An important Message From Indy

hi everyone. im indy, and i have an important message from my mom. you know her as suzanne or morganlvr. shes letting my type this because she really cant type right now. she usually tels me to stay away from her keyboards cuz she says i get hay and carrot pieces in there. 

anyway this is a special case. mom had a very bad fall - not because of me or ami though. she got some pretty bad scrapes and bruises on her face and knees but the worst thin was she broke her left wrist. Yeah real bad and shes left handed besides that.

they took her to the emergency room and xrayed her wrist. she broke the em what did she tell me? radial or radius bone - somethin like that - completely in two just below her wrist joint. kinda like a fetlock I think.

 

the break wouldnt stay together right with just a cast so a couple of days later they did surgery and put 4 pins in that bone to hold it together so it would heal right. she has a big blue cast on her arm.

last tuesday she went to see how it was doing. doc said xray looked real good, and pins can come out in a couple more weeks. but the cast will have to stay on for more weeks after that. I know that cast is driving her crazy because she has to use her right hand for everything and that's real frustrating for her. her left hand has the cast clear up to her knuckles and around her thumb. then it goes almost to her elbow. 

lucky the weather has been great so she can come to the barn every day and groom me. ami doesnt like being groomed much and doesnt always cooperate so well so moms stickin with me. ok by me! i love attention and i try to be very careful of her space. 

mom can brush out my forelock and mane with her right hand and give me a light grooming. thats fine with me - we love just hanging out with each other anyway. 

she just wanted me to post this for her so youall would know why shes not commenting much and that shes really ok but typing is very hard. I told her Id be happy to post all the comments she wanted but she found some hay sticking out of her keyboard and told me i was sweet to offer but this would be fine. Golly, i dont know where that hay came from. 

any way she just wanted to check in. thanks for reading. i hope i got it all typed ok.

love

indy

Happy Birthday To Indy and Ami!

Happy Birthday, Indy and Ami!

VS Golden Desperado aka Indy

Foaled May 28, 1998

 Chocolate Palomino Morgan Gelding

With me since coming four years old

 

Petite Ami

Foaled May, 1991

Bay Quarter Horse/Pony Mare

With me since she was a yearling

I absolutely cannot believe Indy is 14 and Ami is 20! How is this possible? It was only yesterday that Ami was just a yearling and Indy was a few weeks short of his 4th bday (actual foaling date)

Ami and Indy hit it off from the moment he stepped off his breeder's trailer in our pasture. She was watching intently from the paddock. Then, when we brought Indy up to meet her, there was some sniffing but none of the usual squealing and pawing. They seemed to become bosom buddies from the first moment.

Hello there!

After ten wonderful years together, we are all looking forward to many, many more! 

Love, Mom

The Winter of Our Discontent

I know my title is not particularly original, but it's such a perfect fit I had to use it anyway. What are we discontented about you ask. Or, maybe you should not have asked....

By far, the most important problem this winter was Ami. She somehow bruised her feet worse than she ever has which apparently led to her first case of active laminitis since her original episode in 1996. Talk about scary! Given that she's always had thin soles and rotation from that first episode, more rotation was the last thing she needed.

We immediately put in an emergency call to Dr. Conley's new clinic with Dr. Koontz, and it was Dr. Koontz who came out. This was the first meeting for all of us including Dr. K and Ami. She was well behaved for him, and he immediately diagnosed the active laminitis. The first thing he did was tape some large Styrofoam-like pads to both front feet, and she immediately went sound in her deeply bedded stall with a stall mat underneath. Dr. K was very happy with our set-up and recommended keeping her in the stall for a couple of weeks, and of course, try to get some weight off.

HELP! I'm being held captive here!

Dr. Koontz coming back next week to do spring shots and check her out. Looks like all is going to be well, thank goodness!

Another problem with this winter is that it doesn't want to go away. We sprang forward just like we are supposed to .....

Spring Forward! THIS otta do it!

but it didn't seem to help. Temps have stubbornly remained in the 40s and 50s, and even when it's relatively mild, the wind is howling at 25 mph and/or it's pouring rain. I haven't even had a chance to see what riding is going to be like with my new hip and my legs being the same length for the first time in my life. Should be interesting and I'm getting frustrated with this rotten weather.

The most depressing thing during this winter though was learning more than I ever wanted to know about the workings of our government and how utterly corrupt it is. Special interests rule, and it's delusional to believe otherwise. Even small things - relatively speaking - like getting horse slaughter outlawed in the US for good and all and preserving the small remnant that remains of our once magnificent herds of wild horses on public lands in the west - are totally under the control of the special interests and the will of the American people is irrelevant. 

I would have considered the things I have learned this winter inconceivable if I hadn't seen them with my own eyes in pictures and videos of those in the front lines. And I'm not talking about the Obama administration either. This has been going on for probably as long as the Department of the Interior/BLM has been in existence no matter which party was in the White House.

Ever since the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed in 1971, the BLM have been loading the dice in favor of the ranchers in the Public Lands Grazing Program until by now there are few acres left for the horses despite the Congressional mandate and even fewer horses grazing on them. The BLM rounds the horses up - at public expense - and warehouses them - at public expense while the ranchers lease their land for almost nothing.

Now something even worse is happening. The horses are literally being purged from their legal lands, but not for the ranchers this time, although those good ole boys haven't figured that our yet. No, this time the DOI is planning to allow extractive interests, many of which are foreign owned, to have pretty much everything they want. More open pit mines, shale oil extraction - known as fracking - tar sands extraction - all of which require millions upon millions of gallons of water which cannot be replaced because it is contaminated during the processing. Ain't that a hoot for states like Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, etc. that have no water now?

Meanwhile, the idiots ranchers are pushing for Nevada legislators to pass a law that screws with the definition of "wildlife," and will deny the wild horses the right to drink the water. No, that's not a typo. They want to cut Nevada's wild horses off from access to water. Well, when the water guzzling fracking and tar sands developing are finished with Nevada's aquifers there won't be any water for their cattle - or them either.

