Sand and Surf

Let me preface this post by saying I'm officially fired as the family photographer.

However!

I still took some great pictures of our beach adventure today. So there.

It all started with Lena rather calmly tied to the trailer while Steve attempted to catch Doc. For an old guy - Doc, not Steve - he moves pretty fast when he wants to. Finally, using carrots and some sibling rivalry between Doc and Taffy, we captured him.

We actually decided to load Doc first, to see if that would make Lena easier to load. It sort of worked. We only had to wave the stud chain at her instead of using it. Doc was in and that was good, but the space to maneuver was now smaller than she was used to. She did get in, though, and we were off - with me driving to get my hauling practice. Steve is pretty good for a back-seat driver, but it's still a new experience for me and takes some getting used to.

Doc is older and a much more experienced trail horse, but Lena watches over him, too. We let her go first, dealing with scary yellow-flower bushes and rust-colored ice plant, all the way to the beach.



Here is the scary yellow-flower bush:



We got to the beach and things were okay, though both horses seemed a bit concerned with the large and energetic body of water they could see.

We took off their bridles and tied them up to have some lunch - sandwiches in the sand - and gave appropriate carrot rewards. Lena pawed in the sand, then she and Doc inspected the hole she had made.



Then Lena decided to go over the log she was tied to, get her lead rope tangled around her front leg and get a little freaked out. In the moments that followed, half my ham sandwich - rather than the camera - ended up in the sand, but Lena listened and there was no major mishap. Phew.



After I let Steve eat his sandwich, he took Doc and Lena - not Doc O'Lena, to whom they are both related - down to the water while I finished the rest of my non-sandy sandwich.

They were less nervous and more curious being led than they were with us riding, but the ocean being big and powerful, there was some amount of trepidation on the part of our equine buddies. Here they are inspecting the rather circuitous route they took to the water's edge.



And here is Steve managing to stay out of the way of eight horse feet - a feat which takes a lot of talent most days.



All in all, a great day. Good exercise for the horses and for us and a beautiful day all around. Except for trying to get Doc's fly mask on after taking off his halter. Didn't happen, sorry Carey! Next time: fly mask, then halter removal!

Horse thoughts from Portland

So I join you this evening from lovely Portland, OR, where I will be working the O'Reilly booth at our Rails Conference for the next two days.

It's was beautiful here today and on the way from the airport I saw some really cool horse statues made of driftwood - kind of like this one.

Yes, I am so horse crazy that not only do I notice driftwood statues, but I see horse trailers at every turn. Though not in downtown Portland, at least so far.

I am ready to tune out, now, after dutifully getting our booth set up - even managing to not fall off the table - and going through my email. No fires, phew.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have enough energy to talk about making sure your horse's gate is really latched. Of course, that would require confessing the truly deep nature of my ditziness, but if I can accurately portray in words the look of mischievous triumph on Lena's face, it may be worth it.

I also want to write about getting to watch Fenway get a really great massage from my friend Karen, really cool to watch. I was so busy watching, though, that I didn't think once to take pictures of it. I know... I'm fired.

And then there was Doc trying to tell us we are not done with our trail ride until we get to the top. We should have listened to him, says Phil, Doc knows what he's doing. Phil, Carey, Doc and Taffy are off on a 3-day overnight trip up north and I can't wait to hear how that went for them.

Quiet hotel rooms are great places to remember the things you keep forgetting to write about.

Trail ride

I finally got to experience the Doc and Lena show last weekend, and I have to say she's a much calmer horse when she has a buddy. And Doc is a great trail horse, as well as a nice calming influence on the dancing spotty horse.

Yes, I know. They are herd animals, of course she's better with a friend, but I don't think either of us realized how much better she would be.

We took them up to Armstrong Woods and on a pretty challenging trail. Doc chugs along like a compact little tractor and Lena was just happy not to be crossing drainage pipes by herself.

Sometimes she would go in front and sometimes Doc would - it depended on how unfamiliar something looked to her.

We got down to the picnic area and had a snack, and Doc got a massage. Lena was too busy sniffing and looking around, though she did let me work on her a little and stood mostly patiently while we ate. Mostly.



One of the really interesting side-effects was how many people came up to us and asked about the horses, asked if they were ours and wanted to know about them. One woman - after checking with us and watching Lena for a minute - picked up Lena's front foot to show her young son how big and heavy those feet can be. Lena was cooperative and calm, even though she and Doc were both anxious to get on the trail.

Back to Things Horses Have Taught Me

So I was reading back into the archives and came across this post, which is just as true now as it was when I wrote it.

I am small!

I got stepped on again today and we had more blanket trauma, too. Mornings like this always serve as reminders - rather painful on occasion - of all the things I learn and forget on a daily basis when working with Lena.

Maybe someday I'll remember in time to watch her feet instead of just her head.

Equine Massage and Accupressure Class

I just took the final last night, but Sunday really was the highlight of the whole class.

It was a lot of information crammed into three 3-hour classes and one all day session - especially since I missed one class to go work a tradeshow.

The morning started out with a discussion of other available resources if we want to delve deeper into either massage or accupressure. There is actually not a ton out there for horses, so Diana Thompson, the instructor, is actually working on a pretty comprehensive and horse-specific set of texts.

Then we actually got to meet and touch real horses. Now, I'm lucky enough that I have Miss Lena and had been practicing on her over the last few weeks. Actually longer, since my friend Karen MacDonald came out to give me some pointers a few months ago.

Now, Lena does respond, but nothing like the way some of these horses did. Of course, most of these horses don't dance in circles around you, either.

I actually fell in love with one of the horses I got to work on. He's a Boy Scout horse, though I don't know exactly what that means - except that he'll go away at the end of the summer, I guess. His name was Stone and he was a bay paint gelding with some seriously sore hip muscles.

What drew me to him was his energy - he actually reminded me of Lena because of the heads-up, alert attitude. The young woman who worked with the horses at the JC's farm didn't think he'd work out for the class because he was a little too antsy. Apparently he bucks, too, which when I felt his hips and back, made complete sense. I'd probably buck too if someone got on me when I was that sore.

I won't say he became putty in my hands, but he would calm down and respond to me even as he got truly bored at the end of the day. I could even get up close to his ears and use the pressure point on his forehead.

The highlight was when we did the circle-touch method on his tail. I went down the sides, then started down underneath on the skin. He shook his whole body then started with some jaw-splitting yawns. These are good signs, by the way. It was really cool.

Lena could take some lessons in relaxing from Stone, but maybe if I'm patient, I can get her there.

New trail riding buddy for Lena

Not sure if you all remember Phil and Doc from the day at the dentist, but Steve and Phil worked out a pretty cool agreement that might work fairly well for all of us.

