with Grace's passing. I expected Louie to be the most upset..but I was wrong......first of all Church got frantic and he created such a fuss, I had to let him out of his short run and into the long paddock. He ran and screamed and then ran until he was exhausted....but secondly, my own boy Winston, was very upset......so we let him out with Grace's body. He went to her, sniffed her, licked her, nudged her and then screamed at her, then he took the blankets off her body....stood with one hoof on her for a while, then licked her some more......then stood with his head down by her, in the rain for over an hour. It was very sad to watch. I finally caught him up and took him back to the barn into a new paddock. He seemed to be over it and was happy to be in the main barn again. He never made a peep the rest of the day.
Our vet was right in that you have to let them grieve.......you have to let them get over the loss too.
Thank you Dr. Julie for your kindness and support. Thanks to the rest of my volunteers who were there with me and with Grace.
simply Saturday
Saturday morning..drizzly and gray. I am tired this morning, drag my feet, drink coffee, feed dogs.....get into the shower. My bronchitis is back. Stress, cold weather, allergies.....cough, hack, sneeze......enough already.
I drive to the barn, all is very quiet. I expect to see Grace doing her slow amble towards the barn..but I don't and my heart sinks a little, my eyes well up and I swallow hard. All I need is a sign from somewhere...just a little something....but it doesn't come and I carry on.
No one else has arrived yet. I let the chickens out, feed hay, mix grain......let the cat out, feed the cat.....throw chicken food and then start cleaning. I am still feeling the sting and trying to think of other things, so I start making a list of what needs to be done and then Aspen arrives. Aspen is a youngster, full of questions and I hope she will not ask about what happened with Grace. I sent her parents an email and I hope that will answer her questions..but I steel myself anyway. I keep her busy. She is our chicken house cleaner, egg gatherer, cat food dish washer and she loves to groom Beaver. She never asks......and I don't talk about it. I introduce her to Dolly and talk about the foal...then Susy arrives and I send Aspen to work with her on grooming the devil himself. I soak Dolly's foot and clean her wound....then I spend a long time with her, braiding her mane and feeling like a kid again as I lose my thoughts in her mane.
One of our friends came yesterday afternoon and we assessed Lizzie under saddle. We are delighted to see that she accepts saddle and bridle without a fuss, then Kari gets on her, I hold my nervous breath......and Kari askes her to go forward....well, she doesn't have good steering or forward controls but she was really sensible and did not freak out. Very green broke.....but ready to start. That is a reliet. She is a nice big bodied mare, very lovely disposition and good conformation. Won't take much to get her going.
I have posted pictures of Dolly. Dolly is available for adoption to a good home. She is pregnant and due in late May or early June. Please NO first time horse owners. You must have proper facilities and references. Dolly may never be rideable. She is sweet to handle, picks her feet up nicely, easy to lead and work around in the stall. The foal will be purebred and registerable. If you are interested in young paint foals, we are helping to place some. Good quality stock, all registered or registerable...Color Me Smart and Scribbles bloodlines. Email us if we can hook you up?
We have two vistors at Pony Up. Waylon and Willy. Also available for adoption.
Both intact males, need gelding contract. They are wormy and underweight...bad feet......but we dewormed them first thing, the farrier will be out and they are eating as we speak. They love treats...a little shy......but sweet.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Run like the wind and gather the storm.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Friday
Friday is here, after a few days of blue sky, cold temps and NO rain, the rain is back this morning.
I officially am sick of the weather...ready for spring or let's just jump to summer.
It's one of those days I feel sorry for myself. Things to do and take care of today that I don't want to do, that I would rather hand off to someone else and yet, handing it off is not the right thing to do. Running the rescue makes me the responsible one and the one who must use her logical brain today, rather than her emotional brain.