As for the pro-slaughter activists who block every effort to get a national ban on horse slaughter for human consumption, I'm even more contemptuous of them.

The big horse organizations like the Quarter Horse Assn., the Jockey Club and others want slaughter back so they can breed and breed and breed, looking for that "special one" while the culls - hundreds of them every year - are dumped off to be slaughtered. Nice, huh? Also, that horse that doesn't run quite fast enough, doesn't spin fast enough or doesn't have enough "cow" doesn't have a happy retirement, he goes to slaughter. Use 'em up and dump 'em off, that's their motto. Who cares how much they suffer or how many dangerous chemicals are in their meat. Not my problem.

Big Animal Ag seems to think that slaughtering traditional food animals might be threatened by banning the slaughter on a non food animal like horses. It's insanity, I know, but they actually seem to believe the "Vast Vegan Conspiracy" - which exists only in their imaginations - is using banning horse slaughter as a "slippery slope" to ban all animal precessing. I can't believe they think this could really happen, but why take chances, right? The only problems horse slaughter causes is intense suffering for horses and, given that American horses are not raised as food animals and are regularly exposed to substances that are banned from the human food chain, meat adulterated with dangerous chemicals is regularly being exported to unsuspecting consumers abroad. But, this bothers the Big Animal Ag fellas not one whit. After all, if there is the slightest minute microscopic chance that they might be affected, well, who the hell cares about anything else?

Lord, Lord! Excuse me while I go out and watch Indy and Ami having a good time, frolicking without a care in the world. And I plan to keep it that way.

 

Last one to the barn is a rotten apple!

Related articles

• For High Crimes & Misdemeanors (goldendays-suzanne.blogspot.com)
• Radical Horse Slaughter Group Pushes for Horse Cruelty in Nevada (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• EWA Prez Wins One for the Horses in Slaughter Debate (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• "Welfare" Ranching is the Great BLM Lie (ppjg.wordpress.com)
• Open Letter to BLM (Deb Coffey) (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)

Down Time

A couple of days ago, I turned off the computer - with all the information about the latest atrocities committed against wild horses, and all the videos of unspeakable horrors inside horse slaughter plants - and went on a Sanity Ride with Indy. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon using the shedding blade on both Indy and Ami. Even she enjoyed it! And I felt renewed - as I always do after spending time with those two.

The ride itself was just great. Indy was so responsive you'd think I'd been riding all winter - which is certainly not the case. I was never able to handle cold very well - heck, I thought Dallas winters were cold! - but, since that shingles episode, I have become so sensitive to cold I can hardly stand it at all. I'll actually be shivering when Mike says it's warm. Also, my right sinus - the shingles were confined to the right side of my head and face - is extremely sensitive to my inhaling cold air. Actually, sensitive isn't quite the right word - maybe painfully sensitive - because it really hurts and doesn't stop when I come back inside the house. It wasn't as bad this year as it was last year, so I guess there is hope, but I certainly avoided the cold wind this go round.

Anyway, Indy was perfect and it was certainly warm enough - something like 80 degrees! I believe we have already set three record high temperatures for April. One day it was almost 90! The problem is we have a few warm days, then it gets cold again. I have got a nasty cough that I probably won't be able to get rid of until the temperatures stabilize as warm.

I'm sure Indy and Ami are loving the cool breaks, because they both put on the heaviest coats I think they've ever had for this winter. I don't know why - it wasn't unusually cold. Let's just say, they were prepared...

I just had to take pictures of Indy especially in his magnificent Yak-like coat. I was having to use my zoom to the max, but you can tell Mr. Hairball is well protected. 

Indy from the left...

Indy from the right...

Indy and Ami dozing in the sun

It's harder to tell about Ami's coat because her hair doesn't get as long as Indy's, but is it thick! She also changes color with the seasons almost as dramatically as Indy does - just in the opposite direction. Indy gets very light in the winter - especially his mid-section. Ami gets darker in the winter. As a bay, her top-line is always black, but in winter the black extends up her neck and down her sides as you can see in this picture. Come summer, a lot of the black will retreat until just her top-line is black and her body will become almost a honey color. She is beautiful either way.


The really interesting thing about Ami this spring is how she seems to be feeling so good! When Indy starts something with her - which is often - she is ready to give as good as she gets, running, bucking and picking at him back. Usually, she mostly ignores his attempts to get her going, but not now. 


I'm not sure what the reason is for her becoming more frisky than usual for her. She did make it through the entire winter without even so much as a hint of bruised soles - which was especially great because last winter was murder for her. She's always had tender soles and when the ground was really hard/uneven you could tell she was watching her step. Then, after she foundered in 1995, her soles were even more tender. Not this year though.


The one thing that's different for her - and him too, for that matter - is losing a lot of blubber. Yeah, blubber. They were too fat, so we just bit the bullet and not only kept them in the paddocks from early spring until mid winter, we also cut back on their hay. I guess it probably was harder on me than it was on them, but they definitely didn't appreciate it! Still, I can't help but think the loss of a significant amount of weight must have helped Ami's feet - and Indy's too, for that matter - not to mention just making her feel better in general.


Whatever the reason, it's wonderful to see her romping and playing with him and having as much fun as he is. They've been putting on quite a show and we can see it all from the kitchen window.

 Everyone has to have their down time.

Indy To The Rescue - Really!

The strangest thing happened to my husband, Mike, the other day, but, before I continue, a word about Mike is in order. Mike is a very intelligent, rational person. He isn't given to misinterpreting what he sees or getting overly excited without reason. He's very detail oriented and precise.

Now, about my mare, Ami. We've had her since she was a yearling, and she's now 18. She wasn't moody until she had a miserable bout with what my vet finally diagnosed as Lyme Disease when she was about 8. She had become extremely defensive about being touched. In fact, if you didn't stop when she told you to, she could become agressive to the point of actually being dangerous. As it turns out, this is a common sign of Lyme in horses, and it can remain as a permanent after effect.

