So Much For Keeping Them Humble

Well, looky-loo what pretty mare and handsome hunk got their very own story on Susan Salk's Off Track Thoroughbred blog?

Thank you Susan, for thinking our story is worthy of your great audience! I think Miles' head will now be too big for his bitless bridle, and Chamie may have an "I told you so" look in her eye when I see them later today.

Seriously, I love Susan's blog because she finds the story behind every horse (usually an OTTB, so it's a big deal for Chamie to infiltrate the ranks:). And every horse has a story. It is an honor to be featured!

Yay For Trail Rides

Bravo for a splendid outdoor ride in the fields on a beautiful, perfect Michigan summer afternoon.

Huzzah for brave little toaster OTTBs, who march forward and confidently on trails he's never seen before, even when we start the ride at the trail head he's always been at the least very wary of, and at the worst terrified of when horses and riders have emerged from said trail head.

Big ups for this same horse who never once spooked or acted silly today. HUGE "Good Boys!" for walking literally right next to a controlled brush fire on the way home and marching through all that smoke and ash. He was concerned, but he listened to me and never hesitated.

Many big "Ha ha!"s when same brave boy was turned around in a circle so the mares we were with could catch up (man can this horse march forward)...I think this is the picture when he stopped mid circle-we were just a little ways from the barn, and it was like he was saying, "I don't WANNA go back home, let's keep going!". How can you not love this horse? He's also got a SQUIRREL!! vibe going here, but I assure you he never once felt tense or looky. Because, you know, he's awesome like that.

Many hugs and sugar cubes for a horse that is this relaxed on his 3rd (and longest) trail ride. What a pleasure he is to own, and to ride. I know, I know, more rainbows and unicorn farts about my horse. He really was that special today, though.

Finally, thank you so much to Amanda for taking these pictures to prove I have an OTTB trail extraordinaire, and for accompanying us with her 2 lovely mares Lady and Cody. What a splendid afternoon, and a PERFECT first official summer ride. She's good (not to mention sneaky!) with a camera, that one:)

Thanks ladies...all three of you.

A Rambling and Belated Valentine to my OTTB

Oh, everyone else is doing it, so why not? It's obvious I can't shut up about my horse at this point.

Y'all know I love my Miles, right? I've blabbered on and on about him in numerous posts already. Still, thanks to the Literary Horse and Valentine's Day, I've got yet another reason to do so...and really, I'll take any excuse I can get, let's face it.

First, let me say, I was one of the last horse people on Earth to finally watch the movie Secretariat this weekend. I was reluctant to watch it in the theater because I knew I would be a big blubbery mess spouting big blubbery tears all over those around me. So, I chose to watch it in my home, where the only witnesses would be my husband and our furry family.

Loved the movie, like everyone else. It was a little too Disney-like, but I expected that. Diane Lane was great-she sure liked to deliver mini-speeches, but she was great. The racing shots were amazing...the best I've seen yet. It was so cool watching the Belmont, when I knew what was going to happen, and my sweet husband (who also really liked the movie) was clueless. I could only say to him...just wait. Then we went to the Internet (because we are nerds) and watched the actual race from 1973. Just awesome.

Oh, hey...Valentine to my horse, right? I brought up the movie for a reason. As much as I loved it, and it tried to capture what we love about horses...it really didn't touch the reality of it. You know what? No movie can. Every time they would zoom into Secretariat's face (as gorgeous as all the horses that played him were) to show how...I don't know...wise he was, or how much heart he had, or how he understood what someone was saying to him...I couldn't see it. The horses were pretty, but they weren't conveying anything to me...at least not what I see in my horse, or what ANY of us see in our own. The Secretariat horses can only show so much, I suppose...I'd love to see Tyra Banks tell one of them to "smile with their eyes", for example:)

Still, one of the things I love so much about Miles is I know exactly where I stand with him. If he's looking at me, I swear I know exactly where his head is these days. Part of that is being together for a year and 4 months, but it's also just Miles-he has no pretense, no coyness-he plays no games. I can't tell you how refreshing that is, when I deal with human beings at my job with all kinds of issues and conflicts, and I have to sometimes sort out what's what. None of that with My Boy.

Also, I can't lie...I love the fact that I own an ex-racehorse. It's cool to tell people (well, non-horse people, who ohhh and ahhh and don't know all the other fun stuff that comes with an ex-racer) yeah, but I also love that Miles has athleticism and endurance and speed bred into him over generations and generations. After I adopted him, I went to Equibase and paid whatever their monthly fee is to be able to see my horse, my sweet Miles, as Masarin-a racing machine who came from last place to beat 5 other horses by 8 lengths at Golden Gate Fields. Of course I would love him the same if he had never raced, or had never won a race. Still, I don't think his love of work with me is unrelated to his award as Co-Champion Miler in Chile (whatever that is). He is GAME, this horse. So game.

