Monday, January 31, 2011

If you listen, they will tell you....

CCC left a comment on yesterdays post. "But I think I've learned most from the horses themselves. If I listen, they tell me.

This wonderful statement made me think about a couple equines that were not mine, that I connected to.

I was at our little county fair with my girls one year. Our horse barn was small at the time and there were tie stalls on the outsides of the old barn, boxes down the middle. This horse belonged to someone that I am friends with, but they were not in my 4-H club at the time. She was an old, jug headed, piebald, red roan mare. She was kind with her little rider and did her best. Despite her looks she was a kind dependable little horse. One of the afternoons, I walked by her stall and she looked at me. Really looked at me, and pawed at her hay. I looked and it was poor hay, it looked moldy, and she clearly wasnt happy. She looked at me again and pawed at her hay again. Oh I wanted with all my heart to give her fresh clean hay. That is one time a "connection with an animal hit me with a force I can not describe" I did go and find her owner and told her about the hay, I believe she got some different hay for her. I learned a few years later that the mare had gotten into the barn and some how got herself impaled on the forks on top of  a CAT blade, that was parked in the barn. I was really saddened when I heard about how she passed on. I will never forget her for "telling me" something was wrong.



The other equine, was a 17 hand red dun Mule. A friend owned her and two others. He asked me if my daughter and I could go up and clean up the Mules, as he had someone who was interested in buying them. He even offered to pay us to do it, so we thought OK, cant be to hard. The Mules were in a small muddy pen, looked like they had been in there for awhile. I found out later that it was because they kept going through the barbed wire fence and wouldnt stay in the pasture. Thats mules for you! We had been up there before and my daughter and friend had ridden the mules, after I had helped him get them all outfitted with tack. He had bought them to use for hunting, and did take them a couple times, but didnt use them the rest of the year. He did keep them up to date on hoof trims and stuff.  I didnt connect with her that first time, but this time, Molly looked me in the eye and told me she wanted out of that pen, and even tried to show me where to let her out, it was the darnedest thing. My daughter and I we did the best we could, but they really needed out of the pen, and a hose to get them cleaned up, and we couldnt get the gate open to get them out. She was a pretty mule, big! I had seen her move in the pasture on a different day, when they wouldnt let my friend catch them, she looked smooth, for such a big girl.  She too had an unfortunate end. My friend sold the mules to an outfitter in Idaho, his dad hauled them all the way over there to the new owner. My friend told me a year later that one of the outfitters, hired hands, had taken Molly through a creek with a tie down on, an drowned her. At this point I could really say a whole bunch of expletives, but it wouldnt do her any good. She is the one mule that I would have liked to have owned.

I had to share these stories, I have been carrying them for a long time. Animals really can talk to you if you really listen. I always pay attention to my horses little nuances, its how I caught when Mickey had a colic episode one time, and was able to get her through that. thats another story, but with a happy end. It takes me about two seconds to flick my eyes over each horse and access their condition, it something I do without thinking about it.

Have you had moments, times, when you have had some inexplicable connection with a horse?

Horsemen you have learned from....

This post Buck, the Jurga report. Made me think about this.

What horseman or woman, has influenced you in your journey with your horse?

I have a lot of books, I have been to a couple of reining clinics, participated in 4-H horses, took a few riding lessons as a kid. Lately I have been learning from Pat Parellis' teachings, he has given me some tools and understanding that I havnt gotten elsewhere.

I absolutely adore Tom Dorance, had a chance years ago to go and see him live, didnt go, still kicking myself. Bill was great too, but Tom was extra special! Sad that they are gone now, and I do have both of their books.

I have bought and read Buck Brannamans books, great story, good reads both of them, other than the Horse Whisperer, and from his books I havnt studied him very much. The movie will probably be really good though.

I went to a Pat Weise clinic with a friend, learned a lot, bought his book and a video tape of me in the clinic. Learned a few more tools from him, one of them being the "drop to trot" lead change, a great precursor to teaching your horse the flying lead change. Pat influenced me in what curb bit I use on my horses.