This is apparently what happened to Ami. She's nothing like what she was when she had active disease, but she's certainly not like she was before either. She still doesn't like to be touched. Sometimes I can groom her reasonably well by starting slowly and staying away from the places she especially wants left alone.

Ami was never as much of a "people" horse as Indy, and now she'd really prefer for Mike and I to just leave her alone as far as "fiddling" with her goes. She doesn't seem to worry about me, but she is downright hostile to poor Mike, and he does NOT touch her if he can help it, believe me.

When she and Indy are eating hay at the outside feeder, all Mike has to do is walk by and she'll pin her ears and swing her head at him. Sometimes she will take a step toward him, and sometimes more than that.That's why he never goes into the paddock without a manure fork. Ami is smart, and she won't even try anything if he's "armed."

That's what happened on the day in question. The horses were eating on opposite sides of the hay feeder when Mike walked by. Ami pinned her ears and swung her head at him. Then she took a step toward him, and then another.

Mike said he didn't have time to react to Ami before Indy whipped around the end of the feeder to cut Ami off, ears flat and head snaked out at her. Mike said he'd never seen Indy look like that. Ami too realized that, for once, Indy meant business and jumped back instead of all but ignoring him like she usually does. Indy was protecting Mike - there's just no other way to look at it. Mike himself is absolutely sure about Indy's intentions, and he was the one that was there after all.

All I can say is, we knew Indy was a hero. Now he's proved it in no uncertain terms. Whatta guy!

A Tale of Two Rides

I usually make a separate post for each ride, but, given that I'm having trouble typing right now - more about this later - I decided to combine two rides. These particular rides are probably best discussed together anyway.

I had tentatively titled the earlier ride "An Interesting Ride," because interesting it was. There was a lot going on - field work in both of Lowell's fields, Mike mowing, Bernadine mowing, so that might account for some of the excitement. Still, both Indy and Ami seemed as high as kites, especially Ami. She acted like she couldn't find Indy, and he was right there, in the small paddock just like always.

I've never seen Indy so worked up, and certainly not when I was riding him. It was really strange, especially when he started insisting on turning and racing for the entrance back into the barn, both he and Ami seeming close to panic.

I didn't have a clue as to what was going on with them, except that I couldn't let Indy quit on such a note. Now, if you've read many of my posts, you know that I'm not the boldest rider in the world - even before I had my hip replaced and smashed the heck out of my rib cage, I wasn't the world's boldest rider, much less now, even with a helmet and rib protector.

Still, I could not quit, so I took most of the slack out of the reins - enough to maintain some control but not pulling - held on to the saddle horn with both hands and kept going. Indy never tried to buck, but some of his turns made me glad I had that saddle horn! We trotted and cantered back to the barn, then we went out again, came back, went out... Actually, staying on was easy, Indy's trot and canter being lovely and smooth.

I never got either of them to calm down, but when I decided we could quit, I got Indy away from the barn to dismount. As always he stood still as a statue as I eased off trying not to stress my left hip joint any more than necessary. Then I walked him around the paddock a bit. He was ill at ease, but he never attempted to pull away or anything like that, so I felt it would be fine to end here.

Our next ride was last Friday. I again used the Myler bit, pulled snugly into the corners of Indy's mouth. This is definitely what he prefers - he hates for the bit to flop around in his mouth even a little. He also seems much happier with the thinner mouthpiece of the Myler over the thicker Happy Mouth. I think that, with Indy, less is definitely better. He hates having his tongue restricted, so whatever takes up less room and stays off his tongue is always going to be his preference. And, since it's going to be in his mouth, his preference is the one that counts.

Friday's ride was much better. Ami didn't seem much calmer, but Indy was. I could feel it not only through the reins, but his entire body felt different - softer. He still wanted to go back over to Ami, but he wasn't nearly as extreme about it.

I kept just a tiny bit more contact this time. There was still a loop in the reins, but not as much as last time, and if I closed my hands, I made very light contact. Indy has never been ridden on contact - until now! - and again, I didn't want him to feel trapped or punished. And all I asked of him was to keep his cavorting within bounds.

Not only did he keep himself within bounds, when I used the light contact to ask him to "easy," I could feel him not only obey, but actually accepting the contact and softening his jaw. It was brief, but it was real, and it was the first time. I feel that we had a real breakthrough.

A training breakthrough is always cause for celebration of course, but even more so for me here is that I, as they say, "did it my way." By that I mean no pulling, no punishing. I just keep him going when he's not doing what I want, and I praise him when he is doing what I want. Indy is so intelligent - really, he is - that I had to spend a lot of time figuring out the best way to handle him.

He's more than willing to offer his opinion about everything, and I didn't want to squelch that, while still having him understand that there were times when he just had to do it my way, period. I wanted him to respect me, and I always knew that I would definitely have to earn that from Indy even more than one usually does with any horse. But, I also wanted him to trust me and mind me out of that trust - not fear. And besides, Indy is not easily intimidated. With his smarts and self confidence, the "do it or else" type of handling would probably lead to disaster.

Fortunately, all my noodling over him seems to have paid off. I know he isn't afraid of me, but he's is very respectful and does what I ask - and I do ask, not demand. I really don't think he's been testing me the past couple of rides. I don't think that's what this has been about, but I think I did handle it the right way for us. I always said that if I ever had another greenie to train, I wouldn't make the same mistakes I did with DJ. Of course, I never intended to have another green horse. But, such is fate.

Being totally dependent on the weather is a severe handicap when you're trying to train a horse as green as Indy was. Consistency is hard to come by when training sessions are weeks apart sometimes. I don't even have a place to do useful ground training when it's wet, very cold, and/or very windy - not to mention all three at once. Around here the winter is pretty much a total loss without some sort of indoor facility. And it's not only the cold - which can be very cold. It's also the wind and the footing. Even on relatively nice days, the footing is nothing short of impossible - hard, slick and extremely uneven.

