Horses gone crazy!!!

A shout out to all my horsey peeps!!!

Has anyone ever put a blanket on one horse, that has not worn one on 11 years, and have one of your other horses not recognize them!!

Holy cow! The weather turned nasty here and I had the bright idea of putting rain blankets on all the mares before I let them out. They have shed of all their hair and were miserable cold yesterday when I brought them in. So I proceeded to put blankets on all of them. Now they wont be cold. The weather has went from 75+ to low 50s the last two days, snow level came down to 3000 ft. We also had over a half inch of rain today! It was 45 when I went out to feed tonight.

Mares should be all snug in their rugs right?  NOT

Emma decided she had never seen Mickey before! Granted Mickey has never worn a blanket in the 11 years that these mares have been together. (She has never needed one)  Emma freaked out, chased Mickey away from Easy, screamed, roared, kicked and ran the other two, for ten minutes. I finally got out there and herded Emma to the lower pasture and locked her down there by herself, figuring she would get over it. NOT again.

I brought them in to feed tonight, bringing Mickey and Easy in first and taking Mickeys blanket off, before bringing Emma in. They still were carrying on! But inside the barn this time! They have been in stalls next to each other for a year now, I had to put Emma in the back stall and separate them! They were running in and out screaming and kicking at each other. I first had to catch her without getting hurt, at least she went outside where it was safer for me to catch her, so I closed the outside stall door and went to get her. Of course the rope halter decides to pick this time to be inside out, its never inside out, gahhaaa! So I put it on her and tied it on the right side! Always when you are in a hurry! She stood perfectly still, she does have good ground manners. But I am shaking like a leaf! Mad and upset too!

I had to tie Easy outside to the trailer, so I could get Emma to the other stall, without more fights! So they both were yelling for Easy! and Easy yelling back! Geez they could see each other! Both Emma and Mickey decide Easy was theirs! And the other couldnt have her!

I have never had this happen before! I have had and been around horses since I was two! 44 years!
I am really stumped as to why Emma had this reaction, which in turn triggered a really defensive action on Mickeys part! Emma out weighs her by 200 lbs, so I really worry about her hurting Mick. Mickey is really fine boned, Emmas leg makes two of hers. I know someone who's horses got into the barn together and started fighting and one kicked the other and broke her leg. That rarely happens, but something you always think about.

I am going to keep them separate for awhile now! I hope they will get over it.
Yeah, yeah I know, mares!! But this is just really weird and out of character for them.
They are both dominate mares, but Mickey was hiding behind Easy, with her head down, licking and chewing, during this whole thing, usually its the other way around. Mickey is the boss mare! But not today!

I just had to put this out there and see what other people thought about my crazy mares!!

Now I have three wet blankets hanging in the barn, that will take days to dry! But maybe some mud has been washed off! LOL

Anyone with connections to Mother Nature, I want Spring back!!! It is so cold, after having such a run of nice weather! I used my electric blanket last night and havnt had to for a couple months! We had a record cold day for this day in May!


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I messaged my girlfriend, that I bought Emma from, this is what she had to say....

"Ahhh yes.  I had mares not recognize their own babies and try to kill them when they wanted to nurse.  It is best to do it in front of them. (I am assuming she means after she blanketed a baby)

  

As I told Don, {LOL}  Shoot em all!  LOL  That's how I feel about mine some days!!

  

Actually I put a different blanket on Squiggly with a sleazy, and classy caught a glance of him two days ago, and was sure I put a different horse in with him, and she ran and screamed for 15 minutes until she was completely washed out!  MARES are weird!

  I would have just kept the blankets on them..in the barn so they could learn to deal with it.  Emma need mare magic or a marble put in her!" ( I really would like to try a marble in Emma, she is so hormonal!)

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Made me feel better that it has happened to someone else! LOL I love her statement "MARES are weird!"   LOL LOL

Makes you really wonder about how visual they are!! Is that what they use for recognition of herdmates? and not smell too? Something to ponder. They dont act different when I wear different clothes, or hoods etc?? Like she said, weird!

Flowers and silly me!

I have been growing this basket for four or five, years now! It finally is in its glory. It hangs down around 18 inches now. This flower is called Soapwart, it also is an herb, and a perennial. I first seen this when my Mom grew some, it took me awhile to find the seeds. I finally found them at Wilco Farm Store.

Teeny tiny pink flowers all over the plants! I think they are so cute!

 Whenever I have looked at this tree I see faces! LOL So now you really see a face! It is a work in progress, but I have a giant garden gnome!  I believe its a type of ornamental ceder commonly used in landscaping, but dont know the variety.

Kind of silly but fun!!

