Now we look like a little farm!

The shed has been moved and attached to the floor. Actually does look much better. Now if it ever stops raining I can get my hay in. Thanks Mike, Ike and friend for moving this for me!

Aww look at that beautiful Appy butt! Folks always know where the boys are with those distinct butts. Paha will hopefully be home today, again, if the rain slows or stops. It was just a light sprinkle earlier when I went out to feed and figured on a short ride but now it is coming down heavier and Meins does not like to be saddled when his back is still wet (sissy!). OK, momma does not feel like getting wet either.

My hubby will be back from Germany on Friday!!!!!!! Yeah! He has been gone 6 long weeks on business, but he did get to visit his family while he was there. I am not a good traveler and more than an hour in a car (it would be 8 on a plane), my body (the Fibromyalgia) just cannot handle it. The spasms are horrible and I would be miserable and just make everyone around me miserable and uncomfortable. I am a bitch when I'm in pain.

My hubby and daughter understand now and know when something is up. I tend to get very quiet and want to keep to myself. I just get irritated (I really try not to I know they just want to help) when people keep asking me questions and overdo it trying to help. The animals always seem to know when I'm not myself either. I swear they attach themselves to me and hang on every grunt, groan and sigh. At times I really believe Meins knows when I am in great pain. He will be the perfect gentleman, and clown. All this wet weather has wreaked havoc on me this Spring and Summer but I always manage to get through it. So once my man is home and my horse is home I can relax a bit and enjoy their company and presence.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

To Juli Thorson I was so sorry to hear about Miss Rose. My heart goes out to you, Ed and the rest of your herd.

Paha's eyesight

We already suspect Moonblindness in Paha, something I need to go and do additional research on. My trainer says he tends to trip. At first it was thought that his feet were the culprit but it continues after his trim. My trainer has noticed that it seems to take him longer to adjust his eyesight either coming into a dark barn from bright sunlight or rapid eye blinking when going into bright sunlight from the barn. He also seems to be able to see at a distance but not close up. He'll walk into a wall, stumble out of his stall or even knock into you as if he isn't paying attention. He can be calm as a cucumber then suddenly react to something that moves nearby. Am I worried, yes, a little. My vet saw no cateracts or "shadows" when I had him out a month ago and had told him about the stumbling, eye blinking and shying.

He is coming home Tues. and will have the vet come out again to recheck him in a couple weeks just to make sure it isn't something more serious. My worst fear is having to have him surgically blinded. I know I'm jumping the gun on that one. I'll deal with that should the time come. Right now I can only hope for the best and just take care of him the best way we can. Oh, not to worry, we would never get rid of him if he was totally blind. There are others who have and ride blind horses. But he is only 2 so for now, we have time to keep things positive.

????????????

Did you ever take on a project with the best intentions and ask yourself later on "What was I thinking?"

Since it has become impossible for my hay guy to get in my backyard, I had decided some time ago to move the hay shed up near the garage. So step one, move the pasture/gate entrance. Not all that hard, a friend came with his tractor and dug the post holes, I put in the 4x6 posts, my farrier helped with the gate. Step 2, gravel to make a fairly solid driveway to the shed area. Gravel was also used to repair the driveway where hard rains washed it away and around the new fire pit so we can sit without chairs sinking into the ground, and as a base for the new shed floor.

So now we are at step 3, the new shed floor. What was I thinking????? I have no idea other than I should just go ahead and build my own barn! Do you know how much a 2"x12"x12' weighs? Neither do I but it is heavy and because I was getting tired and instead of quitting for the day, I kept going and dropped it and it slid down the back of my right calf. Not a pretty sight! So between drilling pilot holes for the screws and then turning the screws with a ratchet, my arms, hands, shoulder and neck are trashed. Thank God for Motrin! But the platform/floor looks great and will be a much better base than the plywood I originally used. So step 4 involves moving the shed itself. Guess what? Someone else is going to do that! And that is the easiest part of my simple project to move the hay shed so my hay guy does not have to stack it in the garage then we move it to the shed. WHEW!