The old mare is tired, and although she is eating well, she has a lot of pain and barely made the walk into the barn the last two nights. So I make the decision for her to see the vet today. I will hold her until she is gone. She won't suffer anymore and we won't worry anymore. Because I work full time, I am always worried that one of the old ones will fall down and not be able to get up, or worse, fall in the stall and then thrash around. I couldn't live with myself if that happened and so I know this is the right thing to do. Of course I consult the vet and the other volunteers to second guess myself. The thing is.....we aren't going to make Grace ten years old again. Her time with us has been good......she has eaten well, had shoes on, been blanketed......a far cry from where she came from. It breaks my heart to know how she previously suffered and how the owner who gave her up, blamed it on age, blamed it on our economy and then said she was so glad for us to take her and she would repay us by coming out and working. We never saw her again...not a phone call, not an email.....nothing. Grace was emaciated, had a completely split hoof up to the hairline, barbed wire cuts on all four legs, hardly any teeth and a bad hip. Taking care of old horses requires dedication ...blanketing in the winter, extra calories, dental care and the right food mix. It is not rocket science, but if you just want to throw them out in the pasture with six other horses and hope they get enough....you are stupid and heartless (talking about you Grace's former owner...I said stupid and heartless). Anyway, we have loved Grace. She has been a character and we will miss her gimping up the hill to greet us. She will get to see her beloved Tarbaby today and I hope they gallop the skies.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Love returns.
I officially am sick of the weather...ready for spring or let's just jump to summer.
It's one of those days I feel sorry for myself. Things to do and take care of today that I don't want to do, that I would rather hand off to someone else and yet, handing it off is not the right thing to do. Running the rescue makes me the responsible one and the one who must use her logical brain today, rather than her emotional brain.
The old mare is tired, and although she is eating well, she has a lot of pain and barely made the walk into the barn the last two nights. So I make the decision for her to see the vet today. I will hold her until she is gone. She won't suffer anymore and we won't worry anymore. Because I work full time, I am always worried that one of the old ones will fall down and not be able to get up, or worse, fall in the stall and then thrash around. I couldn't live with myself if that happened and so I know this is the right thing to do. Of course I consult the vet and the other volunteers to second guess myself. The thing is.....we aren't going to make Grace ten years old again. Her time with us has been good......she has eaten well, had shoes on, been blanketed......a far cry from where she came from. It breaks my heart to know how she previously suffered and how the owner who gave her up, blamed it on age, blamed it on our economy and then said she was so glad for us to take her and she would repay us by coming out and working. We never saw her again...not a phone call, not an email.....nothing. Grace was emaciated, had a completely split hoof up to the hairline, barbed wire cuts on all four legs, hardly any teeth and a bad hip. Taking care of old horses requires dedication ...blanketing in the winter, extra calories, dental care and the right food mix. It is not rocket science, but if you just want to throw them out in the pasture with six other horses and hope they get enough....you are stupid and heartless (talking about you Grace's former owner...I said stupid and heartless). Anyway, we have loved Grace. She has been a character and we will miss her gimping up the hill to greet us. She will get to see her beloved Tarbaby today and I hope they gallop the skies.
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
Love returns.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Twice on Tuesday
I slipped up.....I guess I should have described our new mare as "sorrel and white".....funny how sorrel seemed right out of reach of my vocabulary!
She is feeling better tonight, not as nervous, ate all of her grain *laced with medication) and ate the better part of her hay. The electric fence had her scared......I guess she never has seen one before. She came to us for scratches tonight and drank some warm water. I soaked her foot this morning, then volunteers soaked her foot around 11 and then Susy and I soaked it again at 6pm. I wrapped it in an icthamol sweat for overnight to see if we can get the swelling down and the infection out. She was a doll to handle.
I emptied the hoses and turned faucets off...because it will freeze hard tonight. I then left Pony Up and fed "our" pony down the street (whose weight looks stellar, I might add).....then headed for barn number two.
I find Ollie in a sweat...walking circles in the stall, kicking and cocking his head to the side like he is looking for snakes.
Why?
No see-ums.
Anyone else might think he is colicky...but he has been my horse for about 15 years and February brings no see-ums and a neurotic Ollie......he cannot stand them landing or biting him......he frets, he looks at his tummy, he kicks....he sweats and walks the stall and begs you for help.
so anyway, I take his blanket off and try to get him to become calm. I talk to him in a soothing voice..he walks off and kicks some more...he groans a little to add to the effect.
