Conquering Rosie's new demons

 I've messed up!  I'm trying to reassure myself that it's not the end of the world, which, of course, it isn't.  But, I find myself wallowing in guilt and regret.  

What have I done that is so terrible, you ask?  Well, I ignored my Rosie's training for over a year and a half while I devoted almost all my working-with-horses time to the riding horses I bought/adopted that ended up not working out.  I sometimes feel like I wasted so much time and effort and Rosie paid the price.  But, in reality, I know it wasn't a true waste, especially with Rex.  He needed the time I put into him to help him have a better life.  He was a total mess when I bought him.  Now he is SO much better and has a wonderful home and future.  That is not wasted time.  

Rosie was the easiest horse to train.  She was confident, cooperative, and rarely spooked more than a little hop.  She accepted everything I threw at her, well ... except clippers.  She just hates the feeling of having her hair clipped.  She even hates scissoring some areas such as the hair under her jaw.  The clipper sound or vibration is fine with her, but the second I cut hair, she says no way.  After devoting several sessions to trying to figure out a way to clip her, I decided to pick my battles and decided the hair could stay.  

Now, since the riding horses are gone, I'm working with Rosie again.  I've been surprised by how some things that were never an issue for her in the past now are.  She became used to staying in the safety of her paddock, leaving only a handful of times during the past year and a half.  

I resumed regular work sessions with her about a week ago.  First thing I noticed was a degree of nervousness I had not seen in her previously.  In the past, it was pretty easy to talk her down when she became anxious or afraid--she looked to me constantly for reassurance and then believed me 9 out of 10 times.  Now, she seems to be more independent with her thinking.  She is less "mommy save me" oriented.  Some of that might be due to her age--she is 6 now.  Last time we did much, she was 4--still a baby.  I think most of it is because she has been on her own for a long time.  She learned to be more independent.

Behavior wise, she is still very cooperative and willing.  She will do anything I ask her to do.  She doesn't pull any crap.  The only issue is the new anxiety when she faces a new concept or situation in her environment.  

I don't know why this surprises me?  That is the way 99% of the horses out there are.  If you let them sit for a long period of time, it takes a while to bring them back.  I guess I just never thought that would be Rosie.  I even remember telling myself and others as I was pouring all my free time and energy into trying to help Rex through his issues--Rosie will still be here when I have time to resume her training.  We will pick right up where we left off.  Well, turns out it's not quite that simple.

So now we are both getting back in the make-a-driving-pony swing of things.  Rosie is slowly learning that she can get through uncomfortable situations and do things that make her a bit anxious.  I'm learning how to be less of a "parent" and more of a Rosie *trainer*.  I'm having to adjust what I do to get the kind of responses I want out of her.  Things are different than when she was a youngster.  When she becomes anxious and unsure, she seems more like a regular, typical horse than she ever did in the past.  I wonder if the early years when there was a lot of "mommy, make it all better--I know you will!" are gone.  

As I sit here thinking through all of this, I am having to really do some self-convincing that I haven't ruined her.  Seems silly to some of you, I'm sure.  She is fine.  She is the same basic pony.  We are just going through a different stage of training now.  We will get there.  

She is doing great with resuming ground driving in the two pony paddocks.  We did have some hiccups the first two sessions.  She became anxious about some things she never would have even looked at it in the past, spooked, spun around, and wanted to come back to stand beside me.  I talked and worked her through these hiccups, but they really did surprise me.  She was absolutely the easiest pony I could have hoped for the first 4 years.  The good news is that she is once again relaxed and hasn't spooked while ground driving in the paddocks in subsequent sessions.  The initial anxiety of the first two sessions is gone. Great!

Today, I decided to take her for an on-lead walk further away from home in an area she hasn't been.  It was similar to the first two ground driving sessions at home--She had a level of anxiety and had a couple of spooks.  I live in a residential area where there are many things to get worried about.  We didn't go far because I didn't want to overwhelm her.  I repeated sections as needed until she was no longer worried.  She definitely breathed a sigh of relief when she got back to more familiar territory.  Again, I was surprised  ... but I really shouldn't be.  I have put her on such a "perfect pony" pedestal.  Not good to do this because the higher one is on a pedestal, the further they have to fall.  The bottom line is that she IS a horse and she can behave that way just as any other horse can.  Why is this so hard for me to come to terms with????!!!!