It's also hard training such an inexperienced horse without the benefit of other horses giving him confidence by example. On the other hand, I don't have a dozen well meaning friends advising me to do things that I would later wonder about. Tight nosebands, not letting him "get away" with anything, whacking him instead of taking time to figure out why he was doing what he was doing, etc. I was pretty green myself then, and I knew it. Now, well let's just say that since then, I've developed my own ideas about training - with a lot of credit to John Lyons - and they are quite different from the style I was using in the 1980s.

The two most important things I learned from John weren't techniques, but matters of attitude. The first is that my idea of patience was woefully inadequate. That's the mistake I regret most with DJ. I thought I was being patient with him, but I wasn't - not nearly, no matter what I was hearing from other "Monday morning trainers," or even seeing with other horses in the hands of other pros.

The other thing is equally important, especially for someone like me. And that is that it's okay to love your horse. It's even okay to love on your horse. I have to admit, other pro's I'd seen/read made me feel like an idiot because of the feelings I had for my horses and the way I loved to pet on them. John took an approach that was totally different. I'll never forget the first time I saw John kissing his beloved Zip. Maybe that's why John's methods work so well for me both in the saddle and on the ground.

Oh yeah - about my finger. When I was putting the saddle back on the rack after that last ride, I guess my grip slipped a little with my right hand, and somehow I caught my left pinkie between the full weight of the saddle and the metal rack. Yikes! I really smashed it. It turned a deep purple and even with iceing it, within hours it was so swolen I couldn't even bend it - or straighten it for that matter. Guess a few days of rain that we're supposed to be getting won't be so bad after all - this time.

John Lyons and Bright Zip

John Lyons and Seattle, by Bright Zip

Weighty Matters

First, the good news: Indy and Ami have both lost a significant amount of weight. There is still a ways to go for both of them, but it's a visible start. Both of them even seem to feel more energetic, especially Ami. Not only is she sound, she's cutting up almost as much as Indy. And that's saying a bit since he's been pretty hot to trot himself - even more than usual I mean. It's wonderful to see them tagging each other up and down the paddock!

Now, the bad news: This is so damned hard. They are hungry. And we had to start keeping them in the paddock early as well. Having been an "easy keeper" all my life myself, I can really empathize with them. I know they would be able to eat more if they got more regular exercise, but that's easier said than done.

They know so much more about maintaining easy keepers these days. There has been an explosion of knowledge in just the last few years, but the bottom line is KEEP THE FAT OFF. If allowed to become or remain obese, these horses can develop a metabolic syndrome similar to Type 2 diabetes in humans.

Of course, not all fat horses fall into the high risk category, but those with, among other signs, a cresty neck like Indy and Ami, are among those that do. They are at high risk for developing insulin resistance because this was an advantage to their ancestors, allowing them to survive on very poor forage. That advantage has become a liability for today's horses because of the high sugar grasses in modern pastures. These grasses were developed to fatten cattle, not graze horses. Even cattle can easily founder on it though, so imagine what it does for horses.

Anyway, Matt and Tyler were here yesterday and they both noticed Indy and Ami had lost weight. In fact, Tyler was staring at Indy in disbelief, "Wow! He's lost weight!"

I guess a bright spot in all this is that Indy's saddle should fit really nicely - if I ever get a chance to try it that is. I still haven't gotten to ride even once so far this spring. If it's not cold, it's raining and/or windy enough to blow me off Indy's back. It's beginning to be extremely frustrating.

Another problem that's bugging me is the pain I'm having in my left leg. It's hurting worse than the right one ever did. I guess - I hope! - it's coming from my back and that my left hip isn't going on me. That would probably push me over the edge into total insanity.

I don't plan to have hip replacement surgery again - at least not the same kind I had before. If they can improve on the post-op pain and rehab time I might, but the same thing over again? No way. My right hip is great, but going into that one I didn't know what lay ahead - now I do. Nope. Not unless it gets so bad I can't ride at all will I even consider such.

If it's my back, they still can't do anything about it, but it probably won't hamper my riding any more than it ever has. I've had lumbar stenosis all my life after all. Sure, it's getting worse over time, but it's never been a real factor in riding. In fact, a reasonable amount of riding seems to actually help. I think it's because much of the pain comes from spasms in the muscles in the area, and when I'm riding is the only time I must relax those particular muscles, and they seem to benefit from that, as well as the general rocking motion of following Indy's back. Good for his back and mine. Now, I ask you - who could ask for more?

Springing Forward

As I have said - many times - I hate falling back and love springing forward. This year however, I wondered what the heck we'd sprung into - weather was bitter cold, then warm with severe thunderstorms - even a tornado touched down nearby - then back to bitter cold. Ewwwwww!

Spring must be close though because Indy and Ami are shedding like mad. Since Indy loves to be scratched anytime, shedding season is heaven for him. I could use the shedding blade on him all day and he would be in total bliss.I actually wear out metal curries and shedding blades on this hunk. Once the little points on the blade get dull, he doesn't like it any more. I'm thinking of getting a large paddle shaped piece of wood and driving case hardened steel nails into the back so that they stick out about a quarter inch on the front. Maybe that would hold him for a while!

Actually, the real problem is Ami. Unless she is extremely itchy, she has no interest in being groomed. Her attitude in fact is something like, "Touch my body and die!" Of course, it is her body, and I do my best not to aggravate her unnecessarily, but sometimes she needs to be groomed whether she thinks so or not. It doesn't matter what grooming tool I use on her - she hates them all.

Shedding or not, it hasn't been very springlike here except for a few days here and there - and naturally, it poured rain on those few relatively warm days. We've been under a flood watch for weeks since all the rivers in the area are over flood stage. We have a little creek behind our property - called the Wyland Ditch - that empties into the Tippecanoe River. It has at times back up into our back field but nothing like this:

As you can see, the water was almost up to the cross fence. Never seen it even half that far up the field. The rain, coupled with a few above freezing days, has softened up the ground at least, and Ami is moving much better as a result. I've even taken her off bute - finally! I've never had her on such a high dose for so long.

