scary tarp!

Yesterday was a good day with the horses. It was clear and slightly warm. YEAH! It was Gigondas' turn to be brushed, as well as Cali and Scout. Hubby groomed Gigo and then took her down to the arena for her turnout. Yup. She rolled in the manure three times. HA! I groomed Cali (tried to...Scout kept getting in the way!). She has dapples! I also put a halter on her and got her to move and change directions. I also had the energy (FINALLY!) to start her on "stay" and "come". She did very well for her first lesson! She wants to please. Since Scout was being such a PEST, I took her down to the arena. BUT...OHMYGOSH! Cali had to walk by a scary blue tarp that had blown off the recently-delivered hay! Snort, snort! She was finally okay with it after we stopped and she sniffed it and discovered it wasn't going to eat her! Hubby watched her down in the arena while I went back up to brush Scout. Scout has VERY tightly knit fur, which is still dark (she turns almost white in winter) and I was able to brush her all over. She even lifted a foot for me! YEAH! It wasn't too long ago that I still wasn't able to brush her BUTT, but now she's relaxed enough to "allow" me to do so! It was a good day, especially since I wasn't in any pain and I could move around and walk around! Now if my three doctors could just figure out why my feet are still numb!

Dirty Sunni and Beauty

It rained for two days up in the mountains and I didn't go visit the herd due to our Thanksgiving plans, so yesterday I FINALLY drove up to see them. They were all dirty! I grabbed my grooming kit and began with Beauty. Then I took her down to the arena. Boy, did she enjoy getting out! Next, I did Sunni. Brought Beauty back to her corral, turned him loose. He kicked up his heels, went running off, and farted! If I turn them both out together, Beauty chases him around and he just stands there like a dork, so now I do them one at a time. They enjoyed their brushing and time in the arena yesterday. Today, hubby will drive up with me and we'll do Gigondas and the two babies. Phew! It was a gorgeous, crisp, clear day yesterday and I'm hoping today will be the same so we can get some work done. My leg has been better, but this morning, when I woke up, it is sore again. DARN! My feet are still numb and I can't even feel them, so I trip over things. I go visit my back doctor on Tuesday and I'm sure it won't be good news.

I see that over the next week, nights will be freezing. I give them corn oil and some sweet feed with their shredded beet pulp. Is there anything else I should feed them when the temperatures get down to freezing? I don't have any blankets and last year they all made it through the winter with their shaggy coats. And, Gigondas is the only one with a shelter. Any ideas/suggestions?

Claudia and Sunni

Claudia went with us last weekend when we stopped to visit the horses. I was still limping around and I just didn't have the strength to do much with them, but we did stop and feed them their beet pulp mash before heading over to Idyllwild. She mentioned, "You know, I've never even touched Sunni." HUH? Then I thought about it. She was correct. She loves Cali and spends a lot of time with her, and Beauty was out for training most of the summer, but she never really interacted with Sunni. So, after she sat down and cut apples for the herd, she took some apples down to Beauty and Sunni and actually touched him for the first time! I was proud of both of them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to take this opportunity to write about all the things I'm thankful for. First, I am thankful for my wonderful husband. We've been married now for 36 years. It hasn't always been easy! We were married at 20 and 22. We were both still in college. I had two more years of school and so did he and without the support of my parents and grandparents, we wouldn't have completed our degrees. I even went on another 1 1/2 years to get my MA. While my parents and grandparents are no longer with me here on earth, they are in my mind and heart every day! I am also thankful that we have two beautiful and level-headed grown children and that we will shortly be grandparents. Additionally, I'm thankful for all our animals that we have saved: our 5 horses, 1 dog (the other two were from breeders), and our 4 cats. Right now I'm also thankful for every day that I can still walk and get around. While the cortisone shots in my back do not seem to be working, at least I can still move around! I probably will need back surgery in the future, so we'll see what that brings. I'm thankful that my dear cousin Valerie is here to support me and my horses and give me the training and guidance that I need to make them into dependable, rideable animals! THANK YOU, VALERIE!

So, everyone, please have a wonderful day with your family and enjoy life and your companions (horsey or human)! Thank you for stopping by!

quiet moments with Gigondas and dad

I caught hubby and Gigondas having some quiet moments alone together last weekend. He had cut up some carrots for her. See how polite she is? No ears back like Scout. She truly is a great lady! And, apparently, she was thankful for her carrots! GOOD GIRL!

Get away! MY carrots!

This needs no explanation.

