Rainy Day Entertainment

What do rural Albertans do on a rainy Sunday? Why, they stand out in the rain from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. , for the priveledge of bidding on old combines (this one sold for $25) and other assorted junk -er, I mean treasures! such as this 1947 John Deere tractor:

which sold for $3700. I was really proud of my husband, he only spent $23, on some tools and old gramaphone parts. It really did pour rain all day, so I stayed nice and dry in the truck and watched everyone else slop around in the mud, keeping the rain off themselves by such inventive means as tarps, garbage bags, cardboard, and even a fancy Mexican sombrero! Auctions are a big part of our summers, and it is kind of sad to see that the old farms are disappearing because the younger generation isn't continuing on the family farm. Guess it is getting too hard to make a living at it. Someday the farms will all be government run and leased out to production crews- hey, wait, isn't that what the socialist countries do??

Back !

Back from the rainy coast and it was time to move the mares to the next pasture.While it was beautiful at Abbotsford with all the lush greenery and the beautiful flowering Rhododendrons there is nothing like coming home- and watching contented horses mosying through the trees, heading for that just-right patch of grass. Beamer managed to find some wire to cut his foot on, nothing too serious but enough to delay our riding plans for a month, so I guess I get to spend lots of time working with Sassy, and maybe getting Gussie under saddle again. I'll ride her around the pasture with baby at her side, just to get her in riding shape again. I will wean Peppy at the end of August, and hope to get Gussie out on some rides this fall. She is bred back to Beamer, so I need to get some rides on her this year just to advance her training.

In Good Paws

I am going to the coast for a few days, to attend the Confirmation of my neice, so I leave my blog under the watchful eyes of my little Reba. Back Saturday!

Schooling Sassy, Continued

Today's lesson started with a review of the tarp work, and I longed her over the tarp,and draped it on her again( I think she'll do well in a costume class!)



Then we worked with the rope, asking her to move out with it draped over various areas of her body, as well as dragging it behind her. This is a nice quiet filly, she does not get really excited about things; if something bothers her at first, she thinks it out instead of coming unglued. I really like her! I'll be away most of this week, so we'll see how quickly she picks up where we're leaving off when I work with her next weekend.

Schooling Sassy

Sassy got introduced to the tarp in her first lesson in ground work yesterday. After longeing her a little, with the tarp laying on the ground in the middle of the circle, I started dragging it behind me as I led her, then started rubbing it on her, till I could put it on her back. Looks really concerned, doesn't she?

This didn't bother her much either.

The tarp session ended when she easily walked over the tarp a few times, then I got her to stand quietly on it; as you can see, she figured it was a good chance to graze a little! I worked her a little after that with flipping a rope onto her back and around her belly, before ending the session. A good first day of school!

Peppy Makes Progress

Peppy is in kindergarten training. He is very willing to learn, and as you can see does quite well at standing tied. I like to do these lessons when they are really young; (he's 6 weeks old today).I find that working with youngsters is easier on them and easier on me. So I halter them in their first week, and gently teach them to lead, usually following mom so that it is natural for them. Then we progress to leading away from mom and then to standing tied. He did all this with very little fuss. I also handle their legs from day one.

I try to get them to pick up their foot instead of me pulling it up; and I want them to hold their foot up for a moment rather than me holding it up for them. Babies seem to be better with their back feet than the front.

Peppy was obliging with his fronts after a few minutes of evasion. I try to handle him (thanks, Wendy for your help in that department!) on a daily basis, and it pays off. He is easy to catch and halter, and I think he figures he's quite a star!

Spring Thunderstorms

This is a pot o' gold, Alberta style. Actually, it was a double rainbow, but I thought it was cool how you can see the rainbow touch ground in front of the oil well. We had a little thunderstorm roll through,and were lucky enough to see this beauty on the way back from the horses. My border collies were afraid of the thunder; they're hiding in their dog house. Reba finds the darkest corner she can to hide in, I know she hears the thunder well before I can- she starts looking scared and hunting a hidey-hole.

Time for R'n'R

Breeding season is over for this year, and Beamer is taking a well deserved rest. This spot is the high ground where he can keep an eye on his mares while he relaxes. There are two geldings who live across the fence from him, so I put up electric fence to keep them from fighting over the fence, but now they are like part of Beamer's "herd", and he seems quite happy to have them around.

Now I need to find a farrier -which is never easy when you are new to an area- so I can get Beamer shod and the mares trimmed. There's trails to check out, and I hope to find a place where I can introduce Beamer to cattle, and maybe take a clinic or two this year.