Spring has always been my favorite season and still is, even though the First Day of Spring 2009 wasn't very impressive around here: chilly and breezy, it didn't feel like spring at all. Still, it is spring and it's gotta get warm soon. Indy and I always love springing forward much better that falling back. I know Indy loves to spring forward because he does it often - sometimes when I'm on him. And that's way better than having him fall back...

March Madness

No, I do not follow basketball. I just want it to be spring and warm! This has been one of the coldest winters this area has ever seen, and it's really taken its toll on me. Of course, the bout with shingles didn't help one bit. I've been fighting it all winter. The cold bothers the rash and my right sinus very badly, and I just seem to be more sensitive to cold generally.

Saw the opthamologist last Wednesday, and while most things look very good, there are still some virus cells in my eye. So, I have to stay on acyclovir and two kinds of eye drops for at least another six weeks - until who knows when. What a nightmare!

This winter has been kinda tough on the horses too. In early December it rained - and rained. The ground got so torn up it looked like a Moonscape. Then it froze, and the bitter cold has been almost unrelenting - certainly no breaks long enough or warm enough to allow the ground to soften up even for a while. Poor Ami has had sore fore feet the entire time. Even Indy was off for a while back in January. Come to think of it, my feet are sore too.

It was 8 degrees overnight last evening and not supposed to get over about 22 all day. Tomorrow not predicted to be much better with high about 30. Are you believing this? Could be much worse of course - just look at that's happening to the southeast and northeast today. Feet of snow and strong wind. Yep, we are doing much better than that! But still.... I mean, it is March.

It's supposed to be in the 50s by the end of the week - and it's supposed to rain the entire time, naturally. I will take warm and wet over cold and dry. Like everyone else around here, I've had it with this winter.

About the only good thing I can say about the present is that Indy and Ami can be out in the field 24/7. At least they are enjoying themselves - and, they both are sheding. There is hope!

'Eyelights And Lowlights - '09 So Far

First, the 'Eyelights -

Without doubt, the highlight of this year will be the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the US.

For me personally, an 'Eyelight is the outcome of my last visit to the ophthalmologist -  that my right eye is now clear of the virus. A viral infection in the eye is apparently Bad Business and can come roaring back if you're not careful. I'm still on a reduced schedule of meds and will see the ophthalmologist again in a couple of weeks
.
Meanwhile, the rash on my face is slowly getting better, but it's still driving me crazy. I guess I should put this under the Lowlights of the year so far...

Matt managed to make a heart bar shoe for poor Ami. It's been too cold so far to use his adhesive because it gets much too stiff to use in this @%$*&@%! weather we've been having.

A real 'Eyelight for me has been all the well wishes I've gotten from friends and strangers alike. Thanks All! I needed that, believe me!

Now, the Lowlights -

Of course, this attack of shingles has to be my lowest light for quite some time. Plus, the cold doesn't help at all. The rash is not as sensitive as it was, but my sinuses are, and we can't seem to get a break from this weather.

This was one of the coldest Januarys on record for this area, and February isn't getting off to a good start at all. Our high for today was 16, and the low overnight is supposed to be 0. It's supposed to be in the 40s by Saturday, but I'll believe it when I see it.

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Farewell, 2008 - and don't let the screen hit you as you go out the door

the last day of 2008 - finally. What kind of a year was it? The kind you never want to live through again. Just for starters...

National - 

Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Photo - Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for JPMorgan Chase Barry Zubrow speaks during a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill November 13, 2008 in Washington, DC.


What can I say? Total collapse of the economy seems to say it all. It's not  just the collapse, but the reason for the meltdown that really fries my eggs. All those so called financial experts investing millions, no billions, in instruments backed by, well, nothing. And never even checking to see what the basket into which they were pouring all of their eggs was made of. "Sub-prime mortages" - meaning a person who doesn't even have a job being allowed to take out a mortage - that's what they were made of. As I said, nothing.

Bedrock financial institutions going under, millions of jobs and homes lost... enough.

Then we endured the Election That Lasted a Hundred Years. Even though the election did turn out the way I wanted it to, I can't remember another election as nerve wracking, muck raking and downright infuriating as this one. John McCain, a man I used to admire, demonstrated that he would do absolutely anything to win, including nominate Sarah Palin - about whom the less said the better - as his VP. Can we sink lower next time? I don't even want to know.

Here On The Farm -

We're all still alive, so I guess I should be grateful for that, but otherwise, it hasn't been the best of years. Last January, Mike came down with shingles on his back, chest and down his left arm. He didn't end up with postherpatic neuralgia - for which we are profoundly grateful - but he felt absolutely awful for over a month, and still his a tingling sensation down his arm.

As I posted earlier, Ami developed a laminitis flare up on the clover hay we got this year, and we had to take her completely off it and buy some grass hay. She seemed fine, but she is having real problems on the frozen ground now, and we suspect that her feet were compromised in some way from the earlier episode with the hay.

Also, we still have a barnfull of the clover hay - that we can't even feed Indy because he gains weight overnight on that stuff - and are scrounging to find quality grass hay to get us over the winter.

Matt was here Monday to put a pair of "glue shoes" on her front feet, but both his tubes of adhesive - $25 each - burst their containers when he tried to pump some out. He had to make do with something else until he could get more. He was quite concerned with the additional damage to Ami's front feet that he could see, so we're doing the best we can until he can get more adhesive, and hopefully allow her feet to heal. Ami seems to be feeling better even with the lesser pad he put on her, so we're just hoping for the best. That girl and her feet worry me to death! It didn't help that this December had some bitter cold that we don't usually have until January.

Just to end the year with a real bang, a few days before Christmas I woke up with a killer headache on just the right side of my head. My right eye was very irritated and felt like something was in it. The headache got better during the day, but my eye did not. The next day, the headache was back full force, but the eye seemed better by afternoon. The third day, both the headache and the eye were awful, and we'd had an ice storm overnight.

I could hardly make it to the barn - my head was bursting and my eye was tearing severely. Trees were snapping and breaking all over the place - it sounded like we were in a war zone. Then the power went out. I ask you now, can things be more perfect? Oh yeah.

