Spring Has Sprung

...and so have my horses' hormones. There has been some pasture reshuffling at the barn due to horses leaving and grass coming in, and we decided to try Miles and Chamie in the same pasture. You know where this is going, right?

Let's get inappropriate, behbeh.

I wasn't there, but apparently it was consensual and the (3!) encounters were brief. Chamie's heat has since calmed down (oh thank God) and now they are just best buds. Am I a horrible horse owner for keeping them together, knowing it could happen again? Probably. Still, neither are worse for the wear, and of course they are both happy as clams. Chamie had been out with LaShore, and as much as I love that horse he did not love her. He kept biting her little bottom and I felt horrible for her. She has no such marks on her now. I even rode her last weekend and she was moving phenomenally (for Chamie). She called a couple of times but then settled and we did some brief work in both directions. I'm so happy she is ride-able! Chamie, maybe not so much:)

Now, Miles has his own mini-harem, with Chamie and Bliss.

They are sweet.  My horses win at life!

Pasture grass is in and has made Miles a wee fleshy (!).  He and Chamie are now on just a ration balancer and their supplements, along with the occasional beet pulp mash as a treat.  Even this, they eat sparingly and slowly.  It's lovely what full tummies all the time does to horses.

Coggins were pulled and shots were given a couple weeks ago.  Miles is overdue for floating, so this will be done next week (First sedation for my boy since I've had him.  I don't think I can take it!).

Other than that we've just been trucking along - riding outside, but not working on anything particularly exciting (I still love me some cross-rails though).  Maybe we will graduate to a small vertical soon-or a line with set strides!  Ohhhh, the excitement never ends 'round these parts.

I hope others are enjoying your ponies as much as I am.  I love seeing them so content.  Happy Spring!

Mush Abounds, You Are Warned

Milez sayz, "Go Michigan State!"

Remember how I used to post about riding and my progress with Miles' training? Yeah, good times:) There HAS been riding, though - not as much as I would like, but I try not to let a week go by without getting on Miles and doing our thing.

Yesterday was especially lovely. He's been so sweet and relaxed lately, but I hadn't ridden him outside yet. I reallllly didn't feel like lunging him, so I looked that sweet boy in his big brown eyes and said, "I trust you." Then I led him over to the mounting block, got on, and we walked outside to the arena.

I had forgotten my crop, but it didn't matter. He was so wonderful with me, responding to a cluck and a nudge from my calves to turn it up a notch. I had him literally on the buckle in our trot warm up - his nose was stretched alllllll the way down, stretch stretch stretch, his back up, rhythmic one two one two pace for 2 full laps around the arena. Glorious.

Canter work...I literally only thought canter and BOOM, there it was, in all its balanced, effortless glory. You know how sometimes your horse gives you that sweet spot, to sit into them instead of on them? Yeah, that. We did a few circles, I took him over a pole on the ground (he left from a long spot when I asked him to), and we called it a day. He's still so wooly and it's so hot I don't want to work him too much just yet. We finished by walking outside the arena, around the trees and in some fields. He was incredible - relaxed and yet interested, forward without a hint of "hot".

The next time someone tells me OTTBs are crazy I'm going to have to try harder than usual to refrain from laughing in their face. At 11 years old, Miles is now literally the perfect horse I would have created if such a thing were possible. I know not every day will be as amazing as yesterday, but I think there will be more and more as our relationship continues to grow. He loves to work and I love that he loves it. He doesn't need lunging most days (honestly, it's more for me than him at this point). He loves the lady ponies but could not be more respectful of them. He likes to play on the lead line occasionally, but it's because he is HAPPY, not because he's being a jerk.

I had a dream the other night that I had to sell him. People kept telling me it's ok, you will find another horse you will love just as much. I woke up with tears in my eyes because no - he is like, The One. There will never be another Miles for me. It scares me to love an animal that much, because we know how fragile they are.

It makes days like yesterday that much more special though, too. I know how lucky I am, blessed, all of it, to have this boy in my life. I hope he knows it. I hope I make him happy too.