Look! Mom brought us carrots!

Hubby decided to buy 2 huge bags of carrots for the "herd" yesterday. Unfortunately, the carrots were so big we had to cut them in pieces, which we let Claudia do! She was very eager to feed the two mustangs, Cali and Scout. Here they are at the fence eagerly awaiting their carrots!

some random photos

Since hubby was recovering from the flu yesterday, we didn't drive up to see the horses. We are going this morning and stopping in Idyllwild for a yummy lunch! We're taking Claudia (future daughter-in-law???) with us. She sits home alone on Sundays, so we usually take her with us on our outings. Anyway, since I have no new pics to post, I thought I'd just post some from the past. These photos were taken last April, when Hal and Claudia came up with us to help groom the horses.

M. Pickens, Person of the Week

Here's the link to World News Tonight featured story on Mrs. Pickens' plan to save the BLM mustangs: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/story?id=6307278&page=1 Apparently she is planning on putting cabins on the land so that the public can come see the mustangs. I salute her for her efforts! Wherever she finds the million acres or so, I am planning on visiting one day with my camera(s). In the meantime, I'm going up to see "the herd" and give them all a big hug today!

Sunni and MOM

As I've previously mentioned, I have almost NO pics of me and the horses because I'm always the one either working them (and thus having NO chance to take pics) or I'm the one taking photos! So, this last visit to the "herd", I handed my camera off to hubby and said, "Here, please take some pics!" Anyway....this is me with Sunni. Just working him in the round pen for a short time wore me out and my leg was starting to throb that day. I'm hoping that this weekend I can do a little bit of work with Gigondas and Sunni, but I never know how my leg is going to hold up these days.

R is for "Rescue" ABC Wednesday Nov 19, 2008

You know, I've entered photos from my other blogs in various memes, but I've never entered any photos of our horses until recently. This week's letter is "R" and all I could think of was "rescue". We have 3 rescue horses, actually 5, if you count the mustangs. I really think of Beauty and Gigondas as my true rescues, since they both were on a feedlot, awaiting shipment to THE FEEDLOT FROM WHICH HORSES DO NOT RETURN. Sunni was actually rescued by United Pegasus and he wasn't in any danger of being shipped to slaughter, like Beauty and Gigondas. So, I dedicate this day's blog to "R" is for "rescue". I love this photo of Gigondas. She is so loving of life, so glad to enjoy her outings in the arena, and now, to be with us. It is truly humbling to see a living being, who was once so afraid of people, now come willingly up to us and stay with us. Here she is coming up to me. She makes a semi-circle and then stands right behind me, blowing softly. I LOVE her soft nose!

R is for rescue.

For other "R" entries, please visit: http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/

Gordo

On one of our several stops at the Ridgecrest BLM corrals, we fell in love with a mustang. Not just any mustang. "Gordo" was part draft. He was HUGE! And, he was friendly. We even went back to the office and asked about him. He was an 8 year old gelding who had been adopted out, but the BLM went and picked him up from his home because he wasn't being properly fed and cared for. He LOVED people! He was one of the "3 strikes" horses now...we inquired about his future. The BLM staff told us he would be sent to one of their pastures somewhere for the rest of his life. This was an incredibly friendly mustang, one who trusted people and had been tamed. We don't know what happened to "Gordo", but I hope he is one of the 30,000+ mustangs that will soon run free again on land to be bought by Mrs. Pickens. One can only hope that his future will be filled with rolling hills and lots of grass. I included some other photos of our trip to the BLM pens. We always take huge bags of carrots and feed the mustangs who are willing to come up to the fence.

Bold plan to save our mustangs!

Madeleine Pickens, wife of the multi-billionaire T. Boone Pickens, is offering her own plan to help solve the current mustang problem. Stated simply, the BLM has too many mustangs in captivity to feed them all and is looking at euthanizing some of them. Mrs. Pickens has her own idea and is planning to purchase over 30,000 of them and find land for them! That is most, or all, of the burros and mustangs currently in holding by the BLM. Can you believe it? What a woman! I salute her for her love of the American mustang. I only wish there were more enlightened rich people who could put their money to work! Here is the full story on the Washington Post website:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/17/AR2008111703680.html?hpid=artslot

I especially salute her because I've visited the BLM holding corrals at Ridgecrest several times now and I've fallen in love with horses there that I've had to leave behind to a very UNCERTAIN fate. I'll post the story of one of them tomorrow. I called him "Gordo".