I have my garden planted. First time in years I have been able to get the garden in in April! I have my tomatoes in, corn is coming up, broccoli, cauliflower, Pole beans. I am trying some new ideas, for me, and doing a little buddy planting. Sunflowers in the corn, marigolds with the tomatoes. I am going to put some nasturtiums with my zucchini. We will see what happens!

I also have around 10 Dahlias up! Putting pet safe slug bait around them to keep the slugs from eating them until they get bigger. In the last picture you can see my Peonys they are about in mid bloom, the wind and rain the last few days has knocked off some of the blooms. 

Spring is here! 

100th Birthday

Today would have been this wonderful ladies 100th birthday! Born May 12, 1913. Isabel Blanchard Zenner. She is my Hubbys Grandmother, his Moms, Mom. We lost her six weeks ago on March 29. She was a beautiful classy lady. This picture was taken a week before her passing.

So I am a day off on the calender! LOL As my Hubby informed me. I swear I seen something on FB that said it was the 12th, and they cant put anything on FB that isnt real! LOL LOL LOL

Why I love my horse

Emma, MP Emmas Dun Dreamin, brat, booger, fat butt, spot, Emma Lou, Goofball. Whatever I call her at the time, I dont ever regret buying her. 

This is what Emma looked like when I seen her for the first time, in pictures. 

Look at that cute face! I fell in love with her, but had no clue that I would one day buy her.

A customer was coming into the feed store I worked and, and she later became a friend. She would always show me pictures of her foals. This year she had Emma and a really cute little palomino.  

When Emma was almost two, she asked me if I was interested, I didnt have the cash, but she let me make payments, until I sold the pony, Sugar, that Meghan had out grown. My original idea was to get another horse for Meghan to finish out her 4-H years with. Well that didnt work so well, Emma and Meghan didnt hit it off. So she has stayed mine.

The first clinic I took her to. A friend was generous and rather than lose the half of the down payment in a Pat Wyse clinic, she offered it to me if I would pay the other half! I had the money at the time! Her husband wasnt able to ride like they had planned, due to a bad knee. Hauled Emma all by my self 200 miles to the clinic.

 She was in as good of shape as I could get her at this time, she was 6 years old I think, LOL would have to go check .

Here she is with Sara, as a three year old, the next Winter after we got her. Chunky 3 year old huh? !! 

Yes there is a chain on her nose, she was a handful as a youngster! She made me learn a lot, I took a lot from Parelli teachings to get a handle on her on the ground. She still will knock you over if you let her. But is much easier to handle. I now have rope halters too, and that helps a lot.

 This was a killer, in more ways than one! Trail ride I went on with my friend Judy! I still say she tried to kill me! LOL A six hour ride, 3 hours up and 3 hours down! Emma was perfect that day too.

 Meghan did take her to horse camp one year. Found out she wont run, not fast anyway! LOL But she was good in the stall and did all the gaming patterns. For not being out like that before, it was a 4 day camp. She sure looks pretty though! LOL

She is a character of a horse, I always swear she was a Shetland pony in another life! If anything is in her reach, she steps on it, chews on it, or knocks it over, still!

She was foaled January 10th 2000. Early baby!

She is a very very food motivated horse. On the Parelli Horsenallity chart, she is evenly a Left brain, Extrovert/Introvert. She tries to be the dominate mare, her and Mickey battled it out for a year and a half. Finally Mickeys shear stubbornness won out! They still go at it sometimes. Emma is so bad when she is in heat, hazing Mickey, that I lock her up in the upper field by herself for four days! Every month.

Emma is an easy going horse, easy to catch, easy to groom and handle. She really doesnt care what you do to her. Punishing her with force, doesnt work, she just shuts down and takes it. Not that I do that, but I have had to get after her pretty hard. If someone says they never would with a horse, they are an accident waiting to happen. You have to have respect, without abuse. Again Parelli gave me a lot of good tools that I have used with her. She is a dominate mare and I cant imagine what she would have done with someone scared of her, been a terror I am sure. 

She is great to ride, not spooky at all. She takes everything in, in stride. Stoic about pain. She gets a little pissy with other horses in her space. She loads right in the trailer, has to turn around to come out though.
She rides very quiet in the trailer too.

I love this mare. She has always done anything I have asked of her. Of course we have had some minor come to Jesus moments, LOL, but dont we all.  This ride last Fall, she hadnt been ridden in 5 months, because of the muscle injury she had done to herself in the pasture or stall.

