Living with Horses

Animernal Instinct

2011-09-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

I pulled the puppies out from under the barn where the stray Mama had whelped them. I never realized she had so many! But they sure are cute and I was glad to see she had done her job... now that they were in the middle of the open barn in an open crate I started to worry...after darkness fell and everything was quiet as I went to bed I lay there and heard( or imagined!) tiny squeals. I got up 3 times to listen and each time the Mama was by the front door, and not with her puppies. I had visions of tiny morsels for coyotes, foxes, coons, possums, and lord knows what else. Finally, around midnight I made the trek to the barn, found a big box and brought them onto the porch. Of course they escaped as pups are wont to do, but they were safe and sound in the morning. Tonight I made up the rabbit hutch, so after awhile I will lock them up away from critters and varmints that might do them harm.

When I related my story to my sister, she coined the phrase, 'Animernal Instinct'.

(PS, this afternoon a couple of coyotes loped across the pasture).

Note from the farm

2011-09-02T05:43:00.001-07:00

Dear Ma and Pa,

Everything is fine here. I am sending a picture of the horse colt born this year. I know you have seen him before but I admire him and his color so I am sending it along. We added a litter of pups to the pack yesterday, a little black dog came a couple of months ago and had her puppies under the old coal bin in the tobacco barn. One hussy mare pushed down the fence to get with the stallion. She is fine but he got a cut on his leg and he is now up in the barn recovering. I haven't had my farm bushhogged lately and the weeds are so tall I can't see my horses anymore. One spot out on the ridge by the pond is bare and yesterday I saw my flock of turkeys hanging out. I know them by their meager numbers (about a dozen) and the one that is all white. I have not seen the foxes lately but I do have a snake in the feed room. I guess that means my mice population is at risk. I use my flashlight to check out the feed bags before sticking my hand down in them. I don't mind snakes but they give me a shock to touch. Your loving daughter...

The Molter

2011-07-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

It is hot all over and even the smallest outdoor task takes my breath away. I thought it would be a good day to work with this boy and start him on some manners... what an engaging mind he has! A few times he became uncomfortable but quickly came back to me and I felt as if I could see the little wheels turning in his brain. I love working with the young ones and leaving them in a thoughtful mood, looking for more.

Beneath his molting brown baby coat he is turning to a sleek, steel gray.

All for the newborn

2011-05-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here he is! No name yet, but a fine colt born on April 22. He came out ready! It was a quick and (looked to be) easy birth for Silver Bell and when he felt his front legs free he struck and scrambled and struck some more with those front legs. Of course at this point he was entwined with his dams legs, who was trying to get some peace at last, and I trying to calm myself that this is nature and this is all part of it while my imagination is picturing thrashing and tangled and broken limbs. I swear the stress gets to me! When the mare finally did arise, she did so gracefully and carefully and her newborn was off on his search for milk. Whenever he approached her head she would let out a shrill squeal and he would change course and keep hunting. It did not take him long to find the spot and latch on. She has been a great dam and he is bold and confident.

Foal Watch

2011-04-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am officially on foal watch as of 2 nights ago. When I placed her into her newly bedded stall, she promptly laid down, her belly extending toward the sky. The foal inside moved and moved, causing undulating waves on her belly. Tail flicking and nickering I though for sure it would be that night. But alas, whenever you are sure, it never happens! I have had this mare 2 years but she is still new to me, and I to her. This year she has mellowed (when she arrived, her nickname was "Jaws" ). She has begun looking to me this year and her nickering to her unborn is a good sign of her future motherhood.I am very excite about her foal. It will be the first one from my stallion.

Engaged

2011-03-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

I've been called a straight shooter by people enough times to recognize it as a significant aspect of my character~but it tends to have poor results working with horses!.
I've been contemplating the horse/human relationship for many years (see my book To Dance with Horses) and of course, struggling to become a better horseman (woman). But the work of getting the "feel" in the horse world tends to result in a passivity when applied to humans and can border on the patronizing and manipulative. So I believe we need to engage human to human and start with the questions. When was the last time your friend asked you, "When...?" or "What...?" or "How..." or "Why....?" Curiosity of the thoughts of our friends reaps many rewards.