Phil and Carey - Doc's owner - and Phil's horse Taffy needed a bigger trailer. We, as you know, would love to do more trail riding, but needed a second horse and aren't ready to buy another one just yet. Phil, Carey, Taffy, and Doc tend to ride during the week. We trail ride primarily on the weekends.

So far so good. Phil and Taffy took Steve and Doc out on Friday to introduce Steve to Doc and his trail gait. Then Katie and Steve took Lena and Doc out on Sunday to the same place to see how the two horses would do. Apparently it went great, though there are no pictures of either event. Katie, Steve - you're both fired.

Where was I during all this? Well, Friday I worked but did get out and ride Lena at lunch time. She had a distinctly baffled look when I got there and kept looking out of the arena at Steve's car, obviously wondering where he went with those "other" horses and why he left without her.

Sunday I had my all-day session for the equine massage and accupressure class so spent six hours massaging and touching other horses. No, I didn't take pictures of that, either. I know. I'm fired, too.

On the Road Again

I'm in Santa Clara, at the MySQL Conference, working our booth, helping to provide an O'Reilly presence at the show.

Actually, now I'm back in my room, nursing sore feet and and an aching knee, and really enjoying watching my screen-saver rotate through my pictures. I see images of Lena, shots of Katie and Steve and Adrienne, and even some of the Mustang (Wanda, if you forgot) and Gus (the truck, of course).

It makes me realize exactly what's precious and important to me, and that's pretty cool.

Dog-sitting

Our neighbor Chris has a really sweet yellow lab named Christy. She sometimes slips her electronic fence and comes to visit and today we're dog-sitting because Chris is in the City.

So far, Christy has worn both Adrienne and Katie out, learned how to play tug-of-war, tumbled down the stairs, and tried some steak.

She's a big bundle of energy and a lot of fun. All in all, a great dog to borrow.

Cool Dressage Video

I admit it, I have never really seen Dressage in action. I had seen still shots of Katie D. and Fenway working and heard the passion in her voice when she talked about the way Fenway could move, but mostly the skill and beauty of the sport eluded me.

I also admit to a certain amount of bias based on our earlier experiences at the Dressage-focused barn.

Then my daughter Katie sent me this video.

Wow.

This horse is not only graceful and athletic, she is having fun - as is her rider.

Katie D. is working really hard to get Fenway healthy and also thinking about another horse. I confess to not really understanding the competitive drive she felt, but watching this video, I start to see. I know the joy I feel when Lena and I manage to not only communicate with one another, but actually do something we both enjoy. I see now what Katie misses about riding Fenway, about competing, about working with that level of precision with your friend the horse.

I wish for Fenway to be healthy and happy, and I wish for Katie to find that joy in riding again.

I have a lot of joy riding Lena, though not much precision. :-) My daughter wants to know if Lena could learn some of those moves. I'm sure she could, I'm even sure she would enjoy learning them. I'm just not sure we're the ones to teach them to her - we'd need a lot more training ourselves, first!

Horse Body Work - Lessons

I started an equine massage and acupressure class this semester at the JC, taught by Diana Thompson a local celebrity in the horse community.

You know by now I'm a little obsessive about learning more about horses and being a horse owner, so this would be an obvious next step for me in my weird and wild horse education.

I really like the theories behind Eastern medicine, in particular the ideas behind Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Maintaining a balance in mind and spirit to optimize your health makes a lot of sense for humans, and as kooky as it may sound, for horses, too.

The first thing I am working on with Lena are the five calming points, for obvious reasons. I actually think they make a difference, though we're still getting her used to relaxing into that calmer space.

The flow of energy through the body, indeed through the universe, seems like an interesting way to look at a horse. And at my own body, which for all its comparative smallness, isn't that different.

Horse Lessons

I learned two things today: one, my horse notices me and my actions, and two, you can tell when a horse is proud of itself.

Okay, so the first one I re-learned with a twist today.

Katie was riding and Lena was acting up a little, not relaxing into the arena work and giving Katie a little trouble. I was standing up and taking pictures at first, then just watching, arms crossed over my chest, as Lena and Katie rode around the arena. Lena kept looking over at me, often while fighting Katie for the bit or doing some other Lena-dance.

So I sat down, leaned back, and stopped watching.

Lena's head went down and she started behaving better almost immediately. "Huh," I said, and stood up again. Up went the head, faster went the feet. "Huh," I said again, and sat down, this time for good, letting Katie finish her turn in the saddle without me watching, hovering, making suggestions on hand position, or even taking pictures.

Then I rode for a little while, concentrating on my position and soft hands, before we took her out on the road to the orchard and bike trail where we encountered lesson number two of the day.

We got through the orchard fine, though she really doesn't like the dogs barking at her, and went out the bike trail quite a ways. I had been out there before with her and gotten her across - leading, not riding - one bridge that isn't only loud for hooves to stomp on, but it vibrates for some reason. We got her across that bridge, then wandered down an unpaved section until we came to a much longer, though less vibrating, bridge. I led her here, too, with Katie encouraging her from the saddle, and we went about half-way across before we turned around to go back to the barn.

When we got off the bridge and Katie and I were lavishing praise on Lena, I looked up into those big brown eyes and darned if that horse didn't look proud of herself! She even relaxed a little more and settled into our trip back, much less nervous in the orchard and on the road and strutting along like she knew she'd done a great job. Which she did.

The Trailer has a name!

I forgot! Despite Katie's assertions that the trailer doesn't need a name, Steve named her. Cecelia.

Gus and Cecelia do a fine job of hauling the Spotty Horse.


And, yes, I get the Simon and Garfunkle song stuck in my head on a regular basis.

Easter Sunday Trail Ride

We took Lena out to the same place we went the first time - mainly because it's an easy enough walk for the person not riding, which was good for the gimpy one in the group.

She was not, however, as well behaved as she has been previously. There was much dancing and prancing and trying to turn around and go back the other way.

On our way out, we ran into Diana Thompson, the instructor of the Equine Massage and Accupressure class I'm taking this semester at the JC. She even did a little accupressure on the dancing horse, which did help somewhat, but it's hard for an only horse some days. And today, it was really hard. There were two other groups of two riders and horses each, and Lena seemed to think that perhaps she was missing out on something.

At one point we had to have a discussion about how scary a log is. She went over and sniffed it, it moved, she spooked. So I went over and wiggled the log for her benefit. As you can see, she was not necessarily impressed.


It was not the smoothest ride ever for either Steve or me - and Adrienne came along as the photographer and assistant hiker - but by the end, Lena did manage to calm down a little. A little.

More pictures from the beach

Just because she was so good and so cute!

This is Katie trying to convince her to get closer to the water:



And this is me attempting it:



My knee better not get in the way of our next adventure, that's all I have to say.

People injuries

The other day, Lena got my foot really good. It's still black and blue. Dancing with horses means you always have two left feet and it's best to stay out of their way because they have four.

