Sunday, May 30, 2010
My "Stone" Horse................
I'm posting a picture or two of my "Stone" horse..... Honestly, she looks as if she's cut out of granite sometimes, especially when she stands still and holds her head just so. It makes me think of some museum sculpture. Maybe its just my artistic leanings .....but, see for yourself......
Friday, May 28, 2010
Horses "SPOOK" at the Oddest Things!!!
Have you ever been riding your trusted steed.... and suddenly, said steed, shudders, possibly whirls...or jumps up and sideways... and there you are, hanging in midair...... if it took you by surprise and your reflexes were not quick enough.... and, then... you may see... just what startled your horse? Sometimes... it may be something truly serious, like say... a bear or mountain lion.. in which case, you don't blame your steed. However, it may be a windmill over a tank of water in the distance, or a flapping piece of paper or plastic, or, maybe a llamah? Yes, they are weird looking to most horses. Maybe they think that its some deformed horse..and it frightens them into thinking they could also wind up looking like that, if they get too close! Who knows? Comanche' was in the round pen one day, with Ori, her trainer on-board, and she spotted the neighbors llamahs in the pasture next door. She usually doesn't spook at anything...but she stopped and didn't want to pass close to that side of the round pen. Ori made her go by, and kept turning her back towards it over and over, until she finally figured out that it was more uncomfortable for her to oppose Ori, than to just go ahead and get over the fear of the llamahs. Now, she can be out there, in the round pen with me, and doesn't pay any attention to them. Which is good for ME!! On the other hand, I'm a little scared those things will spit on me..... so now, I"M "spooked"!!! .......LOL..... Have a great day, Y'all!!!!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Chips, Cracks and Things that Go Bang in the Night!!!
Ok..... so I'm taking some literary license here, with the title of this post.... However, if you look at the previous picture... you will see a "Crack". Our ground here is mostly a fine sand, or pulverized rock, and its very drying to the hoof wall, and frog of the horse's foot. Now, I've been told that a good thing to use is spray on "PAM"... the cooking oil. Makes sense to me... but, I've been a negligent horse mom and haven't put anything on Comanche', as I can just imagine that sand crusting to her hoof and looking like a big Mac stuck to the end of her ankles. Not an appealing sight. But, I can see it working, as long as your horse doesn't mind the hissing sound that accompanies the spraying of the PAM. I do know it works in snow to keep the ice and snow from packing into your horse's foot. So, its a good tip to remember. I kind of think almost any oil would work, but I figure that olive oil would be the best to use. It works for human nails to keep them nice, so why not horses hooves?... At any rate, the farrier was able to eradicate most of this chip from Comanche' with her trim she gets about every 6 weeks. She's got pretty tough feet and seldom has any chips or cracks. OH---- and the things that go bang in the night?..... I try not to be around for those.... LOL..... as we say in the South...." I'm a bit Skeert!.... I go home before dark thirty.... Nighty night!!!
My New Saddle Feels Pretty Good!
I got Comanche's new Circle Y saddle on her the other evening, and rode her around the arena. I had a nylon roping rein that I'd gotten because I liked the colors of the woven threads and I like having only one rein to hold. Split reins tend to separate with me...and I almost always drop one, leading to real problems for me to get the lost rein back in my posession....( did I forget to tell you that I am almost 59, come October...and can't manuver around like I did when I was 15?) In fact, I have to get up on Comanche' with a mounting block since I have ruined my knees over the years, picking up patients that were WAY too heavy) .... At any rate, I hate to tie split reins together in a big knot.... so, I like roping reins, even though Ori, the trainer who has worked with Comanche', says they are dangerous. I'm sure they can be, if you catch your foot in the loop. However..... my reins are a little too short, for my taste. So, now, I'm going to look for myself a set of black split reins to match my headstall I use on Comanche'. I want some that are soft and pliable though.... Other than use, which I'm sure will make them so, how does anyone else make their reins softer and more flexible, when they first obtain them? Can you use saddle soap or a little Neet's foot oil? Let me know, will you?
Monday, May 24, 2010
Fire in the Bosque!!!!