Ack with the mush! Ah well, it's been awhile since I've done an ode to Miles post:)

Chamie is also doing great - I don't mean to disappear her. She has been very sweet (especially in heat, arg), but I haven't been working with her much at all, other than doing some walking exercises in the arena. She DOES get lots of love and cookies, and comes into the barn every single time I'm there for a good brush and hoof picking...she gets as much barn time as Miles. I broke down last week and had our farrier put shoes on her fronts and she is SO much more comfortable. Until we do x-rays we won't know what we're dealing with, but she was wearing her feet so unevenly and was SO uncomfortable I'm not going to let my bias for barefoot be responsible for her continued discomfort. She is 26 and deserves the best. She is walking and trotting SO much better now. I hope to bring her out on the trails next week.

I hope you're all having tremendous fun with your horses as well. Happy weirdly, early, bizarrely warm Spring!

One Month

I know, I know. Sigh. How can so much happen in a whole month and yet nothing at all? Well, nothing I'm going to blog about, anyway. Oy, what a month.

BUT! The weather is fricking AMAZING and things are looking up! OK, to be honest, the weather is bizarre and it totally freaks me out that the forcast for the next week is sunny and in the 70s every day. In. March. In. MICHIGAN. What up with that? End Times, that's what. Mosquitos the size of hummingbirds are right around the corner, true fact.

All the sunshine has brought out Chamie's, ahem, amorous side (sigh, AGAIN. This is the 2nd heat she's had since November). It has also brought out my horrible punny side and desire to make my horses speak really awful lolcat.

Brown Mare: "Pssst. Hey. Hey Big Guy. I has a seekrit."

Brown Boy: OMG you're talking to me? For seryous??

Brown Boy: Waaaaiiiiit. Miles feels suspishus. U gon' pull a Lucy an' take mai futball away? I am a sensative boi with the deep feelings an' u hurts me wif ur squels an' kickey feets.

Brown Mare: Shaddup an' lissin. Comes closer. Looks deep into mines eyes.

Brown Mare: I wants to haves ur behbehs. LOTS AND LOTSA BIG BROWN BEHBEHS!!!

Brown Boy: I don' think we're supposeda. Momz gits mad at meeee....

Brown Mare: No? Howz abouts now? D'you like-a mai sexxyfayce?
Brown Boy: Ur sexxyfayce skares me. Pleez stops.

Later that day....

Brown Boy: Hullo Cody-girl, my luvs, you woodn't beleeve whut ol' brown mare said to Miles!


Brown Boy: She wanna hav mai big brown behbehs!
Cody: I will cut her. How do you feel about big dun behbehs?

Wimminz iz crayzee. The cheez stands alone.

Neglected Ponies

Yep, mine. This past week has by FAR been the busiest of my life, work wise. The mere 2 days I had where I didn't work until at least 7:30 I was too exhausted to make it to the barn. I went Friday night (for the first time since Sunday-UNHEARD of!) and lavished my kiddos in guilty treats and mashes. Of course, Michigan decided to dump a snowstorm on us and I white-knuckled it all the way home for an hour in a trip that should take 25 minutes, but it was worth it.

Miles is Miles. Alert, adorable, sound, underutilized. I did ride him last Sunday and he was a gem...that is, until a new boarder brought in his horse, a Saddlebred I believe, complete with chains on his front feet. Now, I try to keep an open mind, truly. The chains were LOUD though, and Mr. Saddlebred was UP. I did get about 15 minutes of under saddle work done before they came in, so I decided to hop off Miles as he was getting pretty agitated by the noise and the....energy, let's say, surrounding this horse. When the whips came out we exited the arena. In the interest of fairness, I will say I didn't see anything "untoward", but Miles wasn't having it, so we left. The last thing I need is for him to freak out about the indoor - especially because he was half asleep for our ride. I need to get off my butt and haul some jumps up to the indoor to liven things up for both of us for our rides this weekend.

Chamie is doing well. Our order for BL pellets just came today, so I'll be starting her on those. Unless I see a HUGE improvement in her comfort and movement (which is a lot to ask from an oral supplement, considering her age and issues), I'll be asking our vet about Adequan when he comes out to do Spring shots in April. I did a lot of research this week, and after the expensive loading dose, Adequan really isn't that much more expensive than an oral supplement to give her, especially if I can do the shots myself. We will see what the experts say.