Then this morning, I managed to sprain my knee in a most unglorious way - I slipped getting into the tub. My left foot slid, my right ankle caught the edge of the tub and what appears to have given is a ligament on the inside of my right knee.

So not only do I feel like a dork, it's not even a particularly good story!

It does hurt a lot, though, and of course my real concern is whether or not it will affect my riding. I don't have to mount with my right leg, so that's good. It only really hurts with lateral pressure, so if I don't move it side to side, I should be okay.

I'm not a particularly good patient in any case - ask Steve and Katie - but if this interferes with my Lena time, I am going to be one grumpy buckaroo.

Beach Ride

Katie, Steve and I took Lena to the beach today and it was a blast. I haven't had this good a workout in a long time and neither had Lena. On the way, we stopped in Duncan's Mills to go to the bathroom and as we got rolling again, we learned a valuable lesson: Make sure your windows are firmly latched. There was a crash and Katie saw Lena's big brown head come around the side of the trailer. She'd pushed her window open and would gladly have ridden down the road that way, but I relatched the window anyway. Mean, I know.

We almost decided to go to Armstrong Woods instead, but decided we really wanted to see how she would react to the beach.

Practically the first thing she did was charge up a steep sandy hill and then stand up at the top waiting impatiently for the two legged folk to make it up behind her.

Here are Lena and Katie watching us from the top.



Here's the hill, looking down from the top, where I was standing using taking a picture as an excuse to catch my breath. It's a good thing Steve and I are in such good shape or it would have been a tough day at the beach for us since Katie did most of the riding.



Lena was actually pretty anxious to see what was at the end of the twisty, almost tunnel-like trails through the dunes, though on the way out she kept turning around to make sure Steve and I were following along.

Then she saw the waves and heard the surf and almost turned around and went back to the trailer right then and there.

Katie let her run in the sand, trying here and there to get her closer to the surf-line. There was much snorting and only minor concessions from the spotty horse.



Then I got on for a little bit and we played dodge the driftwood before I actually got her within 5 feet of the water. For a second, anyway.



There were a couple groups of trail riders and Lena got a little anxious after the first group came down and then went back up into the dunes. Mostly she was okay by herself - good that she's so self-confident - but she thought maybe those horses knew something she didn't. Like where the buffet was.

Katie got back on and rode her back, wandering off on her own for a bit until she circled back and found us.

Lena got to roll in the sand, even, which she thought was divine.

Getting her back in the trailer presented a bit of a challenge, but both Katie and I loaded her one time each while Steve chuckled at Lena's new game.



All in all, a very good day and another chance to experience what a good horse we have.

First trip

We took Miss Lena out today, just Steve and I, and we all managed to survive.

Actually, we all did really well.

Lena was a little skeptical to start out with, though she loaded great. I suspect the hay bag full of alfalfa helped a little.


She kicked or pawed - not sure which - for about the first 15 minutes of the drive over to the park, but settled down after a bit. It's hard to be an only horse, after all, but something she has to get used to for now. Steve commented that you can certainly feel 1,100 pounds of horse moving around behind you while you're driving.

Once we got there, she was curious and a little apprehensive, but handled things really well. Steve walked her around a little after he unloaded her to let her get a feel for the surroundings and get her bearings.


Then we tied her to the trailer to groom and saddle her, giving her a carrot or two for managing to behave so far in our journey.


We looped around a lake, with me on foot first, then trading off with Steve on the way back. It was a good way to do things, though we may try adding a bike in next so the person not on horseback doesn't have to jog to keep up with the long-legged spotty horse.

She handled a stream crossing - okay, not a big one, but still - dogs, other people, fishing poles, steep, narrow and slippery trails, scary logs, and black fabric waving in the wind with only minor snorting. She particularly loved the short walk through the redwood trees and trotting on a nice wide open trail. Oh, and the nibbles of grass she was allowed to grab on the way. Sometimes she wanted me to go first down a section of trail that looked a little dubious. Sometimes I would and sometimes - particularly if it was too narrow - we made her go ahead lest she decide to run over my small self. She thought the porta-potties were the single weirdest things of the day, especially when we each went in one!

She only had one minor spook - very short sideways jump - right after Steve saw something that he thought would make her spook and commented that she didn't jump sideways and toss me on my butt. Then she skipped sideways, but didn't toss me on my butt. Always better that way.


I think Steve and I were both a little apprehensive about taking her out alone, but she did great and so did we. She's pretty confident, which helps, and I think she trusts us, which also helps.

I will say that loading her back in the trailer to go home after our fun adventure was not quite so smooth. It took three tries instead of one, but she did get in and wait (mostly) patiently while Steve and I had some snacks before we pulled out for home.

Another positive thing from the whole adventure is how well Gus (the truck) handles his towing duties, and how well the trailer we found is suited to us and what we need to do. There is something very cool about driving a truck that's hauling your friend the horse and getting where you're going in good shape.

Good day all in all.

Lena's trailer

My darling daughter was threatening to fire me as the family photographer because I missed several key photo opportunities of Lena interacting with her new trailer. I didn't even have the camera in hand when she loaded perfectly and then stuck her big long neck out the window. Or when she stuck her nose between the slats while Steve was saddling her at the trailer the next day. I admit to some failure on my part.

Luckily for my family photographer career, I did get some cute ones yesterday.



Lena likes to rub her funny lips on the sandpaper on the fenders.



I actually think Lena knows this is her trailer and is just waiting for us to get on the road. We'll make that attempt this weekend, a short ride to a local park to get started.

Okay, Katie - do I still have a job?

Trailer news

Look, Ma, it followed us home!



We've made the next step in our horse career - our next step anyway - and are now the proud owners of a 1996 Trails West 2-horse slant load trailer. I haven't named it yet. Katie says is doesn't have a personality so doesn't need a name, but I'm not sure I agree with that.

Mostly in good shape, with some minor repair work needed. It's got a big tack room, too, with lots of storage. More pictures to follow, plus commentary about Lena's introduction to the trailer and how our learning process is going.

Lesson one, hard to park in the dark.

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue News and Events

More internet cruising led me to Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue News and Events. They are doing some cool things and have some really cute horses up for adoption, plus some great clinics. I haven't decided if it's safe for me to go down there, I might come home with an extra friend or two.

Blanket Lessons

I scared Lena and myself the other morning, then had to spend half an hour (at least) doing horse therapy.

I had unbuckled the rainsheet to adjust the cotton blanket underneath - which was slewed sideways about a foot - and accidently dumped the rain sheet over her head as she stood, head down, eating her grain. She flipped up her head so the rainsheet was still around her neck, then ran around her paddock, sliding in the mud - the sheet flapping and flying around her legs - finally sliding to a stop in the front corner of her paddock and banging her nose on a fence post.