Last night, we had a fire in the "Bosque", which, is the woods surrounding the Rio Grande River... Its not very far from the stables where Comanche' lives. In fact, after I found out that a fire was in the area, and that the local fire department was recommending that folks with livestock, should evacuate their animals, since we had high winds, that was increasing the danger and the spread of the flames... I was heading out from my house and hurrying down to the barn to see what the plan would be for getting the horses to safety. Thank goodness for horse people!!!... Within minutes of my arrival, several pick up trucks arrived, with knowledgeable horse owners from the other end of Corrales, volunteering to help, should we need to load or lead, the horses from the barn. Smoke was drifting to us, but due to the high winds, it wasn't too hard to breathe, although some of the horses seemed nervous, and kept trying to say..."Hey!.. there's a fire somewhere, people!" Comanche' was pretty calm, in her corral. I gave her some peppermints, so she'd think, "oh, all I smell is peppermint".. and, we all (the people) stood around and decided to stay where we were, for the moment. Some trips were made to check out the fire, by the stable's owner, on his ATV, so he could get past the police lines and we figured that the wind was mostly heading North, and not spreading West towards us, although the fire was about less than a half mile away. It was very obvious that the dry sagebrush and the cottonwood trees along the drainage canals, were in flames, as you could smell the sagebrush. Several of the homes along Corrales Road had flames up into their yards. Last night, it wasn't known if there was any homes lost. Hopefully, not, and hopefully, the fire has been completely contained this morning. I'm sure they will have to watch for latent embers, and the wind is still very strong this morning. But, as of last night, our horses stayed in their familiar stalls, and corrals. But, it was really good that we know there is help available, even without the asking, should we ever require it. Nice to know folks like that!!!... Thanks a lot, Y'all!!!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Comanche' loves her Food...and the Barn Guy.....
Hey... my babygirl is into her food...and, she waits for the first glimpse of that little John Deere minitractor that brings her hay to her every morning and evening. If she could figure out how to get over the pipe fence of her corral, she'd have met up with her Barn Guy at the gate. From the pic below, you can see how she's directing him to throw the hay into her black feeder trough. It never stays there but a moment or two, before she tosses it out onto the ground, but, she does have some sense of decorum and manners. So, into her "plate" it goes.....even if it does wind up on the ground. I just laughed while I watched this little ritual she has with Mike, the Barn Guy. He came to the Barn with just a little experience with horses, but ... he's gotten kind of fond of my girl. He says she really listens to him, and seems to follow his directions better than the other horses. He thinks she's very smart. She certainly knows what side of the bread her butter is on... LOL.... Enjoy the pics!!!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sometimes I Sits and Thinks...and Sometimes.... I just sits.......
Ever had those days when all you want to do, is just sit still.. and not DO anything? Well... I have those sometimes....and one of the things I tend to do, on those days, is just sit and watch the horses. Its relaxing, and lets you just breathe.... as Faith Hill would say..... I did that the other evening.. and had a nice time, all by myself, keeping an eye on all the mares...including my own babygirl, Comanche'. She decided to come visit me, after she'd eaten all her hay for the evening. Guess she was hoping for more carrots....LOL....
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Friend Flicka................................
Well..... there's a new female in the stable..... her name is "Flicka".... she's a small black mare with a white star on her forehead. She's kind of getting the worst of things, at the moment, as she's in a corral next to Reggie, the paint gelding, and Comanche'... Reggie has a tendency to like to tussle with his neighbors... (that's NEIGH...bors)..... and, Comanche' thinks she's supposed to tell everybody what to do, and that she's the Empress of this territory. So, poor Flicka has some spots on her behind that came from getting a little too close to the fence on either side of her. She holds her own, though... she must like Reggie's attentions...as she tends to stay close to his side, and not Comanche's. Comanche' has a bit of a situation, in that she wants to rush the fence and show Flicka , that SHE is the boss in this neck of the woods. So, I'm sure that her blood pressure is up from the stress...LOL.... if she'd JUST STOP ... wanting to be the Boss Mare... she and I would BOTH be better off!!.... But, here are some pics of the newbie...... and of Comanche's reaction to her new corral neighbor.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Curtain Call Plans an Escape.....
Poor Curtain Call........... She wanted to get out of the pasture and be with me and Comanche'... She studied the chain that fastens the gate, but couldn't figure out just how it works. So, she stood steadfast at the gate, watching me in the round pen, with her buddy, Comanche'. She figures that Comanche' gets carrots and apples and peppermints that nobody brings to the other horses....so, she sticks close when I arrive. She gets a treat that way, too.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Just doing a little Dusting.....
I thought... maybe y'all would like to see just how spoiled my babygirl, Comanche' is...... She's really into getting groomed. These pics show just how much she apparently believes herself to be entitled to... The bright pink is a sort of duster that I picked up at the Dollar store a while back. Its soft nylon fiber...and she loves it... LOL... just look at the expression on her face. And, how she tilts her head so you can reach the good spots.... I don't think any of the other horses at the stable would be so enraptured of having this done to them.... but, then.... Comanche' is a Diva, after all!!!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Do Horses Get Bored???
You know, I do think that horses tend to get bored, especially if they have nothing to graze upon.... Here, in New Mexico, its difficult, if not impossible to find pasture. We tend to have dirt in our "corrals and pastures"... making for some bored horses, that just stand around, for the most part. Occasionally, they do seem to go a little crazy, and have horse races from one end of the pasture to the other. At this time, generally the whole group indulges in a little wild horse behavior. Its a wonder as to whether they decide to do this running around, as a group, or does one totally bored, but enterprising animal think "Let's stir things up a little here!!!" and once someone is moving and off to the "races" as it were, everyone else gets into the spirit? I love watching when they finally have the "crazies".... its just too cool!!! And, they seem to be having a great time!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
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