To make a very long story short, it was indeed shingles on my face, in my hair and in my right eye. This is no small matter, because one can lose an eye to this abominable disease and/or develop postherpatic neuropothy that can last for years or forever. I'm under the care of an ophthalmologist, whom I will see again Monday. Wish me luck.

Meanwhile, I can only go out during the warmest part of the day to see the horses because the rash and headache are very cold sensitive. Below 20 degrees or so is murder. Gotta love it.

Happy 2009, everyone...

Falling Back

If there is one day in the year that I can single out to be consistently depressing, it's the Sunday we go off daylight savings time. On Saturday it's sunny at 6:00 in the evening; on Sunday it's too dark to see at 6:00 in the evening. To me, it's awful.

This year, that Sunday was a nice day - the first in a while - and Indy and I did get in a ride. But, geez, it got so dark so quickly that we had to cut it pretty short. What a bummer. Indy seemed as disappointed as I was. We haven't had a chance to ride since then either, and it's very possible we won't get to ride again until spring. How dismal is that?

We haven't had any bitter cold - yet - but it's been cold and/or windy/rainy/snowy just about every day. The ground is squishy and torn up, so when it does freeze it will be hard as a rock with as many craters as the Moon. Just like last year. Oh, goody.

Of course there's never a dull moment with Indy around, under saddle or otherwise. For instance...

As Mike and I were going to the barn one afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I noticed Indy munching the grass along the fence line. He certainly was enjoying himself with those big mouthfuls of green grass. Wait a minute! There's no grass like that along the fence in the paddock! Right. Indy was eating the grass on the outside of the fence, stretching his neck over the top of the fence as pretty as you please. This fence has a hot wire across the top, but we had shut it off while we were replacing part of it and hadn't turned it back on yet. It had been off for weeks, but Mr. Smarty Pants had finally figured that out and was munching while the munching was good.

So, of course Mike and I had to drop everything and get the fences hooked up again before Mr. Troublemaker pushed to old part completely down. Indy looked SO disappointed when he realized the top wire was hot again. Sigh. Sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do.

Another problem we've had this season is all that clover that was in the field last summer - which is now in our hay of course. We had to take them off our hay because Ami was having serious problems with her laminitis flaring up, and both of them were gaining weight so rapidly that they seemed to get bigger by the day. Great.

It's hard to find good grass hay around here. We have a round bale that Joe took of our back field that's good grass, but it's not gonna get us through the winter even if the guys are on a diet. We are still using a bit of our "candy" hay - for desert? - but not much. Ami is doing fine now, and Matt was just here and said her feet look good again, so we have to be careful with the clover to make sure they stay thay way.

Then there was Indy's foot - left fore to be exact. I'd noticed a small crack in the front part of the quarters and what appeared to be a flare developing between that point and he heel. When Matt picked up the foot, he said, "There's your flare," as we looked on in amazement - it wasn't the hoof wall that was flaring - it was the entire quarters flaring sideways from a big crack in the sole of Indy's foot! None of us had ever seen anything like it. Matt said he must have hit something really hard - really hard. His sole was fractured and only his bars and buttress were holding the side of his foot on. Matt said, "If his bars and buttress weren't so awesome, he would've lost the whole side of his foot." All that and I don't think Indy even knew anything happened. He's not taken a lame step - whenever it happened or now.

Matt trimmed of the "flare" as much as possible, and the foot looks great. And we just let it grow off. I just wish I knew that in the world he could have hit to hard as to do that to his foot. At least it's not bothering him.....

Here it is almost December, and the guys are still confined to the paddock. We are still having cold nights, but warm(er) and sunny days - today for instance is sunny and expected to hit 48 after a low of 19 overnight. So, all that green grass out there is madly making fructose while the sun shines. Ami would come up sore after one hour on that stuff. Sooner or later they always get out there, but his year may be later than sooner.

One more piece of news - I was reading one of my many horse magazines, and in the grooming section they suggested using a doggie slicker brush on thick winter coats - carefully of course. It sounded like a reasonable idea, so I tried it. Indy loves it, naturally; Ami hates it, naturally. Too bad she doesn't like it because it's lots easier on me than a curry, and it really gets through that thick hair. At least I can use it on him, and he's the one that wants to be groomed endlessly anyway. LOL!

It turned out to be pretty decent today despite the morning low of 19 degrees. Tomorrow night however, we're supposed to start getting snow lasting through Monday. We are under a winter storm watch from Sunday afternoon until Monday evening. Indy - the world's foremost Snow Man - says, "It's about time!"

As long as he's happy.....

SCREAM

Severe Congenital Reactive Equine Abscence Melancholia

If you're a horse person, you know this dreadful disease all too well. And here I am, a week and a half since my tumble, and talk about suffering! This has to be the worst case of SCREAM I've ever had. To say I'm miserable would be a serious understatement...

Not only am I in constant physical pain, I'm in even worse psychological pain due to this dreaded affliction. It doesn't help matters that it's been almost impossible for me to get any sleep because of the excruciating muscle spasms in my ribs. I haven 't dared even try to visit the barn for fear of something happening that will prolong this agony and keep me away from my horses even longer.

In fact, today is the first day I've felt significantly better - not great or normal, but at least better. That makes me feel a little more optimistic, because believe me, I'm ready to totally freak.

I am lucky that I can see Indy and Ami out the kitchen window, and that's certainly better than nothing, but it's not enough. As I'm sure my fellow SCREAM suffers know, seeing is just not enough. You gotta touch and smell. You gotta have horse hair and horse sweat all over you. You gotta have green slime on your shoulder... I have to stop - I'm driving myself crazy! I need and Indy-hug. I need to be snorted on..... Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Please excuse that outburst. I better stop now...

A Birthday And An Adventure

Indy and Ami had a very nice day on which to celebrate their birthday(s). Of course, the weather wouldn't matter to them as long as they got their gifts - apples and extra carrots. One must keep one's priorities straight after all.



It was a lovely day and Mr. Scratchaholic got a super birthday scratch. Ms Ami is not that crazy about scratches, but apples - she's that crazy about those.