The other horses all watched, concerned, and I heard some of my fellow barn-mates come out to see what the commotion was - but all my attention was on Lena.

I stayed out of her way and talked to her until she stopped, then - hands shaking and heart pounding so much I could barely get the front buckles undone - took off the ruined rainsheet, all the while talking to her in as soothing a voice as I could muster.

THEN I had to get her to hold still while I got the cotton blanket off. After that, I figured out that my jacket noises - fweety like the rainsheet - were scaring her, so we worked with that awhile. Carrots from the front pocket, plus me putting it on and taking it off about 74 times helped. Then I took her and put her in the cross-ties to clean up her nose (she scraped it a little, but not bad) and put her heavy blanket on.

She was mostly fine by the time I left, though there was still definite suspicion about the now-ruined rainsheet. I did wrap it around me, drag it around next to her, pick it up on our way to the cross-ties, put it over my head, etc., to try to desensitize her a little immediately.

I knew if I didn't spend the time with her right then, it would be worse later. Plus, I felt bad for scaring her and wanted to work through it with her myself. I'm just really glad that neither of us got hurt.

I think it may take a little bit of additional work, though. Last time I took her (new) blanket off her, she was still a little leery of it sliding around on the floor, over her back, etc. Which means I did it more, of course. Steve says he hasn't noticed any problems and she may (!) just be pulling my chain.

That may be, but all in all it was a valuable lesson - even if it was a mildly terrifying one. I'm sure if I'd been around horses all my life, I would have known better - at least on a theoretical level. But I can honestly say I won't forget this lesson for a long, long time. Probably not ever.

I told someone it was like when something scary happens to your kid. You can't panic, because that just makes it worse, so you just try to get through it the best way you can to help them. Of course with a kid you can just pull them into your lap and rock them a little. 1,100 pounds of frightened spotty horse will not fit in my lap or I would have done it in a heartbeat.

Bareback

I forgot to mention that Katie and I both tried riding Lena bareback a couple weeks ago. Katie more successfully, I might add.

Lena is not only a bit bony of the back, but also slippery. I only lasted about 3 minutes because as I started to slip, I grabbed with my legs. Grabbing Lena with your legs with a saddle is a risky proposition, let alone for a rookie rider like myself doing it with no saddle horn to grab as a last resort.

I was going to buy a bareback pad last week, but instead - due to an early morning lesson in horse care - had to replace her lightweight blanket.

More on the blanket incident - in which thankfully no one was hurt - shortly.

Travel

I'm at a training for a few days this week which - I think - will be a very good thing for me and for my company. It's interesting and gets me all excited about numbers and analytics and making our data work harder for us. (I can hear you all yawning, sorry.)

But I miss my horse.

I miss stopping at the barn on the way to work and getting covered in short, soft hair because she's shedding her winter coat.

I miss those big tall ears pointed straight up and at me as I come up the path to her pen.

I miss riding and working on my balance and my position - all while trying to control the mighty spotty beast.

I'm glad to be learning about this analytics tool we use for our sites. It really is great stuff that makes the numbers geek in me do a little happy dance. (I know, "Yawn, Jessica.")

But I'll bet being away will make that first ride after I get back that much more enjoyable, that much more fun and challenging. I'll probably even welcome cleaning out her pen!

Sometimes you have to go away to appreciate what you have.

Large Animal Rescue

I found the Large Animal Rescue Company in my internet wanderings today and am thinking it might be a good thing to get this kind of training. We had a series of horse-and-trailer accidents a couple of years ago and I remember classes running back then, but that was before we had Lena. Now it seems like an even better idea to have some kind of training to deal with worst-case horse scenarios.

Actually, I've always had an interest in things like Search-and-Rescue, First Aid, CPR and EMT training, so this is almost a natural extension now that I have a horse in my life. I'm hoping a class gets set up near me, otherwise I may try to set one up. In all my spare time, of course. :-)

Horse dentist

Marcus, the dentist who came to do everyone's teeth back in October, has a new site he set up. It's pretty cool and has some of the pictures I took that day up as well.

When Dr. Leslie was out to give Lena her vaccines the other day, she thought that some of Lena's weight gain could be contributed to the work Marcus did. Like I said in my October post, "Equine Denistry," it's definitely worth it to me if it makes Lena a happier and healthier horse.

Sharing one horse

There are three of us that ride - Steve, Katie, and me. The reason Ike and Cheri picked Lena for us is that she is not only strong and energetic enough to be ridden that much, her personality is such that she can handle the changes between all three of us without batting too many of her long eyelashes.

We are very lucky to have a horse like her, but sometimes it would be nice to have another horse so two of us could ride together, or even so two people could ride in one day without having to do too much schedule arranging.

But two horses means doubling the cost each month, not to mention the cost to buy the other horse, and we just can't do it right now.

Phil and Karey, owners of Taffy and Doc, tell us that until Phil bought Taffy, they would take Doc up on trail rides together. One would ride up and one would ride down. That'll be harder with three, but as I told Katie - at least with two of us not riding, the hikers would have company.

Patience is key but it's not my strong suit, so it's hard. I can think of so many potential adventures that waiting is arduous at best. But I can wait. I can help make sure we are financially ready for this next stage. No, really I can.

Really. I can. :-)

Performance Horses

Performance horses come in many flavors - cutting, reining, dressage, penning, barrel racing, and more I'm sure I don't know about, yet. In all of these, you are asking your horse to perform at a very high level of fitness, both mental and physical, and then calm down and stand around with other horses or climb back in the trailer and head home. In other words, flip it on and off like a light switch. That takes a particular type of horse and a particular type of rider to make it work.

Any one discipline uses horses with entirely different personalities and temperaments than any of the others. Lena is a cow horse by breeding and has a certain aggressiveness that comes from being raised and trained to think and act independently once those reins go down. It means she has a certain level of confidence and willfulness that are inherent in and integral to in her personality. In this month's Performance Horse magazine, they compared cutting horses to reining horses in the article, "Worlds Apart." She certainly fits the description of the cutter, and is every inch a performance horse, even if we aren't always using her that way.

Because you are asking a lot from your horse, you can run into the fine line between a horse being up for the competition and becoming almost too ready and losing all focus. Mental and physical strength and stamina must come together to make a horse able to compete and still be fun to be around. That goes for the riders as well as the horse, and that's part of what makes them so fun to ride. Lena is the best biofeedback mechanism I've ever had. You can't lie to her, you can't pretend you're not nervous or upset. She knows. And she lets you know she knows immediately.

Conventional wisdom might have advised us against choosing such a wild beast as our first horse, but we're not particularly conventional. Some might say we're not wise, either, but we are having fun at least.

Lena is always a challenge, always a little unpredictable, kind of like life. That means constant input and feedback, continually working with her to hone the relationship we have with her and to figure out how to best get her to cooperate. It also means we are continuing to grow with her as riders as much as she continues to grow as our horse.