I think Meins has been quite amused with all the goings on lately. Today I spent a good chunk of the morning with him in the round pen. Grooming, scratching, rubbing, rolling in the sand (thankfully no one saw me doing that!) and just hanging out.

Later in the day I went up to see Paha and just tell him how sorry I am that it may seem he is being ignored by his momma. I explained to him what has been going on and it is for them and to make things a bit easier for everyone involved as far as their care goes. Darned if he seemed to understand by resting his head on my chest and closing his eyes and letting out a big sigh.

Ahh to be loved by a horse.

Rain, rain go away..........

This has to be one of the rainiest Springs I can remember! Meins has a run-in but the entire area was flooded as you can see by Sammy standing on the hay tire behind the run-in. I doubt very much he would have gone in there anyway. I just worry about his feet being wet all the time. I did get my load of gravel and have been putting it around water tank, hay area, gate, but because of all the rain it was like shoveling soup.

We have a creek/drain that runs thru the back part of our property and it had overflowed Wednesday to the point it looked like we had riverfront property. And 3/4 of a mile from here one of the culverts that runs along the freeway gave away and flooded our main road to town causing it to be shut down. Considering the heavier than usual traffic on our road it is still closed.

My friend Katie was to ride over this morning and we were going to venture the neighborhood on horseback but of course it's raining and as much as I would like to ride I am so done being wet, muddy and cold. I'm sure she is too but she is much younger than me and probably doesn't even bother her yet. Ah to be in my 20's again, NOT!

In awhile I'll go out and bring Meins in the garage and wipe him down and give him a good once over. Who knows, maybe the rain will be gone by then and we can still go out...........

Paha's turn!

Today was Paha's turn to be on display for day camp to some special young girls. They had all read the Heartland series of books in their class and as a special treat spent the day with Ann-Marie and a variety of horses. They each took turns learning how to get a horse to work in the round pen and the simple joy of "join-up". Paha did have other plans when he first stepped into the round pen but quickly learned that these ladies meant business!

Then as the girls ate lunch, which they had invited yours truly, Ann-Marie came out with her newly purchased horse, Indigo, to show the girls different gaits and how she rides. Afterwards, they had a grooming session and then took turns riding some of the other horses in the arena.

They all had a really great day!

Two of Ann-Marie's riding students, McKayla, and McKenna, informed me they entered the Museum raffle as did another Appy owner who happened to stop by. So the girls have dubbed me "Lucky" and each got a hug from me in the hopes that they win. GOOD LUCK GIRLS!

OH yeah it's working!

You ever have one of those days where you really wonder what happened to your brain? For the past 2 weeks after we got the new fence sections up, I just never seemed to be able to get a charge across the field. I was laying in bed at night listening to the sounds in the pasture. I did not want an escapee.

Well Murphy's Law definately came into play here today. You know, when you think it is, it isn't and when you think it isn't, oh man, it is!

I went to the far side of the pasture to continue cleaning up vines and dead branches and putting them in a pile to burn. Anna had followed me on the outside of the pasture fence, she is afraid of Meins, so believing there was no charge to that side of the pasture I grabbed the bottom wire to let her into the pasture and it felt like somebody kicked my hand. So what was I thinking? haha, I wasn't! Think I won't touch that wire again anytime soon? HA, think again! At least I know it's working...........

I think Meins is liking that his momma seems a bit more relaxed and organized this time around. I do not feel anxious about riding him now. We even took a little jaunt in the rain and it really felt good. Next trim I am thinking of getting him boots to wear since our roads are gravel. It's those large, sharp gravel bits and I want to start building up to longer rides and trotting more. Not nursing stone bruises because I could not wait. Right now the far right side of the road is just dirt but it won' t stay that way for long and have already come across broken glass. That is a nightmare I do not want to even imagine!

Meins goes to school!

Meins and I had the opportunity to go along with Ann-Marie to a school for Career Day. Meins, along with pasture mate, Hunter, myself and Hunter's owner, Mike, went to Yale Elementary school in Yale, Michigan yesterday. I arrived at her farm at 7Am to get Meins ready, it rained all day Monday, so we could be on the road by 8. It takes about an hour to get to Yale, so by 9 we were pulling into the parking lot and one of the teachers came out to let us know how many classrooms were participating and the kids came out in 20 to 30 minute interals. The first group out were in Kindergarden and first grade and their questions to Ann-Marie about her career choice as a horse trainer and about the horses themselves left me quite impressed!