I rode her today. The first time I have rode her since the picture above, sadly. I need to ride more!!!
She as a perfect, good girl today. She walked, trotted, backed on a feather, with basically only my weight and legs, she sidepassed, leg yielded and basically did everything I asked her. Then we went out and rode around the neighbors field. The goat and the calf that ran up to the fence across the drive, bawling! made her a little spooky, but I just let her look and encouraged her. I dont get upset when they act up anymore, I look for reasons why. I keep saying Parelli, but until I studied their program I was at a loss for some tools to deal with things that happen. Not anymore, I enjoy the ride and the horse that shows up, because if I didnt, I wouldnt ride, period. Emma is perfect enough for me, I guess thats why she is mine!

Emma may probably be my last horse, she turned 13 this last January. I have hope and goals and things I want to do with her. I just hope I can do some of it.

Bucket list:
Trail rides
Extreme trail clinic at Mark Bolenders
Ride her on the beach
compete in some ACTHA rides

Now if only my pocket book would cooperate.  I have to go back to work and or get a lawyer and reapply for my SSDI, which the government took away this last March. Scary to think about going back to work, after being off for five years. But have to do something. My crafting ideas havnt panned out, I only have sold one thing on Etsy.  I cant afford the school I want to do, so I can work at home. So back to work I am going to have to try.

Maybe next time I will get some currant pictures of the mare and me. My new conchos look great on her bridle, when she has it on! I fitted my new over strap to my breast collar, and wore my new helmet for the first time! Thank you Megs! I do still love them!

I have been so envious of Nuzzling Muzzles and Lisa @Laughing Orca Ranch, the beautiful rides they have both been having! You can find both of them on my side bar. It is finally dry enough up here on the West side of Washington to ride!!

Here is to good horses and many many more rides!!

Chickens and bunnies, bunnies and chickens....

Sorry no picture today, except the one in my head, I will try to share!

Went out to feed the horses this morning, as usual Easy was waiting outside, so her stall was empty. I get to throwing hay to the other two and filling Easys slow feed hay net. I hear crowing of roosters out behind the barn, so I walked to the back to take a look. There are three big white roosters and four big white hens, they are kind of a creamy white, but you get the picture. I am watching them, they are about 20 feet away.  They are the neighbors chickens, that run in the pasture. They scratch in the manure pile almost every morning, I dont mind all the bugs they eat.
The roosters are crowing every so often. Then I notice they are on alert, cluck cluck cluck in a deep voice, one of the roosters makes, with their funny head strut. To my left, on top of the manure pile, I see a wild rabbit. He is slowly stalking the chickens. I just assume it is a he, protecting his territory, rabbits are very territorial. He starts hopping towards the chickens, they continue to alarm cluck, as they slowly wander farther out in the pasture. He gets them far enough away and turns around and heads back towards the barn. He then sees a tweety bird, and proceeds to try to chase it away to! The little bird flies into the blackberry bush. (which I am spraying this week!) Silly rabbit!
I went back inside and finished feeding the mares. I dont think he tries to chase them off! LOL hmm but maybe thats why they were so squirrely when they came in last night!!! LOL LOL

People think rabbits are so cute and cuddly! But really they are evil, I tell you, evil !!! LOL LOL

Trip up the Columbia Gorge post two

View from the road of the Oregon side of the Bonneville Dam. 

 To the right is the Oregon side, the whiter looking side is the Washington side.

 The Dam as we got closer. The feature in the foreground is another fish ladder.

 The gate to get to the Bonneville Dam visitors center is now manned by security guards. Thanks to 9-11.  Back when we were younger you could drive across the Dam to go fish on the island in the middle of the river, no more. He asks you if you have any firearms or ammunition and if you are going to the visitors center. If some terrorist was to get a car full of explosives on to the Dam, it would wreak havoc down river! The Bonneville Dam is the farthest West Dam on the Columbia River, and the water would take out a lot of towns downriver! We drove up and talked to the guard, then turned around to go meet with my cousin and his wife.

 The guys after we had lunch, Hubby, Rick and my cousin Matt.

 We stopped back and went into the fish viewing area inside the Dam, on our way back. This is a beautiful mural inside the elevator tower. The elevator takes you down two floors to the fish viewing windows.

 The fences and gates now in front of the visitors center.

 One of the fish viewing windows. There were only three fish that I seen, couldnt get a picture due to the pack of Russian kids that were there, 6-8 of them!

 This pic looks blurry because it is through the glass door to the fish counting room. See the yellow lines on the window? Someone sits in this little room and counts fish!

 About the fish ladder.

 Fish count for last year.

 Saturdays count. Not to many coming up yet. 70 Chinook and 39 Steelhead. One Chinook Jack. The Shad run in June, there are a lot of them!