An old friend of the family has influenced me too. A quiet unassuming man, who has raised good horses, and competed in Cutting, and given riding lessons to children. This man I first met when I was around 8 years old, when my Dad shod his horses. We would go with Dad and watch. This man is Dick Osborn.
He isnt famous, he hasnt won copious awards, although he probably has a few trophies and ribbons under his belt. He has shown patience and compassion, with a ready smile, even now at, I believe, very close to 80 years old, he is a good hand with a horse. He has an 80 plus horse boarding stable.

Those are a few of the people that have influenced me with horses.
I hope that there will be more, as I figure out and continue my journey with my horses.

How about some of your favorit horse people?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Worlds smartest Horse....

Worlds smartest horse

This is really worth watching. Dedication and training, does wonderful things!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dreaming of Spring.....doing Winter horse chores....

These are archived pictures. I didnt want to take the camera out, to muddy and cold. I cant wait for Spring!!

Warmer days when its more comfortable to get outside and get things done, would be nice!


Emma looks warm and content, and NOT muddy here! I hosed her off this morning when I went out to feed. She enjoyed the grass while I got the mud off of her!

This is the scene for trimming hooves! Emma got her toes clipped today, I waited way to long, she was pretty long. But she is all better now!! Now I have to get the other two done! They are not near as long as Emma was! I did pretty good today, went out and a little after 1PM and was back in the house at 2:20PM!! I trimmed Emmas feet and cleaned the three stalls!! Pretty good for a fat old brain tumor survivor!! LOL (oh and at my last Doc appt. I have lost 15#!!!! I am down to 178# wow!! without trying LOL. I just dont eat as much as I used to anymore. At my heaviest I was up to @ 230#. so that is a lot!!! When I got out of the hospital I was 183# so..... I feel pretty good, and would like to get down to around 160#, I think that would be comfortable!!!)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sunday stills....The color green....

I have a theme today, besides the color green LOL, green moss. At the moment it is the greenest thing outside, well I do live in the northwest so the Fir trees are green and the grass stays green 10 mo. or more of the year! But the moss is pretty interesting right now, and probably at its peek this time of year with all the moisture. I think there are more kinds of moss around here than flowers! And moss does grow on things that dont move and on the proverbial "rolling stone". Gotta love the NorthWest!!!!

Moss on the Maple tree.

Not as clear as I wanted, Sedum? I think, and moss, on a rock. Note the Fir needles caught in the plant.

Moss on a rock, I love the half a hazelnut the squirrels left. This is on a large chunk of petryfied wood that Hubbys folks brought home.

Moss on the trunk of the Rhododendron. There are so many textures of moss around here!
Hope you enjoyed moss today!! LOL LOL
For more Sunday stills take the link!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Stills....Macro pics....

Ok, Macro is not easy to do when you do not have a macro lens or the ability to use one. My camera does not have a macro setting that I can find. So here goes!
These are old Coyote traps I have on the wall. My biggest challange with close up pics is over exposure.

Firewood, with an interesting pattern.


And a close up of my Max!! LOL

For more Sunday stills take the link.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sunday Stills, Your best shot of 2010


Some of my Best/Favorite shots from 2010. No they are not perfect!
But they are some of my favorites!
The ocean at Lincoln City, Oregon. Cant you just hear those waves?

Sunset over the ocean

I chose this one because it was a really funny moment for me! When I realized that I knew what it meant! and my husband didnt! And what a great Nerd it made me!!! LOL LOL


This is my very favorite shot of Dublin, when we were working the fireworks booth for 4th of July.


From another outing with Dublin, I got a great shot of Fort Vancouver.

Dublin in his "bear rug" pose! LOL


And I can not forget Max, my new baby! LOL this is not a great shot, a little blurry, but I love his expression! He has become quite the character and member of the family.




And I almost forgot one of my horse! I just happened to catch her on her island LOL and her reflection in the water.

So thats just a few of my favorites for 2010, I want to take more pictures in 2011! I need more practice and this Sunday Stills is such a fun way to do it! Thanks Ed, for hosting this!!