Meins proved to be very entertaining to the kids, especially the boys, as he just HAD to pee and poop for the masses, antagonize Hunter by constantly backing into him and just being a "little" bit bad for Ann-Marie but then she was able to show the kids what training was all about. I think Meins staged the whole thing because he usually will just go to sleep and ignore what's going on.

By 11 we were done, loaded up the horses, cleaned up the parking lot and we were on our way home. Literally! We dropped Hunter off first at his home and then brought Meins home here at our place. Then I went back to the farm to pick up the rest of my stuff and my truck.

Yesterday was also farrier day for the boys so I met Darrin and his wife Carrie at the farm and he did Paha's feet. Paha was so relaxed that he went down in front while Darrin was doing his front left hoof! Darrin looked as if he lowered him down then Paha kind of jumped up like "What happened?" By the time we got back here to do Meins he was a bit cranky and really did not want to cooperate. But Darrin and his wife make a really great team and understood that he'd had a long day and was hungry and just plain tired. These are the kind of folks I want working with my horses. They are totally horse knowledgeable and recognized that Meins was just not having it today. There was no fussing, yelling, yanking just lots of scratches, rubs and love.

Thank you to all for one of the most enjoyable, yet exhausting, days with my boys.

getting the feel

Had a really nice ride on Meins today. This morning he seemed a little frisky so I took him in the round pen after saddling up and I am so glad I did! He turned into a whirlwind buckaroo! He hasn't done that lately and settled down right away. Last year I would have changed my mind about riding but I am trying to trust him to trust me and then we seem to be on the right page.

Once mounted, he picked up the quicker walk right away. I did not have to keep asking him to get going and our circles are more smooth and, well, round! He stops so much better, and backing up is not a fight. He'll just do it and is straight. And a turn right or left is so much better to.

So is it me? Did I finally get it? Is it the curb bit? Did Ann-Marie finally sink into my head? I don't know what it is but I am really enjoying riding my horse again.

I had a really great lesson with Meins today! It was time to change bits from a snaffle to a grazing bit and had been able to find one with the western star on the shanks. He was really relaxed and so was I. Our turns, halt and back was so much smoother than the jerky movements of previous rides. I am also getting a better leg/ rein cue that he responds better to.

Maybe it's just my imagination, but Meins seemed happy today. Could be he is having way too much fun torturing his brother Paha that he just seemed satisfied. He is my "Happy Appy"

Sammy found a turtle this morning and was trying to play with it like a chew toy. I ruined his fun when I scooped up the small Painted turtle and put it by the pond. He looked so proud to find the turtle and would not let the other two dogs near it.

Gettin' out the bad stuff!

Finally got up the gumption to tear apart, clean out and refresh a small garden up front. I kept putting it off (4 years!) because I did not want to deal with it. I believe in a way that was my attitude toward Meins over the last year after my last fall. I didn't want to deal with what I did wrong to cause me to fall. All that was injured that day was my ego. But it hurt badly.

Despite my accident 30 + yrs ago, giving up horses was not an option and now that I have two I had to remind myself that they are not here just because. This is my second chance to be a "horse person". So I had to dig deep down, tear apart my fears, clean out my inhibitions and refresh my desire to be a participant and ride my own horse instead of watching someone else ride him. It's not been an easy thing to do.

Whenever Meins would suck back I now believe he was responding to my trepidations. We were going sideways and backwards in our training. My fear overtook any pleasure I had riding until I no longer looked forward to it. In a way this past year of not riding gave me the time I needed to really look at what it was I wanted out of our horse-human partnership. That fear is still there. It will never go away. But as long as I can see where I'm headed and not worry about what's behind I'll keep my "forward motion"!

Now when I look at how nice my garden turned out I know my efforts to get the results wanted were well worth it. I think Meins and Paha are benefiting from a more confident mama.