Something funny that happened after we arrived back home:  I had left Heidi dog back home because I was going to be walking around traffic.  After we arrived back home, I led Rosie to the back porch and called for Heidi to join us.  She is 11 years old and her hearing is going, so I had to walk up on the porch to open the door and call her repeatedly.  I parked Rosie at the end of the lead rope at the edge of the porch.  Next thing I know, she hopped up on the porch, which is up to her chest!  It was really cute.  Apparently, she didn't want to be that far away from me.  I guess she is still my baby.  

My plan is to continue to advance with her driving training.  I'll soon be re-introducing the cart in her familiar home setting.  I definitely understand that she needs to have more exposure to new environments, but we will do that on lead until she feels more confident.  After that, I'll advance to ground driving.  I don't know if I will move past ground driving her in my residential area--we have a lot of traffic.  I'm just not comfortable driving her hitched in an area like that.  Too many things can go wrong.  Just have to see how things go.  I'm trying not to think too far ahead.  I can only progress as fast as Rosie is able to.  One step at a time.  

Rosie is all dressed up and ready to work! 

Pony Gem of a Lifetime!

I was sitting here and got to thinking about how I have owned horses most of my life, but it wasn't until little rescue Rosie came into my life several years ago did I know what a horse-human bond truly felt like.  I think we all think we have it at various points in our horse life, but we seldom do have it. 


Rosie and I are bonded as if there is an elastic string that is connected to us--it stretches when we are apart but it never breaks.  That, my friends, is what connection feels like between horse and human.  I feel honored and so fortunate to have this little someone-else's-throwaway horse as my true heart horse.

Fitting the collar to the pony!

It never ends!  As with riding big horses, mini driving horse tack has to be just so.  Everything has to fit well, work well between pony and cart, adjusted as perfectly as we can get it.  Safety and comfort are on the line.  Last post found me needing additional harness parts and cart shaft adjustment.  It is so far above my brain that I must be honest and admit that I sometimes want to just give up and keep the minis as pets.  But, I always come back to my senses.  I want to drive Rosie.  I tell myself that I WILL learn about driving much like I have learned about riding.  It's just been so long since I have felt inadequate and inexperienced ... it gets tough.

Rosie's new collar arrived.  It's a 15".  Here are pictures of the new one.  I think it fits much better.  She has an over-full neck (AKA:  FAT).  She's likely to fit back into her 14" collar when she gets driving and loses weight.

The new 15” collar.

The 15" again.  There is a big gap at the base of the neck, but I think it’s ok and she will definitely be able to breathe ok.

Compare that to the 14" collar that sits on her neck, rather than against her shoulders.  I think you would agree the 15" is the better choice.  14" below.

Below:  The 14", Way too tight for her breathing. 

Drive on Rosie!

I bought a new cart for Rosie last year and never got around to using it.  I know--hard to believe. Who in their right mind would invest in a pony cart and not use it? Maybe you shouldn't answer the "right mind" question.  ha ha   Part of the problem was that Rex was all consuming and sucked the energy out of me.  And, part of the problem is that it has a lower line of draft than my EZ Entry cart, so I need to use a collar and hames.  That meant getting new harness parts and that took a while to get figured out.

To make things even more interesting now, it turns out the Comfy Fit harness I bought for Rosie early in her 5th year is too small in places now.  She has grown more between years 5 and 6!  Wow!  I really thought she was done growing way back because she has always looked more mature than her age.  Even when she was 5 months old, she looked like most yearling or 2 year old mini's.  Not just her size, although she was large for a young mini, but she also had a non-baby appearance.

Trainer Melody came to help me get the harness adjusted and new cart hitched.  First thing she said was the dreaded "Umm ... some of your harness doesn't fit."  Ugh!  Even her bridle browband doesn't  fit.  I bit the bullet and ordered new parts:  larger collar, overgirth extender straps, longer martingale to work with the collar, saddle connector strap to work with the collar (I know some people don't use anything, but her neck is so short that the collar ends up in back of her ears every time she puts her head below horizontal), larger browband, and something new--a neck collar.  Everything has pink accents!  I drive her with a side pull and I think a neck collar will be easier to work around than a halter.  It may be another couple of weeks before I receive everything, but at least it's a step in the right direction.  Oh yes, and the cart shafts need to lose 2 inches to fit Rosie better.  Better too long than too short--I can cut off, but I can't add on.  Melody's husband is doing that for me.