Taking the time

2010-11-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is Hondo. He was a rescue baby with much too much emotional baggage for a little baby, but he pierced my heart. I have spent years with him, gaining his trust. Then made the mistake of sending him off for 30 days and for the last year I have being undoing the harm that those 30 days did. This last week I rode him 3 times. Not long, and not more than a few steps, but today the quality of his steps was soft and flowing. My head has been in the clouds all afternoon, reliving what he was finally able to give to me: his trust.

Night and Light

2010-10-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

Walking straight in to the big dipper with the milky way over my head-so aptly named, a childs' fantasy land:wholesome, ephemeral. My black horse free around the barn, I sense but cannot see him. His ears more acute than mine as he follows my lead. I lose him when I enter the barn but when I come back out with hay he reappears from another direction a large shape moving closer, his foot falls getting more distinct to my ears. Fall daylight casts amber colors across the land. The wild weeds brighten the earth. We have a dry land right now in Kentucky, but the rains will come as we move into winter.

FIRSTS

2010-10-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

First horse sold. First horse shown. First PLACE! Congratulations to Brandi and Dual Dee aka Pepolena Playboy! These two are going all the way!

2010-09-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Stopping to smell the roses or view the horses...all in a day's work!
Hope you enjoy the view!

Dreams for Real

2010-08-01T16:22:00.001-07:00

Now begins the story of a girl and her horse. This 2 year old gelding is one of the best I have bred and I see great potential in him. I have held onto him and not marketed him because I wanted to direct his life, then last week I received a "breathless" email from Brandi, a young mother in NC. She asked if I might consider a trade with her for her 6 yr old gelding and that "Dual Dee is the horse I have been looking for for years". So I said I would consider it and then her floodgates opened. She showed me with her streams of words that painted pictures for me of her heart and dreams and the "little chili pepper red lena" horse that figured so prominently and now he was at her fingertips. We made the deal. That's how dreams are realized. She tells me she's a show off so look for her and Andy as they take their road together.

Pet Me

2010-06-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Pet Me.This is Chester one hard year old. This is his favorite position, he learned it when he was an hour old and his dam was snappy to him so he found he could stay out of trouble if he stuck his head in and stayed in the corner. Poor Chester. He is a hard boy to unstick. After the two of them made some peace she took him to the pasture where he could have some buddies but she bared her teeth at all of them and he didn't dare move from her side. We're giving him courage little by little. Pet Me...

Spring Morning

2010-05-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Fresh May morning, looking out the bedroom window to see what I could see. Sometimes there are geese honking by the pond, or deer sidle over for a drink and gambol off in a sudden flurry, but this morning it was my little herd of horses, waiting patiently for their morning grain.

Winter Snow

2010-01-30T08:13:00.001-08:00

The snow storm blew in last night and filled all the cracks and crevices in my barn. Drifts made it under the door and in one spot a veritable cone of snow 3 feet high stood along one wall!
When I let the horses out in the morning they shied away from the door...'what is all that bright white stuff?' they seemed to be saying. A two year old led the way and soon the herd of 7 trotted around, heads down and investigating.
The snow is dry and light and drifts to 2 feet in some spots. I feel for the folks in the midwest. Last year we had the ice storm which left us without power for 10 days. The sun is trying to break through now and sparkling the snow.

Night Lightening

2010-01-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

I could see the lightning streaking to the ground across the ridges and the thunder rumbled so deep it vibrated the barn.

Jesse was still outside and when I made the mad dash through the pelting rain, she nickered and ran to me. I haltered her in a rather hurried and rude way, but she was ready and so was I!

We trotted back to the barn and I tucked her in for the night. Nothing like a storm coming in to hurry the old bones along!