Tomorrow, assuming all is normal, Miles will get a proper ride (ohhh, the snow is so pretty now, it's beckoning!) and Chamie will get a good walk in. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Oh Hai!

I will fully admit that while sitting here deciding what to write (because omg I had to write SOMETHING) I dozed off. I have been officially employed full time for 3 days, and y'all, I am SPENT.

Granted, I did work a 12 hour day today, so there is some excuse. I LOVE my job so far though-I'm swamped already but not overwhelmed, and the work is exciting and challenging, and really unless someone is going to pay me a living wage for working with horses and dogs, it's everything I could ask for in a career. Still, other things are falling by the wayside-like blog time, both writing and reading not to mention commenting (oh, I know I'm losing readers by the day, but what can you do?), and pony time (that IS why I started blogging, after all).

Boy and Girl are doing well. The weather here is freakishly warm-I'm not kidding, it's a more than a little worrisome to me. Do I love riding in 50 degree weather? Um, yeah, I'm not dead. Still, it's so bizarre for this time of year. I can't help but worry that this is all going to lead to an unbearably hot and BUGGY summer, and we all know how well Miles deals with bugs. I hope and pray this is not the case.

Hey, unrelated item! (tired brain has no sense of writing continuity)-remember how I let Miles roll in the indoor ring and posted that cute video of him doing so? Yeah, NOW he thinks every time we step into the indoor ring he should be able to drop and roll. He actually tried doing so with my saddle on him the day after I took that video and I almost had a heart attack as I yanked on his lead. That's ALL I need is a saddle with a broken tree. I feel bad because he really does not like being blanketed and he IS itchy, but a time and a place and all that. Hopefully a couple nekkid days outside will help.

Item! Ponies got their toesies trimmed last Friday. Mile's feet are frigging crazy good-he's got some great concavity going on and there is no question now he's staying barefoot. I may get my rock cruncher feet yet! He's moving like well-oiled machinery and I only wish I was utilizing that power under saddle more than twice a week. I try to also lunge him at least one time a week, but still I wish I was doing more. It's a damn shame to waste a sound, happy OTTB:) SPEAKING of...are you guys reading the Retired Racehorse Training Project? If not, for shame! Go forth, read, and sin no more. Solidify is my favorite...I bet none of you could guess that;)

Chamie's feet are less great. She was sore after her trim (as my farrier warned she may be). He's great at what he does, very patient, and does corrective trimming very slowly, so if HE admits his work may make a horse slightly sore, it's for good reason. Her feet were just that bad, unfortunately-the first time he trimmed them he said he only saw feet like that on neglect cases. Yep. She's moving better now though. I'm not having her do more than walk "work" until Spring, and only leading her, no more lunge if it can be helped. I hope to start taking trail walks with her and Miles soon. I'm also painting her soles in Venice Turpentine, in case that helps...although it seems less of an issue now that the earth is made of soft sod and mud.

Item! Laz's mom is making super cool OTTB t-shirts. Because she rocks, and because her baby and Miles are kin, she sent me one. I love it and want another, because Lebowski has stolen mine. Go git your own here!

I sleeps like my momz and dreams of mai own poneee.

And...there's my news. I know, snore (I also dozed off typing all this...I don't think that says much for my content). Even if I'm not commenting on your blog, I'm probably still reading it when I can. It's hard transitioning back into a grown-up. I comfort myself by dreaming of dollar bills-so many dollar billzzzzzzzzzzSnorezzzzzz........

The Ponies Will Not Have To Live In Some Hillbilly's Backyard After All

...Because I am finally, officially employed! Three and a half months after being laid off, I've landed a Program Manager position for a great local non-profit. I'll be overseeing a program called Everyday Digital, which teaches adults from all walks of life basic computer skills (which are really life skills at this point). At the end of the class, the graduates are given computers donated by various groups. Pretty cool, right?

It's a relief for a number of reasons, obviously. Selling my horses was never on the table, but I don't know if they could have stayed where they are for much longer, even with the help we got from my super understanding, generous parents. I'm very happy they will not have to move to some backyard outfit:)

It's also a relief because, well, being unemployed for this long has done a number on me, I'm not going to lie. While I've had more time to ride, work at the barn, write, etc, it sure didn't feel like a luxury and I couldn't really enjoy it with all the worries that being unemployed comes with. Not to mention, in those three and a half months, I've had four interviews and three second interviews, along with sending out customized resumes and cover letters (and filling out all those blasted online applications) every week. Lawd I'm glad that's over.