It's also time to start the groundwork on Sassy.

Yes, little darlin', your working life is about to begin.

As for Peppy, he thinks, like father like son: time for a nap!

Peppy Update

After rain since Sunday, we finally got sunshine today, so out came my trusty camera! I was looking at Peppy's teeth this morning, and they are growing nicely, molars for chewing are coming in and as you can see, he is happily munching on the pasture.

He is really filling out, muscling up and looking good. You can't tell in this picture, but that brown colour is only on the tips of his fur; underneath it is all a silvery colour. He will look completely different when he sheds his baby fur. I think he is going to be a striking looking horse, and I really hope he goes to someone who will show him.

Our Weekend

This is PC Peppy Pale Rider. He's the sire of my palomino filly, Sassy. He's a grandson of Peppy San Badger, and out of a daughter of Topline Eldorado, who is by Topsail Cody and Lady Eldorado. Sparky, as he is known, is the most amazing burnished gold colour, and he throws a lot of palomino babies. He is also one of the smoothest moving horses I've seen, a trait which he passed on to Sassy, and it is part of the reason that her registered name is Smooth Sailing Peppy- the "Smooth" also reflects the fact that her mother goes back to Jet Smooth, a full brother to Easy Jet. There are 3 palomino sons of Sparky for sale, as well as a chestnut and a sorrel. I will have pictures of them soon, just waiting for them to be all shed out and slicked off so that their pictures will do them justice. Anyone interested can email me and I will put them in touch with John, the owner. We spent Saturday at his place, helping to put in a water system for his corrals so that this 75 year old cowboy doesn't have to pack water to them in the winter; 10 of us got together and did this as a birthday gift to him. It was quite a production, as the trench was dug 9 feet deep to make sure it's well below the frost line (this is northern Alberta, after all!)



It was a very hot day, we all got sunburn, but everyone worked hard all day-actually it took 3 days, but my husband could only be there for two days.

This is Ted down in the trench installing the shut-off valve while John and some of the crew look on.

Kent Rides a Good Horse

There may be a lot of people soured on horse racing after the Kentucky Derby, and rightly so for them. But there is no denying man's fascination with, and love for, a good horse race. It feeds our competitive nature, and fills our eye with the most beautiful creature in God's creation. We know that the sport will continue, and only hope that Eight Belle's legacy will be sweeping changes to the industry.

Big Brown has captured the hearts of racing fans, including me. Here is a true contender for the fabled and elusive Triple Crown. It is horses like him that keep alive the love of racing at times like this. Here is a magnificent horse, and I for one, will be cheering him stride for stride in the Belmont.

By the way, check out Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog for some great photos of Big Brown being worked on by the farrier.

Theivin' mare

Janice over at Own a Morgan has quite a story to tell about a mare stealing another mare's baby. This is usually a very dangerous situation, and she was fortunate that she and the baby didn't get in a wreck. I have seen this happen and the mares get really aggressive and will go right through anyone or any thing that gets in their way. Drop by her blog and check out this story and her baby pictures!

Ultrasound results

Coyote Belle.....

is pregnant! That little blip at the top of the black circle(which is the uterus) is the foal, at about 18 days old. This is her first foal, so I'm excited about it. This mare is a granddaughter of the great Shining Spark, she is sired by reining champion Durable Shine and out of my good, cowy mare, Sundee, who I lost to a broken leg when Coyote Belle was a weanling. So let's hope all goes well with this baby!

Lovin' the sunshine

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny morning, which I spent grooming the herd. All but Sassy are completely shed out now, it seems that yearlings take longer to shed their baby fur.

They were all enjoying the sun, and Peppy decided to nap in his mother's shade;

Of course, Tess has to be right in there. (Such a helpful dog!)

Dogs'n'Horses

Beamer has been a busy boy, covering his mares and staying in shape by galloping laps around his paddock while he keeps an eye on the mares.Meanwhile, Reba is keeping an eye on him;

and on Peppy, who is getting big and strong. I'm glad I halter broke him at an early age, as I have to bring him in with his mama through the electric fence when I tease her.
He is a nice minded, sturdy colt. I can't wait to see what colour he sheds out to!

The Cat Came Back!

This is Bubby, our 17 pound tabby cat. He went missing on Wednesday last week. We've had him for 10 years and love him dearly. We knew that there is a person in the neighbourhood who traps cats and disposes of them, so we were understandably worried. So we were quite delighted when he came back last night, at full tilt, pursued by dogs. After a couple of minutes of cuddling and purring loudly, he headed straight to the food dish! I had asked my guardian angel to help him to get safely home, so thanks for prayers answered!