He kicks and walks a circle in his stall......right around me and then turns his butt to me and slams it into me.....
why?
so that I will rub his tummy, and the inside of his thighs.....so I do.....and then he lifts his leg out and high so that I can get all the parts. He is very worried.....and he is 1500 lbs.....and prone to being excitable....he is a TB....he is a drama queen.
Next step is Corona Ointment.
I slather it on his tummy.
Then I get the fly spray.....spray his legs, his belly, his neck.....his chest....and then I take a damp cloth and clean the outside of his sheath.
He is immediately quieter.
Why don't I have any benedryl?
He needs it.
Hell, I need it.
I spray more fly spray and realize that I have it all over my hands and now I will probably have some neurological disease. ...and then I start coughing because my stupid lungs are still congested from who knows what...from way last November...and I think it has permeated my jacket.......I take my jacket off and I am sweaty.
I very nearly considered calling the vet......to give him a tranquilizer or some IV benedryl (anything...I am reaching here....)
My throat is sore. I smell fly spray and nothing else. Lovely.
I wipe my hands on my pants......throw his blanket back on, stand with him, rub his tummy again.....consider more fly spray.
I give him his grain, he vacuums it. I feel better.
He stands a little to the side, kicks his belly a few times...I pat him, he sighs.
all is well.
Good grief.
I go home and it is almost nine. Late dinner. Glass of wine........tired...and ready to go to bed.....but more chores to do...
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
I am all ears.
She is feeling better tonight, not as nervous, ate all of her grain *laced with medication) and ate the better part of her hay. The electric fence had her scared......I guess she never has seen one before. She came to us for scratches tonight and drank some warm water. I soaked her foot this morning, then volunteers soaked her foot around 11 and then Susy and I soaked it again at 6pm. I wrapped it in an icthamol sweat for overnight to see if we can get the swelling down and the infection out. She was a doll to handle.
I emptied the hoses and turned faucets off...because it will freeze hard tonight. I then left Pony Up and fed "our" pony down the street (whose weight looks stellar, I might add).....then headed for barn number two.
I find Ollie in a sweat...walking circles in the stall, kicking and cocking his head to the side like he is looking for snakes.
Why?
No see-ums.
Anyone else might think he is colicky...but he has been my horse for about 15 years and February brings no see-ums and a neurotic Ollie......he cannot stand them landing or biting him......he frets, he looks at his tummy, he kicks....he sweats and walks the stall and begs you for help.
so anyway, I take his blanket off and try to get him to become calm. I talk to him in a soothing voice..he walks off and kicks some more...he groans a little to add to the effect.
He kicks and walks a circle in his stall......right around me and then turns his butt to me and slams it into me.....
why?
so that I will rub his tummy, and the inside of his thighs.....so I do.....and then he lifts his leg out and high so that I can get all the parts. He is very worried.....and he is 1500 lbs.....and prone to being excitable....he is a TB....he is a drama queen.
Next step is Corona Ointment.
I slather it on his tummy.
Then I get the fly spray.....spray his legs, his belly, his neck.....his chest....and then I take a damp cloth and clean the outside of his sheath.
He is immediately quieter.
Why don't I have any benedryl?
He needs it.
Hell, I need it.
I spray more fly spray and realize that I have it all over my hands and now I will probably have some neurological disease. ...and then I start coughing because my stupid lungs are still congested from who knows what...from way last November...and I think it has permeated my jacket.......I take my jacket off and I am sweaty.
I very nearly considered calling the vet......to give him a tranquilizer or some IV benedryl (anything...I am reaching here....)
My throat is sore. I smell fly spray and nothing else. Lovely.
I wipe my hands on my pants......throw his blanket back on, stand with him, rub his tummy again.....consider more fly spray.
I give him his grain, he vacuums it. I feel better.
He stands a little to the side, kicks his belly a few times...I pat him, he sighs.
all is well.
Good grief.
I go home and it is almost nine. Late dinner. Glass of wine........tired...and ready to go to bed.....but more chores to do...
Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:
I am all ears.
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