We had a rocky start, I've said more than once here. Looking back, it was 100% without a doubt my own fault and ignorance. Miles needed time, space, and security...and when we finally were ready to start working together, he needed leadership. I thought I was giving him that, but really, I was disappointed that he was taking so long to settle in...that he wasn't the same horse at ALL that I saw at New Vocations...that he seemed to be a stud without balls that was only interested in other horses, yet couldn't be trusted to be turned out with geldings or mares...on and on. In reality, I placed lots of totally unrealistic expectations on an OTTB I had little background information on...the fact that I lost Ebony a month previous was certainly not helping.

Because he is amazing, Miles forgave me my impatience, and once he felt secure in his turnout/stall situation, I could almost see him exhale, turn to me, and say, "OK, this place is safe. You're kind of clueless, but you mean well, and I'm willing to give you a shot. Now what should we do?"

I can't express in words how happy and grateful I am that this amazing animal continues to give me the benefit of the doubt as we navigate our lives together. I've blabbered on and on about him on this blog before (yeah, pretty sure I should have subtitled it "An Ode to My Horse". I still might;). Still, that's what Valentine's Day is for, right?

I still miss Chamie, and I wish I would have held on to her, and appreciated her for the perfect first horse she was. I miss Ebony, and I will always, always be grateful for her teachings, and for the bond we had...I get really sad when I think about where we could be now. These girls will always be my Valentines, forever.

Miles, however, has my heart now, and he will be with me as long as he and I are on this Earth.

Good thing he seems to like his owners a little melodramatic and fruity. Happy Valentine's Day (belated), my sweet sweet boy. I wouldn't trade you for all the Secretariats in the world.

Snow...Yeah, That's All I've Got

Snow. 19 inches, to be precise. Also? Cold. Zero degrees, ridiculous wind chills.

Suffice it to say, I'm just trying to keep Miles fed (well, supplemented-his barn does a fine job of the basics. He's the best weight he's ever been, and I love it), blanketed, and un-injured this week. Hopefully the training/riding will pick up again this weekend. Or maybe the writing bug will hit and I'll be able to form interesting sentences and communicate somewhat coherently on one of the number of topics swimming through my head.

For now, though? I've got nothing. Survival mode is the best way I can describe my brain's MO lately. I will say I have just loved reading everyone's blogs. You all are amazing, and way more motivated and dedicated to the equine sport than I am currently. I can't wait to see what we're all up to when the weather is more suitable for human and beast to be working in:)

So keep it up~I'll get there, I promise. For now, though, this one is keeping me sane, as per usual. He says What's Up, Everyone. Or, you know, Neigh.

Momz not so tawkie lately, but she can't ignorz dis face.

Also, shout out to the awesome Natalie at Retired Racehorse Today for linking to my "I'm Not A Thoroughbred Person" post. She rocks at riding ON the track thoroughbreds, not to mention the off-track variety, her writing is superb and I love her new bloggy format. Even if you don't ride a TB I'll bet you anything you'll love her blog. Go visit her and make her famous so she can write a book and continue to promote the hell out of our beloved OTTBs. She's good people.

Fancy Schmancy

Many many big ups and thank-yous to Denali's Mom for the awesome new banner she so generously donated to Miles on Miles. Most of us know her and love her for good reason:) She's made me a proper blogger, finally!

Sorrow and Gratitude

We all have challenges in life, yes? If you find your life to be relatively drama and difficulty-free at any given moment, it can change in a heartbeat. This is where I find myself, and this reality is never far from my mind.

Right now, as Thanksgiving approaches, I'm feeling especially grateful and humbled by my life...and I'm trying my damnedest to appreciate it and soak it in as things can change like that-in fact, that kind of change is quite inevitable.

My family and I are relatively healthy. My husband and I continue to be each other's best friend, and no one makes me laugh more when I need it than he does. Today he walked the dogs twice for me and cleaned the entire house-most days he is everything I need in a partner. All of our animals are healthy and happy, and we've finally solved Mojo's mystery illness. Her arthritis continues to progress, but other than that she is a very robust and sturdy 14 year old dog.