Big Barrel Race yesterday

We took Lena to a really big barrel race yesterday at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. Katie says it's the most fun she's had ever at a show, even though there was a lot of standing around. We all learned something about big shows with lots of wild horses and not-so-polite riders, being patient, relaxing when it's your turn, and just having fun with your horse. Lena also reminded us that she really doesn't like stalls or being bored much.

No pictures, though, because it was inside and dark an rainy most of the day. Any pictures would probably have been blurry pictures of Lena's hind end, anyway.

We got to our barn at around 6:45 a.m., pulled the truck up by the upper barn, gave Lena some alfalfa and grain, and proceeded to load her tack in the truck. All this while being watched suspiciously by Spotty Horse, who had to be wondering what on earth her humans were up to that early in the morning.

She soon found out.

We got her loaded - in between Angel and Tristan in Shannon's trailer - without too much coaxing, even though it was breakfast time. The drive to the fairgrounds was fairly uneventful, though very rainy along the way. We got signed in, sent Steve and Brandon - Katie's boyfriend - to find straw for stall bedding, and unloaded the horses, only to be reminded forcefully by Lena that she does not like stalls. She tried to see the horses next to her through the walls, tried to sniff over the top of the walls, spun around in her stall, all to no avail. Then she stuck her head out and whinnied, hoping for an familiar voice to answer. She did get answered, but by another equally vocal horse over in the next barn. Later, she even made friends with a horse parked next door just to pass the time.

Even with her stall dance, we did manage to get her brushed and tacked up, after which Katie took her down to the arena to see about warming her up and getting ready for the time-only runs. We had two time-only tickets, one for me and one for Katie, but I got busy doing something else so Katie ran them both. She used them mostly as warm-up and for practice, and that was all Lena got to do in the event arena for about 7 hours until we finally got to my class, followed right after by Katie's class - the last two classes of the day.

In my own uneducated show opinion, they might want to consider letting the novice and novice youth go first, rather than making them stand around for 10 hours. It might help bring people into the sport better. Actually, since I'm not necessarily concerned with winning, we decided - for big shows, anyway - we might as well enter the open classes. We know the times we have to shoot for, and if it's all for fun, then it doesn't matter much and it would be much better for all of us than standing around between classes.

It might not have been so bad waiting if there had been something else for her - and us - to do. Unfortunatley, it poured down rain most of the day, which not only made things wet, cold and muddy, it made it hard to keep horses ready to go since the warm-up arena was outside. They did open up the main arena for a little while, but that was before the gigantic Open class - 130 horses - got started, so even though Lena got loosened up initially, there was a lot of time to kill before we got to run. We finally gave up and Steve and Katie each worked her in the outdoor ring during the day, which means she's filthy today. We also found out soggy, sandy rear boots have to come off. She's not a fan of rear boots in general, but the extra weight and grit from the wet, and muddy outdoor ring did not go over well. I thought she had suddenly gotten rude and was kicking back at other horses - which was kind of surprising and not like her at all. Peter said she probably didn't want her boots on and he was right, she stopped as soon as they came off. For now, we'll run her without them and see how she does.

Finally, we got to our turn. I rode her in the Novice class and did okay. I was really (really) nervous. Peter was manning the exit gate and as I waited for the entrance gate-keeper to let me into the arena, Peter told me to "relax." I actually did, for about a split second. Then we were out and Lena was really trying to do what I wanted, only I wasn't giving her great directions. We finally agreed to start on the left barrel, came around it, and went on to the second barrel. Then, when we came up onto the third and I found myself thinking - and holding her back a little in the process - "which side?!" I finally committed - correctly, as it turns out - to circling clockwise and then brought her down the center as fast as we could go. We got a 21 second time or so, which isn't terrible, and I'm trying hard to remind myself it was our first time and it's okay.

Then Katie's turn came and she says her main goal was to show how fast Lena can accelerate without use of a whip or spurs like some of the other riders use. Yeah, it's fast. Unfortunately, Katie got a little over-zealous and took out barrel number two. Katie says Lena 'felt' her back off a little after the barrel came down, and that's why Lena tried to skip the last barrel. Katie made her finish anyway, even though they had no time, and came out of that arena with a huge smile on her face, despite it all.

I think Katie and I are both disappointed that we didn't ride as well as we could have and so Lena didn't get the times she's capable of, but all in all it was a good experience for all of us. I think we'll try for smaller shows in the future, at least for awhile, and plan better for big shows if we decide to try more of those.

Phew. Long day, long post, muddy, crusty saddle that needed to be cleaned this morning. The saddle is currently drying in the front room and we are all pretty weary, but it was worth it on many different levels. I'll post later about the pony Lena wanted to follow all over, it was hilarious.

Lena's new boots

Here she is, all decked out in her new SMB II boots.

We finally decided on black - Tiffany's advice, too - because we all agree Lena is flashy enough in her own right, so we don't need neon colors. Not to mention the fact that Lena doesn't like neon colors. Yes, I know horses aren't supposed to see color, but Lena reacts to yellow, orange, and lime green like she can see them and they are definitely not good.

Though she is softening towards orange lately. Cones are orange after all, and she likes running around them as fast as her spotty legs can carry her.

Barbaro euthanized

I don't follow horse racing, and I know it has a bad reputation when it comes to caring for it's four-legged athletes.

But I rooted for Barbaro, hoped he'd heal even when I know how unlikely that really was.

He didn't.

It was the right thing for his owners to do, but a sad thing - to me, anyway - nonetheless.

The only thing I can hope is that maybe we've learned a little more about treating such catastrophic equine injuries.

Lip sores as promised

As promised, here is a picture of one of her now-healing sores. The pink skin you can see is where the rest of them were, now thankfully healing and healthy. Her gums still look a little bit puffy, but all in all, she is looking much better now.

If you really want a good look, click on the picture. It blows up into a really large picture of Lena's mouth and my hand. Really large. Kinda scary large, but good detail nonetheless.



Quite an experience, to say the least.

I'm thinking of sending this post to the dentist who did her teeth back in October. Might be a good thing for him to know about, too. (And maybe he can tell me how to whiten and brighten her teeth!)

Yellow Bristle Grass - One more note

One more thing.

When told that not all the horses had the sores, specifically that the horses in the lower barn who theoretically get the same hay as our horses up top, Dr. Kerr said that not all horses will be affected by it.

He also commented that possibly if we went back and checked, we'd find that some of the horses in the lower barn did indeed have the sores.

Dr. Kerr

I forgot to mention that Lena likes Dr. Kerr. Of course that may be because he hasn't stuck anything up her nose or in her rear end, but he also has a nice way with horses. She kept trying to nose him and he didn't even have carrots!