 Dog Salmon on top, Sturgeon on bottom and a Choho on the right, most likely a Silver or Jack in the back. These are models in clear plastic, in case you couldnt tell, LOL.

 Another beautiful mural on the wall, I believe of Celilo Falls, which was covered by water when the Dalles Dam was built.

 View from the second floor, looking down at the fish windows.

 Seating area down below. Love the colors of the carpet huh! The floors and seating are very plush and padded.

 There is an exhibit of Native American photos and artifacts on the second floor.

 Model of an old fish wheel. They used to catch fish with these! They still do in Alaska, if you have watched Yukon Men.

 Beacon Rock with a fish wheel below it.

 A 675lb Sturgeon!!!! I dont know if they get this big still, but I bet they are close! If you fish for Sturgeon you can only keep them 44 to 60 inches long, measured from the nose to the v in the tail. It is still a lot of fish! Only open to fishing Thurs Fri Sat, certain time of the year. Must use barb less hooks.

 Another fish wheel.

 Dip netting platform, used by Native Americans.

 Celilo Falls before the flooding of it, a few years ago they dropped the water level to expose the falls, on a commemorative day.

 Migratory patterns of fish in the Pacific.

 Ha ha, I took this one for my kids, they will always remember this place! We went there all the time when  they were growing up!

And we went back up the elevator to the top and you can look down at the fish ladder from above.

 Quite intricate how they have to swim through.

 Lots of places to rest as they head up river.

 More of the fence outside, Hubby thinks the grey lines, which are some kind of PVC are a motion censor.

 The view across the parking lot, over the Highway. There is a parking lot there with a trail head that you can ride up to the Crest trail.

 The old entrance, now blocked by large cement barriers. Still sobering to think of all the changes there are since 9-11. One only has to drive by any government facility to see the change.

We had a nice drive, lunch and spending time with my cousin and his wife again.

Good day wet and NW dreary as it was!! LOL

Grammy and Road trip up the Columbia Gorge

My cousin and his wife came down on Wednesday for Hubbys Grandmothers funeral. Grammy would have been 100 years old on May 10th, she was born in 1913!!  She was a classy lady to the end.  She is Hubbys Moms, Mom. She had a long wonderful life, and will be missed. This photo was from last year at her 99th birthday party.

Friday my cousin left and drove over to West Portland to see his Mom. Saturday they headed home. I had seen a small gun show in a town up the Gorge, in the local paper. So we decided to meet up with them when they headed home and go to the gun show and walk through a small antique store that is there too. We then had lunch at a local cafe. I took some pics, but it was raining so hard when we stopped at the antique store that I was more worried about getting the umbrella and forgot my camera! darn it!!

We stopped and the fishing bank, just below Bonneville Dam. The Gorge is beautiful even on a grey dreary day.

This is looking West down river. The Coho salmon are just starting to run, along with a few steel head. I will show you the fish counts in the next post.

 Looking East up river, towards the Dam.

 The fishermen are parking here and walking down to the bank to fish. You can see one guy there on the bank.

 One coming back to the parking lot and one heading out.

 The Dept. of Wildlife, or the Corp of Engineers, dont know which, put these tubes up to put your lost line into. After a backlash there is usually a lot of line left over. So instead of leaving it on the bank they want you to put it in these. A close up of the sticker on the front.

 Funny looking things huh! LOL

 Sturgeon fisherman just getting ready to cast out. The fishing pole they use is usually a one or two piece pole that is 12-15 feet long! With a large bait casting reel.

 And the cast!

 They use 8-10 ounces of lead, and a barb less hook. Smelt when they can get it, hasnt been a run in the Columbia for a few years. Role mop, sand shrimp stuff like that is also used. Tied on with stretchy thread. The cast goes out usually a third of the way across the river. Here you can also see where a large creek comes into the river on the Oregon side, and a lot of fishermen over there also.

 The boat launch on the Washington side. To anchor in the Columbia river a fishing boat needs at least 300 feet of rope! and an anchor buoy that slides on the rope. An absolute must as the current is so hard and fast!!!

 The newer fish bypass that screwed up where we used to fish from the bank, years ago.

 The fish are sent down this chute and dumped back into the river below the Dam. The sprinklers on the end are to keep the seagulls from eating any stunned fish, although it does not help keep the sea lions from doing it! Yes we get a lot of sea lions up the river this far! Dont know exactly but its over 250 miles from the ocean!

 The Gorge is one of the most beautiful places there is to me.

 Getting closer to Bonneville Dam.

 These last two pictures are for Lisa! LOL LOL We were talking about moss, well the rocks around here have several kinds each, of moss, lichen and slime! LOL LOL

More in the next post!!