Miles, of course, continues to be my comfort and joy. We had the briefest of rides today, as the temperature dropped about 30 degrees in 24 hours. The most fun I had was feeding him his beet pulp and hay cubes, and tucking him into his blanket before turning him out. He totally loves to be pampered and fussed over, and I'm always happy to oblige. After he was done eating he stood in the aisle while I cleaned the last of the mud off him, dressed his hooves and gave him his MTG treatment. His eyelids grew heavy and he was sooooo sleepy and adorable. I can't even describe how much his health and happiness directly affect my own outlook...when I'm at the barn, it's everything to me. On those couple of days a week I don't see him I miss him more and more. Hmmm, maybe it's time to really look at moving to the country. I can't imagine waking up everyday and being able to walk down to the barn and see my boy. It doesn't get much better than that.

These last couple of weeks have been so difficult for some of the people I know and love. Two people I know (either in person or in bloggy land) have or are having to put their much loved horses down-these are "heart" horses, and it's devastating to their owners no matter what the circumstances. Others I know have had to accept that their horse must be retired or semi-retired for the foreseeable future. Some people are struggling with their horse's chronic lameness, unable to ride much or ride at all. Finally, a friend lost her dog to a heart condition last night-totally unexpectedly. My heart breaks for all those suffering...it's so damn unfair and the pain and sorrow can feel overwhelming. Often it leads to depression, where every aspect of life seems impossible. It doesn't get much worse than that.

No one knows why bad things happen to some people and good things happen to others-although I tend to think we all take our turns on the merry-go-round of the highs and lows of life. Many people believe God has a plan for all of us, and even in the midst of great pain there is always a reason for suffering, even if we can't know it. I honestly wish I could believe that...it's much more comforting than believing everything in life is random, and there is no rhyme or reason to bad or good things happening to people. Having said that, I'm not sure there isn't something in the universe-karma, whatever-that ultimately "balances" things out. Who knows.

I suppose this is the ultimate rambling post. Things are going well in my tiny corner of the world, and I recognize how fleeting it may be and am so, so happy and filled with gratitude that things are how they are for me and mine right now. My heart goes out to those who are struggling, hurting, sad, desperate, lonely and angry. I can only hope (and I really believe) things do eventually get better-hours turn into days into weeks into months. The sharp pain turns into a dull ache. Eventually it can disappear altogether, and you will also be feeling gratitude for yourself and your loved ones, for your life, once again.

The Results Are In...

Is it wrong to be happy your dogs have mange?

Because I am deliriously, over the moon ecstatic that my dogs have frigging mange!!

That's right, it's definitive. Mojo for sure has it, and the goldens most likely. All three got a dose of Ivermectin, a dose of topical, some prednisone, and are snoring happily.

The #1 lessons learned-listen to your animals. Trust your gut. Don't be intimidated by men (or women) in white coats. Finally, the Internet kicks major ass.

The particular type that Mojo has does not bother people or cats, so we're OK. There's no way to say where she picked it up.

Mojo is old, and something will get the girl eventually. For now, though, she's weathered yet another storm and is on her way to being healthy. I love my tough old broad. Together, we totally Pwnd scabies!

Do not F%^k with me, tiny gross microscopic parasites. You. Will. Lose.

.....................................................................................................................

On another, horribly sad note, my friend lost her horse today. Feel free to stop by and express your condolences....Wayne was the coolest little Haflinger stud ever, and Miles loved having him as a next door neighbor for over a year. I've been thinking about her all day as she's going through one of the hardest times we can have as horse owners.

I hope Wayne is running around somewhere with four perfect, sound legs and having a blast. RIP sweet boy.

A Small Request...

You all should go read my friend Amanda's blog right now and give her some love.

http://dungotclass.blogspot.com/

She has sooooooo much knowledge about horses, and helps me immensely with Miles. There's no way I can be at the barn every single day, and she is there for him to feed his beet pulp and bring him into the barn to hang out with everyone, which he loves. She gives me updates on his condition, and, well, she's just an awesome person with a TON of good stories to share. I really can't emphasize enough how she helped me in the beginning with Miles, when we were both driving each other crazy-she's the one who told me to be patient with his "busy TB brain" and pointed me towards resources that were a great help. She even let me practice techniques on her sweet mare Cody-THAT'S a good person:)

She's also pretty darn good with a camera and took a lot of the pictures on this blog:) I can't begin to tell you how great she was on the day Ebony was put down.

Anyway, she's a great friend who's got a lot on her plate with getting married and dealing with sweet Cody who's struggling with knee lameness, and she's another great addition to Mid-Michigan horse bloggers. Stop by and say hey!