Her new custom Bellcrown Minicrown cart the day I picked it up from Carriage Machine Shop in Pennsylvania.  It's an absolutely wonderful cart.  VERY comfortable seat and spacing for my legs.  No where near as cramped as I was with the basic EZ entry cart.  I had them make it without the step-over bar, so I wouldn't be as likely to get tripped up getting in/out.  Rosie checked it out immediately after I brought it home.  I think she approved.

Rosie rocking her collar, saying "Someone save me!"

Jerry just watching the cart/harness fitting show, thankful it's not him.

I'm really loving having just the two mini's.  Chores are so much easier.  I knew big horses were more work, but this is my first time actually experiencing only mini's.  I'm not completely closing the stall door on getting a riding horse, but for now this works very well.  I need a break, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

More Catch-Up and Future Plans!

After Rex was sold, I wasn't ready to give up my search for my unicorn riding horse, so I decided to approach it from another angle--a rescue. It really is sad that it's become common business practice for private sellers and dealers to exaggerate, lie, or do underhanded things to get the horse sold. There doesn't seem to be any ethics left in the business. Buyer beware is not only something to keep in mind--it's become the horse business overall M.O. I thought a rescue wouldn't have anything to gain by misrepresenting a horse. After all, wasn't the goal to match horses/owners carefully so the horse would have a lifelong happy home? Well, I thought so in my PollyAnna world.

The story:

I had been looking at Standardbred Retirement Foundation for several years. Their ads for horses sounded really great and I was just drawn to the Standardbred breed for no reason that I could explain. Some of it may have been because I simply liked the idea of helping out a rescue to get what I needed in a horse--a win-win situation for both. Since I kept coming back to it again and again, I thought I'd investigate further.

I phoned the rescue to get some general information, explained what kind of horse I was looking for--rock solid, gentle, relatively bombproof, etc. Could have some age on it, but it had to be sound enough for (mostly) walk trail rides in hilly terrain for up to 2 or so hours at a time, with proper conditioning of course. They had almost 400 horses in their care, about 120 riding-ready, and they thought of several that matched that description while I was on the phone. The representative said most of their horses were ex-Amish road horses, so they had been there, done that and had seen it all. They had them vetted and worked with them until they were sure they were appropriate to adopt out as riding horses. Adoption fees were low because
they were mostly late teens-early 20's. But these horses were tough and they often finished with the Amish still sound for general trail riding.

It all sounded pretty good to me! I completed an adoption application, sent them the requested pictures of all my animals and property. They checked all of my references--farrier, horse vet, small animal vet, neighbor, and friend. They interviewed me by phone for over 1 1/2 hours, asking me a lot of questions about general horse care, diseases, injuries, cost of horse keeping, etc, etc. I've had easier job interviews. But I thought this was a sign that they really cared to match the right horse to the right person.

My trip to New Jersey to see the horses was delayed for a couple of months due to COVID-19. They finally gave the all clear mid June. So down I drove with high hopes that I would find a great horse.

The horse I had been discussing with their trainer, Jenna, had acted up on a ride a couple of days before my visit, so I was greeted by Jenna with Giorgi, a 20 year-old chestnut mare, on the end of the lead walking in from the pasture. Their facility is nice--many board fenced pastures with run-ins or groves of shade trees, a tidy barn with perhaps eight box stalls, tack room, and a large run-in on the other side of the aisle that led to a small paddock where I'm guessing horses needing daily vet care or special feeding were kept due to a couple of them having bandaged legs.

I groomed Giorgi. She seemed patient but not very expressive--very stoic. Jenna tacked her up with my saddle and led her out to their nice sand riding arena. Jenna rode her first. Giorgi was SLOW. She needed prodding to keep a regular walk, and a lot of prodding to trot and maintain the trot for even part of the arena. Jenna told me she was just a slow and lazy horse. I had experience with lazy horses and that is actually what I was looking for--patient, not in a hurry to get anywhere.

I rode next. I hadn't ridden since I had fallen off Rex and landed in the ER. I was nervous. I fumbled my way into the saddle and then we walked off. Giorgi was very well behaved. She was indeed SLOW. I only got a few trotting strides out of her, but I wasn't concerned because Babe was like that when I bought her green broke and even though Babe was lazy she became much more responsive to my aids with time and consistency. Since Giorgi had been primarily a driving horse, I thought she was also simply green to riding and would improve with time much like Babe had. In fact, she reminded me so much of Babe in general. She was even chestnut, which is rare with Standardbreds.