Nice to know there is another vet we can use if Leslie ever does have to retire! She threatens to retire if her truck dies because not only would she have to replace her truck but also her vet pack because the new trucks beds are a different size and her current pack won't fit.

Yellow Bristle Grass - Mouth Sore Culprit

Here's the culprit, a rather benign and soft thing at first glance, but textured much like the fluffy stuff on the inside of an artichoke heart. It is so fine and sticky, it's hard for horses to get it out of their noses, lips and mouths, where it then proceeds to cause the irritation and sores we'd been seeing. If you touch it, you can feel the resistance, even on roughened fingertips, almost like a softer version of a foxtail, but smaller and lighter, so more insidious. Note the yellow-gold color at the end of the spiny parts. (Obviously, my plant terminology could use a little work, here.)

Shannon's vet - Dr. Jamie Kerr, who is also Katie's vet - showed up, took one look at Lena's mouth, planted his hands on his hips and said, "Let me see the hay." He said he loves this diagnosis because it looks so terrible and inevitibly getting rid of the hay causes almost immediate improvement.

He and his assistant Justin climbed all over the last two shipments of hay Peter got and pulled piece after piece of it out, showing all of us, and pointing out bales where you could see big sections of it mixed in with the rest. He even left me a baggie to give to Dr. Leslie when she gets back to town.

Dr. Kerr used to practice in Napa and said he saw a lot of this about 20 years ago from hay that came from the Dixon area and did a lot of work convincing hay providers that it was indeed a problem. Apparently cows can eat it just fine, but horses can't. This was a new supplier for Peter, though recommended by the last supplier, and he's supposed to swap all this hay out for Peter - presumably for something without bristle grass in it.

Steve and I crossed email the next morning, both of us expressing immense relief that Lena wasn't sick. Her lips are already healing beautifully, as are the sores on the inside of her mouth. I'll post some pictures later, though the sores are not nearly as dramatic as they were.

After I knew what to look for, I found this PDF on the web. It describes the reaction - and the bristle grass - perfectly. Of course, I had to search specifically for "horse mouth sores and yellow bristle grass" to find it, but at least I'm able to post it here so my small circle knows what it is.

You learn something new every day, it seems.

Just a horse

I was bopping around the internet today and came across this. I liked it, so I'm sharing. :-)

JUST A HORSE

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or, "that's a lot of money for just a horse".

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent or the costs involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man."

--Anonymous

Beautiful Horse

Steve and Lena were having a fantastic time this afternoon, warming up in the sun, weaving in and out of the cones we have set up in the big arena. I took a few pictures, but she looked so lovely in this one, I had to post it. Steve even said it was okay that I cut off his head because Lena looks so good with her mane flying and her ears up. :-)



We both had good rides, playing with her speed and athleticism, feeling how powerful she is. One of the other boarders was there and said to her husband, "See, Paul? I told you'd they'd be here." Then she told me it was really great to see people who enjoyed their horse so much. That was about the best compliment I've ever gotten.

We do enjoy her, more than I possibly could have imagined.

Thank you, Lena, for being so much fun.

The mouth sore saga continues

We thought Lena's lips were healing - and they are better than they were for awhile, though not completely healed or looking as good as we want.

Then Shannon noticed Scout - a horse that moved in a few months ago and is being sold - had some sores in and around his mouth and worried her horse Tristan would get them if they were contagious, being that Tristan is in the adjacent pen.

Tristan did, complete with inflamed and puffy gums and sores inside his mouth. Shannon showed us his mouth today, so we all rechecked Lena and she has two more, though inside her mouth this time, right where the bit rests.

It's not affecting her appetite, nor is she fighting the bit much, so I don't think they hurt a lot, but it's definitely time to have them looked at again. Unfortunately, Dr. Leslie is out of town until the 29th, so I'll have Shannon's vet look at her when he comes out to check Tristan on the 25th.

In fact, several of the horses up in the top paddocks and pasture area have the sores, so with that additional piece of information, maybe we'll figure this out finally.

Peter wants to blame the hay, but since the horses down below aren't affected, that's probably not it.

The real bummer - besides Lena and the other horses having mouth sores - is that Katie, Finn, Lena, and I were going to go on a trail ride tomorrow but I didn't think risking Finn was a good plan so I cancelled. Bah.

Trailer brakes!

Okay, I'm a total dork and I have to do a quick post because I'm so excited that we got the trailer wiring installed!

Okay, back to work.

Yay!

Horse Plans for 2007

I want to keep working with Lena, to continue to improve my riding and her horseness.

I want to learn more about body work so I can help keep her healthy and sound as she gets older and as we do more with her. (Plus it's a fun way to connect with her physically.)

I want to learn how to tow a horse trailer.

I want to take Lena out and do different things with her, be it cutting or trail riding or barrel racing.

I want to be brave enough to do some article submissions to some of the magazines I read.

I want to be more willing to trust her, less willing to doubt myself.

Trail adventures

Lena doesn't have a lot of trail experience, yet, and so - in the spirit of helping her grow and breaking up her routine just a little - we walked down the road a ways to a nearby orchard. In order to get into the orchard, however, you must cross "The Puddle In The Ditch." I, being the leader in our little parade and on foot, sloshed through TPITD, primarily for Lena's benefit, though also to test whether the new cracks in my old boots are admitting water, yet.

Steve and Lena started to follow but then came the distinct sound of metal horse shoes clattering to a stop on asphalt - the horse version of slamming on the brakes. She has gone through the ditch before, even with a little water in it, so he very patiently walked her around in a circle and tried again. No go, so serious negotiations began. Steve worked through the sideways dance, the circular spin, some walking up and down the side of the road, not to mention the added bonus of waving cars past us in the middle of all that.

She did finally concede and make her way through TPITD, receiving much patting and praise for her bravery, only to sink nearly knee deep in the spongy, squishy orchard ground. But with much snorting and squelching - and use of her big, strong, healthy muscles to pull her feet out of the muck - we made it to firmer ground. More patting and praise occured, of course.

Not too bad for a horse stuck with two humans as trail ride partners.

Horseplay

This is probably not in the safe-activities-with-horses category, but it was fun nonetheless.

Steve was riding Lena yesterday and walked up to me after warming her up so we could switch. On a whim, I ran off to my left, Lena's right, as they faced me. We'd done this a few times before, but not for awhile, and with varying reactions from her.

This time was different.

Those big ears went back, her head came down, and for all you'd have guessed from watching her, I was a cow. Well, probably not really, but she nonetheless went right into cow-mode and it was awesome to watch.

I only wish I had four legs and more stamina. :-)

Definitely a case where I could tell she was having fun not just going through the motions.

Weird horse wound update

I think in one of my very first posts, down at the bottom of the August archive, I said that if I actually knew all the things that could go wrong with a horse, I never would have bought one. So I'm exceedingly glad of my ignorance even still because it's less for me to worry about, leaving more room to enjoy her. Not that we don't still call in the vet occasionally.