Beamer

Today I managed to get some good photos of our stallion. I turned him out in his summer pasture, which is the one the mares were in for the winter.

He has some nice high ground where he can keep an eye on his mares.

Apparently there are a lot of interesting smells to check out.

And new sights to see....

And can't forget to check the whereabouts of those mares!

Tess

This is my young border collie, Tess. She thinks that she's a very helpful dog- notice that she is poised with her left leg up, ready to move in any direction! I was grooming Beamer and really didn't need any help. It's finally sunny and beautiful!

Tom, this one's for you.

This post is a copy of an email that I have received a couple of times, and in light of the recent tragedy at the Derby, it serves to give us hope for our beloved horses.

Meet Molly.
She's a gray speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier, and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected and her vet went to LSU for help. But LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes. But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight, and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee and a temporary artificial limb was built.
Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. 'Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood (that) she was in trouble.' The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.
Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, her mane felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.'The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life,' Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. 'And she asks for it! She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too.' And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.
Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people. And she had a good time doing it.'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,' Moore said, 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.''She's not back to normal,' Barca concluded. 'She's going to be better.
To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'This week, Molly the Pony, a children's book about the pony who has already inspired thousands of people around New Orleans , has been published.It's not a book about amputation or prosthetics, it's a book about people and ponies. But the photos you see here are from the book. Maybe Molly won't make the vet textbooks, but she might reach more people from the pages of this book for children.
If you know a child, a library, a hospital, or maybe a therapeutic riding program that can use a lift, here's a book that can do that. And you can explain how the leg and hoof work!HOW TO ORDER: This book is an oversized, square 'laminated' (so it wipes clean) hard cover book. Hoofcare Publishing is proud to offer it for sale to you at the price of $15.95 each plus $6 post. A portion of the sales price will go toward Molly's fund. To order, send check or money to Hoofcare Books, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 . Telephone orders to ( USA ) 978 281 3222. Fax orders to ( USA ) 978 283 8775. Email orders tobooks@hoofcare.com.

Out to Pasture!

Peppy is learning how to lead; I made this little halter because I couldn't find one small enough for babies. This was his second lesson, and he willingly followed mom.They have a nice big field to roam around in, with enough old grass mixed with the new that it is coming in slowly, so I don't need to worry too much about founder.

Peppy obligingly posed for a picture.

Gussie was happy to get out and stretch her legs.

I put Sassy in with them and they happily galloped around for quite a while. It must have felt good!

They finally settled down and went looking for grass. Tomorrow Coyote Belle gets to go out. She was quite certain that she should have been out today too...

But I didn't want them all roaring around at once. She'll have to wait!

A Sad Derby Day

The Kentucky Derby was an exciting and well run race, with the favourite, Big Brown, coming from the far outside post # 20 to win by over 4 lengths. But the second place horse, Eight Belles is the one who will be remembered the most for this race. She was the only filly who had the talent to run against the colts, and she literally ran the race of her life. Just after crossing the finish line in second place, she broke both front ankles and had to be euthanized on the track. How heartbreaking! Check Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog (link on my side bar) for more on this story.

At the Swap Meet

My husband and I attended an auto swap meet yesterday, and we found this really cool book, published in 1889. It contains vet info on horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, swine, dogs, and birds.

It also has a section on horse training. Most of the training in this section we would now consider barbaric and cruel, as he advocated a lot of restraints, and some methods that are downright rough. It is wonderful to compare this to today's methods and know that our beloved horses are benefiting from the most humane methods in history, thanks to the pioneering of such great men as Tom and Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and all the wonderful trainers who are carrying on this tradition. Some of the things that Oliver W. Gleason wrote, however, are timeless:

Never quarrel with your horse.

Never say whoa unless you want your horse to stop.

Bad hay is not cheap at any price.

To put an unwarmed bit in a horse's mouth in frosty weather is rank inhumanity.

Remember that you have no business trying to control a horse unless you can first control yourself.

And my favourite- if you have a horse which you want to match, don't tell the dealer or he will make you pay dearly for the size and colour.

Peppy is getting cuter

The little guy is growing, starting to eat grain with mom, although in this photo it looks like he can't decide if he should scratch or go for the oats mom spilled on the ground. He's starting to muscle up, and is very friendly and easy to handle. Soon all the mares will get to go out on pasture, and get out of the muddy pen. I always worry a little when I first turn them out on a new pasture- like I said before, if there is a way to get in a wreck, they'll find it!