...and puppies, too

2010-01-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

These little guys are a day old and belong to my neighbor's dog. I fretted so much about whelping with a 6 degree temperature reading I moved everyone inside my barn room to the shower stall. My neighbor has 6-10 dogs and never neuters anyone!
There is no energy to think when the weather is this cold! All I can do is work on taking care of extra equine needs due to the freezing temperatures!
I can't imagine ranching in the upper midwest and readily understand those who move to Arizona or Florida! Everyone HANG ON! (that's me talking to myself!)

Mud City

2009-12-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

Once a year I tumble
Leading or feeding my mission
Boot sucking mud
Stops my stride
Landing me flat on my side

My horses never falter
My task gets finished
But I walk a bit faster
Moaning demeaned

Seems the layers of mud
Proclaim their victory
Humbled, Humility
Score one for the earth

Spicy Etta

2009-10-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

It is always a delight to walk up to my home in the barn because of my travel through the pasture where some of my horses live.

Right now there is the Spicy Etta, the youngest of my weanlings at three months. She is short and stout, quick to rear or whirl and kick out as she keeps the bigger, bruising boys from pushing her around. Ever confident, she oftentimes sidles up to a horse four times her size to nuzzle his withers and invites a vigorous nuzzle in return. Even in her youngest hours she would walk straight and strong, ears and eyes focused forward, the instinct of fleeing with fear far away in a distant past.

If I am not mindful I could take it for granted and her confidence would not be shared with me.

Little Things Mean A Lot (or Quit while you're ahead)

2009-09-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have my three weanlings stalled in the barn and last night beforeIi went to bed (in the barn!), I picked up a halter and "played" with all of them.

On the last colt, Emmett ~the Bert bred colt~ I was delighted but surprised when he tucked and reached his nose into the halter that I held out for him.

I haven't fooled much with this group of colts, and last week this same fella had slipped over to another pasture in search of his dam. It took me quite awhile to bring him out of there: he was singularly focused on his dam. Eventually (and without a big Rodeo) my persistent consistence finally reached his brain and then it was only a few minutes before we moved together from the pasture.

So last night I didn't know what to expect (probably a good state of mind for all of life!) but when I lifted my lead hand up while I stood by his side, Emmett brought his head around to me with grace and full face, his soft eyes questioning me. I raised my other hand toward his hip and with a deep reach under himself, this little weanling slide around with elegance and smoothness.

When these little things are so beautiful, the immense significance overwhelms me and I think to myself- "Omigosh, get out of here before you ruin it!"

Sunset

2009-09-20T14:37:00.001-07:00

There are times when only a picture will do

Weaning Time at Fairfax Farm

2009-09-14T15:26:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again, the kids are on their own.
This is a confident groups of colts, they can see and sidle up to their dams but can't suckle. They have the run of the place and last evening they were all catching a breeze in the aisle-way of the barn, their little heads sticking out watching their dams. Except for one mare who has histrionics, the farm is pretty peaceful. Most of the time this is the shot I see (and a comforting shot it is...).

2009-09-09T15:52:00.001-07:00

I live in the barn. Literally. I have a small room with a bath inside the barn, right next to a double stall, which, of course, has a window in it so I can look at whichever horse is in there. And, just in case that is not enough viewing, I have installed video monitors in all the stalls so I can watch at a moment's notice.

This set up is, in fact, for my mares when they foal. I can view them surreptitiously without disturbing them (who wants to be peered at when in labor?).

More on that later, but right now, I 'll give you a taste of the daily quench...

This morning it was still dark out when I carried my (HUGE) bucket of feed out to the back pasture and called up the horses. There are 14 in this pasture, ranging from 5 months to 28 years. In the gray light the herd appeared on the horizon, my ears were filled with the thunder of their hooves as they galloped toward me. There were a few stragglers stretching toward the rear of the herd, and the sound of their hooves became louder and distinct as they bore down on me.

I felt a catch in my throat as I stood immobile and let this moment envelope me. What a life!