In fact, Dr. Leslie was out yesterday because Lena's lip still hasn't healed. The good doctor says Lena looks healthy and athletic, though, so isn't particularly worried about auto-immune or systemic things. (Like I even knew to worry about that before she mentioned it!)

Turns out there is a build up of granulated tissue (proud flesh) that isn't allowing the skin to come over the sores and close them up. There are some on the edges that are healed, so we just have to keep Lena from licking off the special concoction Dr. Leslie mixed up for her so we can get her lips back to their normal soft, furry state. Not an easy task. The next thing to try - if she keeps licking - is meat tenderizer, which sounds a lot like one of those old vet remedies you hear rumors about, but I trust Dr. Leslie even if it does sound a little wacky.

I suppose I could be more worried about Lena's immune system, but worrying without just cause isn't helpful and won't change the outcome of a situation, so why waste the energy. If the lip owies don't start to heal in a couple of days, I'm under strict orders to call Dr. Leslie anyway, and we'll just go from there.

Besides, riding is more fun than worrying any day.

Horse Thoughts - Year One

We're a little past the one-year mark - it was in August - but I've been thinking about this post for at least that long, so I thought I'd actually write it.

If I could summarize this last year in one word, it would be a minor miracle.

Strength and power. Sun, wind, rain and dirt-in-your-nose. Stillness of spirit balanced with primal energy. Frustration with and challenges from the horse, myself, and other humans. Learning to dance with all four feet. Mud. Horse poop - a lot of it. Laughter, joy, and the simple pleasure of being in this universe.

In just one word? "Wow," probably sums it up best.

Only a little more than two years ago, the concept of Lena was a foreign idea - one not even in the realm of possiblity. Now, we can't imagine life without her and are even trying to figure out ways to add to the horse contingency. It's wacky, I tell you!

Lena has added so much to my life - not only in the riding and handling of her sweet, sometimes spoiled, spotty self, but in the time spent with Steve and Katie. The opportunities we've had together to work with Lena, as well as take her out into the world for new experiences, have provided lessons of self that have helped me grow in ways that might not have otherwise occured - even with years of intensive and expensive therapy.

Not to mention I finally have a really good excuse to drive a pick-up truck. I guess year two will include learning to tow, trailer maintenence and rigging that poop slingshot I mention in here to use on tailgaters. Possibly even horse number two - as yet unknown - too.

It's Ike and Cheri's fault

I sometimes feel like a stranger in a strange barn.

We love our crazy horse, and we are learning what we need to do to channel Lena's natural exuberance into reasonable arena behavior, but we're not perfect and that sometimes creates conflict with other riders. This is also exceedingly difficult in winter when stuck indoors, by the way.

Oh, my kingdom for a trailer and another horse, but we're not there, yet. Oh, and no rain, either.

Here's the thing. We learned to ride up at Slide Mountain, where sometimes you have to ride through the craziness because that's what you do, that's part of how you build the relationship with the horse. The horses Ike and Cheri raise are strong and energetic and fun to ride, so you work with it because it's more fun, more rewarding, than just sitting on a horse's back and letting them do all the work.

It's definitely not that you let them get away with bad behavior, either. Ike and Cheri are just more accepting of horses with Lena's energy level and of people like us who love to work with that energy.

And why work with a horse like Lena? Because you can feel it when she taps into the power in her own body. It comes up through the saddle into your spine, straight up into your heart and soul - a simple joy that feels like flying. It's not even speed, per se. It's whether she's having fun or just going through the motions because it's better than being in her pen. And, yes, I can feel the difference and the experience is infinitely better when she's having fun.

Lena is a lot of horse and working with her isn't easy, but it offers more reward than almost anything else I do every day. (Even if it does make my arms ache on occasion.)

Ike and Cheri taught us to love horses like Lena, horses that challenge you and help you grow as a rider. I guess that makes us wild and crazy, too, but life's too short for boring.

Big Horse Shows

Big horse shows are big.

A week ago today, Katie and I were on our way back from our whirlwind trip to Vegas, back from our first experience with a big horse show. We decided if we do this next year, staying one more night would be good. Of course, Katie is already planning Lena's Paint Vegas barrel racing debut, too.

Back to last week. Because the arena had to be completely reconfigured, cutting was scheduled for the last day. On one hand, we missed most of the events, but on the other hand, things in the barn were pretty quiet.

The hotel itself is set up as an equestrian event center, with permanent stalls and a good-sized arena. All you had to do to find the barn was follow your nose. Some poor kid spent all day Sunday vacuuming the carpet of the alcove that led to the barn.

We got to our room - up on the 23rd floor - and managed to catch Cheri and Tiffany by phone right as Amber was going down for a nap, so had a couple of hours to kill.

We went to have lunch, then went to find the horses. Cheri had told me they brought seven horses from Slide, but when we got to the stalls, we only recognized six of them. I saw Vinnie first, then Cooper, Truly, Annie, Too Much Pepper and Peaches. But we couldn't figure out who number seven was. Turns out it was "Lena," another Lena, who they were using as a help horse.



We perused the gift show - gravitating instantly towards the most expensive headstalls available. Katie declined the opportunity to watch some of the Western Pleasure events and we headed back to our room. She didn't quite run away screaming, but close. On our way back through the hotel casino, where we dodged dazed gamblers and cheerful cocktail waitresses, we found Ike. He suggested Katie go up and change for the upcoming practice session right as Tiffany called me to say Amber was up from her nap. Nice timing all around, I'd say.

Amber and I hung out, trying to stay out of the way and find somewhere to sit after the cleaning staff kicked us out of the stands. Katie helped keep the horses warmed up, trotting and loping them in the practice arena, switching out as the horses each took turns with the practice cows. The cattle were - according to Tiffany - gross and nasty, running headlong into the horses instead of moving away.

The cattle did improve the next day - here are Ike (and Vinnie) watching as the helpers settle a group of cattle.



It was hard to watch the cutting and watch Amber, but there were some great runs on some truly excellent horses. Unfortunately, my pictures are mostly blurry because of how fast everyone was moving and because we were indoors. Amber spent time watching the cutting, watching me take pictures of the cutting, looking at the pictures I took, and climbing up and down the stairs with me right behind her. I got a great work out! Probably the most amazing thing was how long Amber played with her Play-doh. I don't think I've ever seen a 2-year old play with anything for 4 hours straight. Ever! I did get in trouble with her, though, for yelling "too loud" during Tiffany and Truly's Non-Pro run. I told her I had to, it was for her mommy. :-)

All of Ike and Cheri's horses made the finals, which was really cool, and Tiffany got reserve champion in both the Open and the Non-Pro categories. In the Non-Pro, she was only behind the leader by a measly 0.5 points, but she had a really exciting ride. (Hence the aforementioned "too loud" shouting.)