Indy is 10 - May 28, 1998

Ami is 17 - May, 1991



I took a lot of pictures - like the ones on this post - and even made my first video. It's at the bottom of this post.



Indy and I had a very nice 30 min. ride the next day, and the day after that... We finally made the leap to riding out in the field. That's quite a story in itself...

On my first attempt at mounting the dang saddle turned. I'm not sure why, because I had it in the same hole as the day before. Indy hates this, and he had to stand while I loosened the girth, fiddled with straightening the saddle and re-tightening the girth. But, he did it. He stood stock still for the entire operation - a praiseworthy act in itself!

Then I remounted and walked him around. Since I was hoping to go out into the field, I was wearing the body protector I purchased some time ago for this occasion. After that excruciatingly painful rib bruise I got when I came off that #%&*#@! Wintec saddle, I didn't want to take chances.

As we walked around the paddock though, I got the uncomfortable feeling that the thing was seriously interfering with my balance. I guess these things are made for a different kind of saddle, because it kept hitting the cantle of my saddle.

I rode back over to Mike and told him it wasn't going to work. I decided to just take it off and hand it over to him to put back in the barn. That is, I tried to take it off. The @#%&*! thing was so thick and hard and stiff that I couldn't get my arms back through the arm holes. Mike and I almost had to take the darn thing apart - think new Velcro rrrrriiiiiiipppppp! - to get me free of it. This while Indy stood quietly thinking no doubt that there was just no end to the nutty situations people got themselves into...

We then walked around the paddock a bit more. Indy was still perfectly calm, so TA DA! Mike opened the gate! And out we went.

Indy was really very good considering we were walking through clover up to his belly with grass even taller. I didn't expect - or even want - to keep him from noshing. I just wanted to keep him more or less moving - in the direction I wanted to go of course. I had him in his soft leather sidepull, and I was a little concerned about steering, but I needn't have been. He was quite responsive considering the distractions.

At one point however, he started to trot down the hill toward the front, and I'm afraid my reflexes took over. This was exactly what happened when I took that disasterous fall off the Wintec saddle - through no fault of Indy's - and I stopped him. I'm sure he wasn't going to take off bucking. After all, he didn't do that the first time. But... We'd been out for a half hour anyway, so I decided to end this first ride before my reflexes did anything else stupid.

Then, for the first time, Indy and I had a real difference of opinion. He didn't want to go back to the barn! The paddock gate was open, but he wasn't planning to go anywhere near it. When I put my legs on him to go forward, he started backing up. I turned him completely around in a tight circle, and asked him to go forward again. This time, he pawed furiously at the ground. I had to laugh, even though I didn't want him to know it.

Again I asked for forward. I had my hands planted with light contact. When he tried to turn away, I closed my fingers on the reins, and just kept my legs on. After only a few moments, I felt him relax - i.e. give up - and he strolled into the paddock just as if that was what he wanted to do all along.

I was impressed. As soon as we got inside the paddock, I leaped off and started telling him what a good boy he was to obey me even when he didn't want to. I gave him a handful of carrot bits and petted him even more as we walked back inside the barn together to untack.

I understandably gained a lot of confidence on this ride. Indy and I faced some tests we hadn't incurred before, and he passed with flying colors. Naturally, since we're both looking forward to our next trip out, it's been raining/threatening ever since, and today was extremely hot and humid. I'm afraid it will be a few days before that next ride happens.

Still, Indy and I are both enjoying the even closer bond that our little adventure led us to.



I love this picture, but somehow it makes Indy's back look much longer than it actually is... Oh well, it does show off his incredible coat.

A Walk On The Mild Side

What a great couple of days Indy and I have had. On Saturday I rode him for about a half hour, and he was even more responsive to the sidepull than the last ride. I think he's figured out that if he's good in the sidepull, he won't have to wear a bit. Since he much prefers the sidepull, that's a powerful incentive!

We had a great ride - heck, it wasn't even hot, not even for Indy. For some reason, Ami got quite perturbed every time she looked up and Indy wasn't immediately in sight. She would come crashing into the barn so she could look out the back window and see us around the corner. I could tell Indy was thinking, "What's with her?" I guess it could have been the fact that Mike was mowing with the tractor, plus the kids next door were racing their ATV all over. Whatever, it didn't bother Indy. As usual.

Yesterday, I decided to take him out into the open field for only the second time - with the first time being over three years ago. With me on the ground for this initial time. I wanted to make sure I knew what he would do if Ami started throwing fits. After the way she acted the day before, when we were just in the paddock like always, I figured his going outside might bring on some real fireworks.

Ami did not disappoint in the fireworks department - she threw a real hissy fit! Running, bucking, squealing, you name it. Indy was startled enough to look around when she started, but ignored her completely after that. I guess I found out what I wanted to know!

Indy was just about perfect on this tour. Oh, he was scarfing down the edibles, but I couldn't blame him. The pasture is almost ready to cut, and there was clover that was knee high. I considered trying it myself...

He never pulled on me or tried to go his own way, and he came back inside the gate with no fuss at all. Of course, as I was trying to get the gate completely closed, he was trying to push it back open with his nose, but all was well and he let me secure the gate. I think he felt better about the whole thing when I started telling him what a good boy he'd been.

I rode him for just a very few minutes, and he didn't try to insist on going out again or anything. He was just his usual self - "What, me worry?"

Next time we ride out. I know, I know. I've had Indy for 6 years, he is Mr. Cool, and we still haven't ridden in the open field. It's incredible to me too. I intended to go slow, but not this slow!

Sigh.... Many factors, most of them quite unlikely, went into this delay. But, that's a whole other post.

The Best Of Times; The Worst Of Times - Plus Six

I can hardly believe it's been six years since Indy first set foot on this property. It seems impossible to me that it has been that long. May 5th, 2002. I had lost my precious DJ on March 6th, and I was very much still in shock.