I returned home, thought more about Giorgi, and decided I would adopt her. At 20 years old, I knew my riding time with her would be limited, but my plan was to ride her for a couple of years, regain my confidence and improve my strength and agility, and then semi-retire her to guest horse status, and then eventually retire her fully as she aged. But I never wanted to adopt a horse that was a retiree from the start. I am planning to retire from my job in two years. After that, I will have more time to care for multiple horses, including a retiree if necessary. I am not in a position where I can do that now. Little did I know, I would have some tough decisions ahead.

Giorgi was not current on her 2020 vaccinations or her teeth. I had a local vet do these things before bringing her home. I needed a health certificate for trailering across state lines as well. Her feet were also in bad need of a trim. I had noticed was ouchy on gravel at the rescue, so I asked if their farrier was due any time soon so I could get front shoes and a rear trim as well. That all worked out rather quickly. All at my expense.

My friend Mike and I drove the truck and trailer to New Jersey to pick up Giorgi a week and a half later. The trip went well except for horrendous traffic for last couple of hours, as we neared Philadelphia and into New Jersey. I had never trailered in heavy traffic. I did a lot of white knuckle driving, but I did it! I really was quite proud of myself for getting through it. It wasn't easy. Whew!

The first thing I noticed when I arrived to pick her up was that her feet still looked awful. The hooves were out of whack (still)--left front 1/2" longer than the right (I measured them after I got home), the longer front hoof had a big medial flare and was longer on the inside compared to the outside of the hoof. Her back hooves hadn't been trimmed AT ALL. What?! I paid for this, but I just figured I would deal with it once she was home. Nothing to be gained by making waves about hooves already done and paid for. I put in an SOS call to my farrier, who was kind enough to squeeze her in several days later. He agreed that the shoeing and trimming job left much to be desired, but we would get her fixed up. He did a great trim and reshaped the shoes, trimmed her back hooves. They looked 500% better.

I spent a lot of time the first week just being with Giorgi while she grazed or stood in front of her stall fans escaping from the flies. She absolutely hated flies! She would leave her stall to graze, spend about 15 minutes out, and then literally RUN back to the barn to hide out again. At first she even stayed in a lot at night. One day early on, I stood next to her petting her as she grazed on a relatively fly-free morning. She was behaving as if her butt itched, so I gently lifted her tail to make sure she didn't have ticks or irritation there, only to be met by a swift kick and her head snaking around at me with mouth open. Holy Crap!!! I tried to make sense of the situation and thought perhaps her tail had been handled roughly when the Amish put the harness crupper around her tail head. I made a mental note of it as something we would work on in the future--I need to be able to lift a horse's tail for temperature taking and checking to be sure everything is OK under there.

Things went fairly well over the next few days, but Giorgi was still tense around me. It was like she was expecting things to go bad. But within a week, she had softened her demeanor and I had gained her trust. I rode her only one time she was here--about 15 minutes at a walk in the pasture. Her back seemed tense under the saddle. I re-evaluated my saddle fit and it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as good as I like it to be, so I did research and ordered a new saddle online. Further riding would be delayed until the saddle arrived.

As the days went by, I fell in love with her. She did have a few odd quirks with her behavior, but in general, she was very sweet and kind. Then, one day a couple of friends visited to meet my new horse, we had been hanging out with Giorgi in the stall for a while. Everything seemed fine. But, then I ran my hand across the top of her ribs, while telling them that I thought she had already put on some needed weight. She snaked her head around with her mouth wide open and bit me in the back--HARD! I have never been bit that hard. It shook me up. Why on earth did she do that?

I began to add up the odd things she had done: The way she always stood with her back legs tucked up under her, how she was so slow and reluctant to move out when I rode her at the rescue, the way she didn't like to be groomed any further back than her withers, her tight back when I rode her, the kick, a couple of other half-hearted "warning" bite attempts, and, of course, the "big bite." Gentle, sweet horses do not do these things if they feel well. I palpated her body and got a lot of ugly looks and flinching on her back and her butt. My sweet Giorgi was in pain.

I had the vet out two days after the big bite. She found Giorgi was sore across most of her spine extending to her croup. She gave her vitamin B12 trigger point injections, prescribed a few days of bute, and asked me to do gentle carrot stretches. Re-evaluate and decide what to do next after two weeks. I tried to do carrot stretches with her but she bit my arm when her neck "snapped" and she took it out on me. That was the end of carrot stretches.