It was a fast trip, and I would have liked to spend more time with the Slide folks, but the time we did spend was pretty special. I got to watch Katie reconnect with riding and with people who really treat her as if they like her. (Because they do, of course.) I got to be reminded that there are people out there who really appreciate and enjoy wild and crazy - and smart - horses like Lena. That was a pretty special suprise to get out of this trip and one of the many reasons it was worth going.

And it was wonderful to come home to Lena Rey and Steve and share the after-glow of that gift with them.

Congtratulations, Slide Mountain crew! You guys are awesome!

Paint Vegas tomorrow

Katie and I leave tomorrow morning, early. We're all packed, big belt buckle and all.

It will be interesting, we think, no matter what all happens.

More to come, I promise. :-)

A little spoiled

Okay, so I'm a little spoiled.

Owning a horse is a luxury I'm lucky enough to be able to afford, one that I work hard for and am thankful for every single day.

Riding has become such a part of my day, my life, that doing without it is nearly unimaginable, but I know I could. Since I was afraid of the big beasts only a few years ago, that seems like living without them wouldn't be that hard.

But now? While Lena seems excessive or extraneous in the master scheme of things, I know not having her would leave an awfully big hole for me, and for Steve and Katie, too. A small hole in the universe, to be sure, but since I'm a mere spec in the universe, I get my soul sustenance where I can.

Riding is not a luxury

I know a lot of people think that riding horses is a luxury, but it's not. I do concede that owning a horse may seem like a luxury, until you're cleaning out the stalls. But riding Lena saves my sanity in a way not many other things do, which makes it a necessity in my mind.

Work has been a little hectic lately because of some overall organizational changes that are going on. The best part of my day sometimes - most times - is walking away from it and plopping my butt on Lena's back and working out whatever it is we are working out that day.

I got stuck at the office yesterday and by the time I got to the barn, Steve had ridden Lena and put her away. I was so disappointed I almost cried, but at least she got ridden and Steve said they had a good ride, which are both good things.

Doesn't stop the disappointment, mind you, but at least she's getting the attention she needs even if I'm not getting the exercise or - more importantly on any given day - the grounding she provides. I think I'm good for her, too. I work with her in an entirely different way than Steve does, which gives her training a nice balance.

Handling her - grooming, my lightweight version of body work, etc. - is soothing, too, but there is something about riding, about communicating with her using physical contact of one form or another rather than words, that is very centering for me. And hopefully remotely educational for her. :-)

I figure riding actually makes me a better employee. Sadly, I don't think my employer would see it that way were I to ask to work from the barn. Though there is wireless there. :-)

So, because I'm not independently wealthy, I have to do what most horse owners do and balance work and what I really want to be doing - riding. Sometimes that means I miss out, which isn't any fun. I guess if there is a luxury component to this, it's that even if my riding skills start to deteriorate, Lena is still getting lots and lots of attention. There are a lot of horses that can't say that.

I'd still rather be riding.

Horse trailer update

We think we found a horse trailer that at least has all the features we would want and not any we don't.

It's this one from Trails West - only the bumper-pull, two-horse, slant-load version, not the one in the picture. We went to the one of the local dealers, poked around his lot, and this one fit the bill pretty perfectly. Here are the floor plans.

Aside from the basic features above, it's got what they call a telescoping divider, but what that means to non-trailer-savvy folks is that the divider actually shifts over where it attaches to the wall so you can have a large compartment in the back for one horse, or two compartments - depending on who you're hauling. Nice mechanism, says the engineer among us. (Steve, that is.) Not overly-difficult to move, but solid like you would want something keeping horses in place to be.

It's steel, and I know that some people recommend aluminum to fend off rust, but aluminum trailers tend to be about twice the price and since we are pretty diligent about vehicle maintenance in general, guarding against rust will become part of that routine. (But, hey, if I could find a good aluminum trailer for the same price with the same features, I'd take it, too.)

There is a nicely set up and equipped tack room, including a 25-gallon water tank, which will come in handy for what we want to do. (Horse camping and such.)

It has drop-down windows on the "head" side and slat openings on the "butt" side, which you can cover up with Plexiglas during bad weather.

I wanted to mount spotlights on the back in case someone starts to tailgate, but Steve said that it is illegal to blind other drivers.

"How about a poop catapult?" I asked.

Maybe my friends at Make Magazine can make me something that would do the trick. It would have to calculate the angle so as not to hit the windshield and block vision, but to at least strike the hood of the offending car with great gooeyness and splattering.

If the judge I get after being arrested for causing traffic problems is a horse-owner, I bet I only get a mild warning.

Weird horse wounds

Here's a horse injury that you might not think of until it happens.

Most of us out there have gotten our tongue stuck on something cold, even if only momentarily. I admit that I once lost a bit of the end of my tongue to our freezer.

The other evening, I was rubbing Lena's nose and lips and felt a dime-sized (or so) sore there. I got her to hold still so I could see it and it looked an awful lot like she had ripped off part of her lip when it got stuck to one of the metal bars around her paddock. (It's been really cold the last week or so, and the bars had ice on them.)

I can only imagine her reaction at having that very sensitive and flexible top lip glue itself rather firmly to the bar. Hopefully, it was less painful for her than removing my tongue from the door inside the freezer was for me.

I did check her tongue, too, which appears to be unscathed.

She seems to be healing fine, and I can only hope she has learned the same lesson the rest of us have about cold things and moist body parts not mixing well - though she probably has less of an embarrassment factor than humans do. Maybe.

Horse breaks

One of the greatest things that owning a horse has done is get me outside. I know that sounds obvious, but it's been a long time since I've spent this much time outdoors and it's one of the things I've come to appreciate a lot.

The other morning, it was all of about 29 degree when I got to the barn - warm by some folks' standards, but pretty darn cold for a California girl. And, like every good California girl, I grumbled about it as I pulled on my hat and gloves.

Then I started thinking about how much time I spend outside and the gift that really is.

If I didn't have Lena, I would drive straight into the office every morning, warm and toasty inside my car. And while I would be warmer, I'd be insulated from the early morning air. I'd miss the way the frost makes even barren pastures look magical. I wouldn't see the mist rising as the winter sun makes every valiant attempt to warm the ground. Not to mention never seeing the way the cloud of Lena's breath swirls around her spotty head as she watches me come up to her paddock.

The horses get frisky in this kind of weather, bucking in their paddocks, racing each other in the pastures. Right after I took the picture below, the mare on the right - Gypsy - came galloping up to the fence to see what I was doing. Or maybe because she thought I had treats. Or maybe just because it's fun to kick up your heels when the air is crisp and clear.



Life is full of excuses to hide inside. Lena gives me an excuse to be out and I love it. Even when my nose gets cold.