I'd spent my time - day and night since I couldn't sleep - searching the Internet for another Morgan. I knew getting another horse was the only thing that would get me and Ami through, just as finding DJ all those years ago got me through losing Sirron. Normally, I would have looked for a different breed like I always did with dogs, but being with DJ for twenty years had convinced me that it had to be another Morgan. Not a flaxen chestnut though. DJ was my flaxen chestnut.

Since I was looking for a different color, I was surfing the Rainbow Morgans web links and happened to find myself at Valley Stables in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It so happened that they were reluctantly offering for sale a green coming four year old colt named VS Golden Desperado.

The more I read about this horse, the more something inside said, "Yes!" It was eerie - I felt exactly the way I had when I set eyes on DJ. DJ was only a few weeks older than Indy when I found him; he was very green - with only the basics under saddle - just like Indy; the month was May when I found DJ, and both horses were foaled in May as well. DJ was foaled in 1978, Indy in 1998. I bought DJ without having ridden him myself, and the same would be the case with Indy if I purchased him. I watched DJ's trainer ride him; I got a video of Indy's trainer riding him. The similarities go on and on.

Now, I'm quite the skeptic when it comes to the paranormal and all that, but Indy hooked me like a fish on the line - just like DJ. After seeing the video of his first ride under saddle - as a three year old stallion in mixed company! - I was more convinced than ever that he was Mr. Right.

His breeder, Brenda Vincent, was being extremely careful about who she sold her precious Indy to. We talked on the phone several times and exchanged a number of emails before she agreed that he and I were meant for each other. However, she asked for my word that if the time ever came that I couldn't/didn't want to keep Indy that she get first refusal. That's what I call responsible breeding. Too bad more breeders aren't as conscientious regarding the horses they bring into the world.

Of course, I could not leave Indy as a stallion - no matter how much Ami screamed and cried - so Ron and Brenda had him gelded after my purchasing him was a done deal. Then they would deliver him themselves after about a month.

Those weeks passed quickly, and before we knew it Ron and Brenda were at the gas station where we had agreed to meet them and lead them on to our place. I looked into their trailer, and there he was. He looked at me as if we'd known each other forever, totally relaxed and peaceful.



It only took a few minutes, and we were pulling into the field and up the hill where Ami was anxiously waiting. She missed DJ as much as I did, and her cries for him were unbearable. Now she watched this trailer on high alert.



She stood like a statue as Ron unloaded Indy and Indy started to calmly munch on the grass.



When Ron took Indy over to meet her, they both acted as if they had known each other forever - just as Indy had acted with me. There's just something about Indy - he seems to love everyone and everything, and it never seems to cross his mind that he might have anything to worry about.



Ami was obviously interested in making Indy's acquaintance.



And he was equally interested in making hers.



Ron let Indy graze for a few minutes to let everyone settle down. In all honesty though, no one seemed to need to settle down, because they weren't worked up in the first place.



After those few minutes, I lead Indy into the large paddock, and he and I walked up and down in our first walk together. Except for one big look at the huge rock by the outer gate, Indy was perfectly relaxed.



Then we turned him loose to graze in the big paddock and watched as he and Ami continued getting acquainted over the fence. No squealing or kicking - they just continued to sniff and get to know each other.



And, that's the way it's been for the last six years. Indy has more than lived up to his promise - for me and Ami. He is sweet, intelligent, mischievous but willing. He has an overwhelming curiosity that gets him into everything, and he seems to fear nothing.

I was still very much in grief mode for DJ, but no one could fail to love this golden stinker, and he soon made his own place in my heart.

The Rights Of Spring (And A Couple Of Wrongs)

Ah, SPRING! My favorite time of year! Really now, isn't this picture a lot better



than this one? Come on!



Isn't the sight of Indy and Ami grazing with their dear, deer friends lots more inspiring than all that snow? I realize the horses love cold more than heat, but I'm willing to meet them halfway. Well.... maybe not halfway, but I don't require 80s. 70s maybe. Heck, I can't even groom when my hands are freezing, and Indy especially wants his grooming, scratchaholic that he is.

Spring, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

No more electric water buckets. Those buckets are a godsend, no doubt about that. I don't know what we would do without them - too horrible to contemplate. Still, they are bigger and heavier than regular buckets because of the false bottoms enclosing the heaters. And then there are the long cords to gather up or else step on/trip over when you take the buckets down to clean.

We can leave the water on instead of having to turn it off and on under ground every time we need it. We keep a small heated tank to top off the buckets, but the water still has to be turned on/off and the hose connected/disconnected and drained at least once a day, and often twice a day to keep the buckets clean and full. A bit of a pain, to be sure.

I can go outside without having to spend twenty minutes getting dressed. Not only is dragging on all those layers a pain in itself, their weight makes my back hurt, the heavy gloves make my hands hurt and the heavy boots make my legs hurt.

Although it was fairly cool today, it's getting warm enough that even Miss Ami will consent to having her body groomed by her Personal Attendant (that would be me). Since it stayed cold so long, and I got a late start getting them shed out, it's quite a challenge for my hands and wrists to get the job done on both of them at the same time. Not that they are concerned about that mind you.

All the cats are enjoying the weather too. They're all over the place. Every time you look out the window you see another set of kitties lurking, trying to sneak up on birds, butterflies, blades of grass or each other. They are seldom successful in any of these endeavors, but they love life so much they don't care. It's the journey after all.

Of course nothing is perfect, and I'm afraid that goes for Spring too. Sometimes there is scary weather. And the bugs - face flies, gnats, deer flies, horse flies, fly flies. I've already started using the fly masks on their faces, and soon I'll probably be getting the full fly sheets out. And, then there's the spraying before and after riding and before turning out for the night. Fortunately, they both understand what the spray does for them and stand well for it.

Worst of all, there's the fact that they have to stay in the paddock until late fall instead of being out in the full pasture. The paddocks are quite large, but it isn't the same, I know, I know. Still, it's better than obesity and/or founder. Even they have to agree with that.

Even with these minor glitches, Spring is the most glorious, beautiful, wondrous season of all. I mean, how can you beat this?