I had some tough decisions to make. Do I keep her knowing that a 20 year old former hard working Amish buggie horse may have something chronic and unfixable? Should I go through all the diagnostic testing and specialist exams it might take to find out what was wrong with her and if it could be rehabbed? None of this was looking good. I made the difficult decision to return her 3 weeks after I had brought her home.

During my decision making time, I was in contact with the rescue and explained everything that was going on and what my vet found. They said I could bring her back and her adoption fee could be applied to another horse at the rescue. The problem was that most of their horses were not suitable for a clumsy, partially disabled rider. Still, I decided the best thing to do was to return her.

The day I returned her I was met by a volunteer. I gave a quick summary of what had happened since bringing her home. When I explained how the "big bite" happened,the volunteer said something about Giorgi needing to learn better ground manners. I looked at her with this "Don't you understand anything I just told you?" look and said--"No, her ground manners are just fine when she isn't triggered by pain. She needs her pain figured out and resolved." I left her there reluctantly, but I trusted that those in charge would have her checked out by their vet and other professionals and give her the treatment she needed--we had discussed on the phone and by email. I didn't give the volunteer much thought because she didn't know the whole story.

Three days after I returned Giorgi, I saw an ad for her on the rescue's facebook page. She had a rider on her and they were advertising her for adoption as a riding horse. What!!!???!! I was so upset. Why on earth were they riding her so soon? There was no way she had healed by then. I immediately composed an email to the rescue pleading with them to stop riding her and to not adopt her until she was truly better. Not only was it unfair to Giorgi to ride her, but it was only a matter of time until she acted out again. Giorgi was the type that would put up with her pain until she "blew." She didn't give much warning. I was worried she might be adopted as a child's or beginner's horse and then that adopter would get bit or kicked the way I did--my "big bite" was severe enough to take off a child's ear or nose. This was nothing to be taken lightly!

I never received a response. As upsetting as it was, I had to let go of the Giorgi situation. But, I will never have any further dealings with this rescue. I believe they have so many horses that they are unable to screen them properly. A horse that can't be ridden is hard to adopt out--they have many companion-only horses already. I believe they overlook a lot of problems--both behavioral and soundness. Maybe inexperienced people don't notice? Maybe a pain issue like Giorgi's gets written off as a behavioral problem and the horse is punisheded so they just suck it up and keep going despite pain. This is not good. I like to hope they aren't doing this on purpose to get double adoption fees--once from the first adopter (me) and then another by the second adopter who comes along a little later. Adoption fees are non-refundable. I lost her fee in less than a month. I told my vet about this fiasco. Her response was: "Having too many animals in their care leads to making inappropriate decisions." So true.

**Update: After an acquaintance contacted someone she knows at the rescue about my situation, I received an email from the rescue stating that the picture and facebook write up was only a photo for general publicity. They will be getting a vet check done on Giorgi and aren't riding her. I have to say ... I don't believe they weren't riding her at the time the FB post was put up. They have MANY other horses to saddle up for a photo shoot. Why saddle up the one that was returned for a back problem?? I don't think they believed me and were just forging ahead. The facts are: I never heard a thing from them until a week and a half after I expressed by "unhappiness" with the FB post and saw a rider on her with her description, which related to her adoptable traits. They contacted me only after my acquaintance contacted the rescue with her concerns. Too much of a coincidence. But, regardless, the bottom line is that more attention has been placed on Giorgi's situation and she will be helped by it. And that's a good thing.**


Lessons learned from this:

Don't believe everything they tell you, even when working with an established rescue--just because they've been in business a long time, doesn't mean they do everything right. Sometimes they miss things or just don't get caught. Look for a reasonable number of horses for the staff and size of the farm. Ask about how they cycle through the horses--they should only have a small pool of adoptable horses. Although it's noble to want to be able to save every horse, look for a rescue that is realistic about what they can handle. Be suspicious of rescues where the horses don't have the basics up to date--hooves trimmed, teeth floated, vaccinations current. I ignored this because Giorgi's adoption fee was so low, but this should have been a red flag. Get a basic vet check--even on a rescue horse. I'm so sure a vet would have discovered her spine problems quickly and easily, saving me a lot of heart ache and damage to my bank account. I didn't get a vet check because this rescue founder's husband is a track vet and they talked about having horses vetted all the time, so I assumed they were correct when they deemed her sound enough for my purposes. Don't get me wrong--I knew a 20 year old was going to have some nicks and dings; she would need some extra TLC, which I was very willing to do. But maintenance care like joint supplements, routine chiropractic adjustments, etc. is a whole lot different than a horse that is just plain unsound.