While unemployement overall is decreasing across the US, my sector (non-profit or state jobs-basically anything that is publically funded) is not doing well at all-those jobs continue to decrease every month. Still, it's the place where all my professional experience lies, where I feel most comfortable, and, most importantly, where I feel valued and have the most to contribute. I can't feel passionate about working to make some shareholders somewhere that much richer; okay, I know there are many private companies out there doing wonderful, creative, important things, but I have no experience working for any of them, so this is my (I'm sure horribly) inaccurate perception. What I know is that I can feel good about working in the community, with people who benefit from my services, while actually making a difference. Extra bonus? I'll be working at a community center 6 blocks from my house, along with one of my dearest friends who was a coworker at my previous job. So, huzzah!

Now for pony news! The kids are doing great. I'm thinking of switching Chamie from SmartFlex Senior to BL Pellets...at this point I think she needs more pain relief than anything-her walk is still ok but she's obviously got some arthritic/navicular issues that are hurting her. The lack of movement in the pasture due to either mud or now frozen mud isn't helping her. I'm going to talk to my farrier about this as well, but in the meantime does anyone have experience with BL Pellets? I could also put her on a low dose of bute but I would prefer not to.

I took Miles into the indoor ring yesterday for a quick lunge. My phone buzzed and when I fetched it out of my pocket, he took the opportunity to have a good roll, or five. He needed that relief after being blanketed for months now. Afterwards, he trotted and bucked and farted and galloped (all respectfully, if that's possible!) and basically had a great time finally being able to move out on the lunge after being stuck in one small space for too long. I know just how you feel, bubs.

Put A Fork In Her

OK, that's a little extreme. Still, when it comes to my 26 year old mare Chamie, and her work on the lunge, even in the arena under saddle...today she told me that she's had enough.

I worked her on the lunge today, the first time I've worked her at all since her pony session with Miles. She gave me an epiphany. Though I owned her from age 8 until she was about 16, she has endured a lifetime since.

She didn't do anything crazy, and she moved as comfortably and soundly as I've seen her, which is great. Chamie just told me she is done with arena work. She listened to me, because she was taught to. She obeyed the lunge commands as she was trained to. Still, her heart is not in it. Yes, she is a mare, an old mare, in RAGING heat (!!), but that wasn't all of it. I think I've felt it ever since she came to the barn...her acquiescence, her obedience...but that's it...there is nothing else there. No passion, no heart, no drive to work. She cooperates because she has to, and because she was taught to. She is an old mare who has put in her time, one way or another. She is happy in her retirement, and I need to give that to her.

That's not to say she is completely off the hook. She is as sound as ever, and I really want to take her out on the trails when Spring arrives, if not sooner, and show her a life outside of the barn and pasture that she loves so much. I have a distinct feeling that if Miles goes with her, she will be the best little trail horse ever...she better be, if I put my family members on her:)

Miles continues to be my sweet, sensitive boy. I'm doing evening chores at the barn 4 times a week, and thus haven't been riding nearly as much as I should. Still, even yesterday when I rode Miles for the first time in longer than I care to admit, he went ca-razy on the lunge but was a total gentleman under saddle, even when my phone leaped out of my jacket pocket and onto the ground right next to him. In short, nothing has really changed, and even after days of neglect (ha!) he's still my Best Boy.

The difference between Miles and Chamie is so...interesting. Miles never stops being engaged...I get Chamie's attention with treats (ok, this is also true with Miles to an extent). Chamie loves the barn, loves being around people and other horses and, of course, food. Miles love those things too, but he also loves working and going off on our own and exploring. Chamie has paid her dues...Miles doesn't understand what dues are. Does that make sense?

In short...Miles needs more rides, and needs to work more than we are now, while Chamie is done with the arena. I need to get her on the trails soon to see if that is something she would enjoy and be reliable enough for my family to ride her as well.

Also, Detroit Lions? You broke my husband's heart.