"Hanz, Sami, Rosie & Blue" Rosie and I had a nice ride down "The Alleyway" last weekend            I started this blog on October 25, 2007 to interact with like-minded horse people, to exchange ideas, and hear other people’s opinions on everything concerning the horse.  Along the way, I’ve met some really smart people who are dedicated to bettering themselves and their horses' lives.  We’ve discussed how to improve our riding and solve problems relating to our horses.  I’ve met some very good horse people who I now consider my ..read more

Basically, not much has been happening around here.  We’ve had heat waves and rain and the weather is all over the place.  I would say our main job is taking care of the horses in the heat and we haven’t really been riding.  Although, the other night when it cooled off my daughter took Rosie for a walk down the alleyway for the first time.  She was a good girl as usual; nothing seems to bother her. Even when the geese landed in the pond next to her with a big splash, she just looked and said "ooh" and kept going. "The Alleyway "   Blue continues to be the la ..read more

  "Rosie" Recently, I’ve been riding Rosie in the small outdoor arena, but this past weekend I opted for the indoor.  It’s been raining for a few days and very cold (45) and windy.  So, riding indoors was a no brainer on Saturday. Just as I was adjusting the girth, Rosie did a huge spook.  Now, Rosie never spooks, so running backwards with her head up and the whites of her eyes showing was very different from her normal behavior.      My daughter and Hanz entered the arena and she pointed out that at the end of the arena there were two small foxes ..read more

 Our Herd   The herd has decided that they are now officially feral horses.  Mind you, they all have grazing muzzles and fly masks on in a nod to being semi-domesticated.  They do like their comforts, after all.  But they have mutually decided with the warmer weather and breezy nights they’d rather stay out under the stars.  Apparently, they don’t need no stinking barn to be trapped in at night. They are checked on routinely.  Blue and Sami need their medication for Cushing’s which we cleverly disguise inside stud muffins. They are happy and healthy and have ..read more

      All I Needed to Learn about Life I learned from the ' Easter (Bunny )Horse'!   Don’t put all your grain in one bucket. Walk softly and carry a big carrot. There is no such thing as too many treats. All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. Some body parts should be floppy. Everyone is entitled to a bad hair/hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like apples on trees. Keep our hooves off others treats. Good things come in small packages. The grass is alwa ..read more

"Mr. Blue"   Today is Blue’s 24th Birthday. We’ve had him since he was a youngster of 4 years old. How time flies. What can I say about Blue that I haven’t already said? Blue is one in a million. He can be stubborn and grumpy, but he also has the ability to make us laugh all the time with his antics. There has never been a horse we’ve known who is as funny as Blue. Let’s not forget how smart he is, like the time he knew I was going to ride him, so he hid behind the run-in shed and peeked out once in a while to see if I could find him. Or how he refuses to let anyone interrupt hi ..read more

This past weekend we took the horses down to the indoor in pairs to let them stretch their legs a bit.  With all the snow we've had they basically just stand around and eat hay out of the hay baskets and are generally "pasture potatoes."  They may occasionally mosey to another field, only to find there's still snow there too. Then turn around and come back ever hopeful that tomorrow there will be grass.   This video is of Hanz and Sami.  Sami got a little snorty and nervous but he did get some exercise.  He's like the little kid that doesn't want to let go of your ..read more

Thought it  was about time to get the Happy New Year's post down.  There's not much happening here but I snapped a few pictures today. This morning it was 3 degrees when we went out to do the barn. By the time we finished it was 8.  We're in for a huge snow storm tonight and tomorrow ..read more

" MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR BARN TO YOURS" "Hanz, Blue, Rosie & Sami ..read more

  O' Grady This past Sunday we lost our beloved horse O'Grady.  He was my daughter’s horse and she rescued him from a previous owner about twelve years ago.  Grady had some medical problems when he came to her, mainly shivers.  But he was a trooper and never complained, even when he had a cancerous third eyelid removed, a bout of pasture stringhalt, or his bladder flushed out with a huge catheter. They were a good team and enjoyed some very nice rides over the years. Recently Grady was having problems emptying his bladder normally and had constant leakage. Each ..read more