Between Rex and Giorgi, I am worn out. I'm taking a break from looking for a riding horse. I lost most of my horse shopping budget between those two ordeals anyway. Not the smartest moves I've made, but I'm being honest about them hoping I can keep someone else from making my mistakes.

Sweet, beautiful Giorgi

My future plans: I have the perfect horse in a pint-sized package already--Rosie! I have put her driving training on the back burner. No more of that! Rosie is going to get back to work. She is already loving that there are fewers horses to take up my time and attention. She walks around with an extra spring in her step. I can tell she is dancing the jig because she knows she is number one again. She forgets that Jerry needs love too. But I do visit with her first because I know it's so important to Rosie to be my main sqeeze. Jerry is more mature and patient. He knows his turn will come next and seems fine with that. So onward Rosie!

Her recent birthday photo!

She looks so thrilled! lol

Catch up time!

Yes, I have been away a long time.  It really is true with blogs and Youtube channels that if you take a month off it turns into two months ... then four months ... and then before you know it, it's close to two years!

Well, I've decided I'm going to be more diligent with my blog.  Not only for my readers, but also for me.  It's a great way to map progress and growth.  What a great way this is to document my horsie life.  Sometimes I might not think I have anything interesting to say because it's just normal life for me.  But other people might find it entertaining or educational, so it's important to get my thoughts and activities out there.

So much has happened.  I'm going to catch this up in stages, one topic at a time.

When we last were together, I talked about possibly buying a horse.  Well, I did that.  I'll warn you about the story ahead--it didn't work out.  But, I promise you it's OK in the end.  Read on--

December 2018, I answered an internet ad from a high volume dealer in Pennsylvania.  A facebook horse friend who knew of a riding stable in her area who bought all their lesson horses from him told me they had good experiences.  She thought he was honest, at least with them.  He sold most of his horses within a day or two of posting them, so I figured he must be doing something right.  Ha!  I was so naive.  

After viewing videos and having lengthy phone conversations with the seller telling him about all my physical problems and specifics about the kind of rock-solid horse I needed and getting assurance that he was "the one", I took the plunge and bought Rex, a 7 year old grade Tennessee Walking horse gelding.  He is drop dead gorgeous, huh?!

He was a very pretty boy and very sweet--It was clear from the get-go that he was a lover and not a fighter.  Turned out, though, that although Rex was a nice horse, he was a bit emotionally unstable and very spooky.  I took a bad fall off him the second ride.  Went to the ER for CT scans of pretty much every part of my body that could break and was off work for two weeks.  Fortunately, I just had a lot of bruising that healed with time.  I was boarding him at the stable where I took riding lessons, just for a couple of months until winter broke.  This would give me time to get to know him with supervision if I ran into any problems.  Well, I soon discovered that these problems weren't going to be fixed any time soon.  

Rex kept getting spookier and whackier as the early days went by.  My riding instructor thought he had been drugged.  I don't know.  I didn't have him tested, so I can't make that claim.  I wonder if he had just maxed out on his ability to handle changes.  I did some more research and found he had been with a dealer in Kentucky, which is where the PA dealer bought him.  This KY dealer is known for getting his horses from kill pens and killer type auctions.  The nice story I was told about him being with "friends in Kentucky who owned him for a year and trail rode him all over" was not true.  The poor horse had likely been going from auction to dealer, rinse and repeat, so his brain was fried.  

I did some research on my dealer friend.  (I know--should have done that BEFORE--lesson learned the hard way.)  I found reviews online of people who had similar dealings with him.  A local experienced horse woman bought what she called a "bronc" from him two years earlier.  She ended up taking a big financial loss.  His folksy act was just that--an act to gain buyer trust.  He did offer to exchange Rex for a different horse, but some of the reviewers I read ended up with a horse with even bigger issues or unsoundnesses.  Since it was also going to be very expensive to truck horses back and forth, I decided to keep him and see if things would get better.  I brought Rex home to be with my senior QH Babe (more on her later).  I thought she would be a calming influence on him.  She helped, but Rex's problems were bigger than she could fix.

Rex was a sensitive horse--everything in his environment caught his eye or ear and made him tense or scared.  He spooked at unknown monsters just walking in from the pasture.  He spooked if  a neighbor 500 feet away started up his weed eater.  He was constantly on guard.  I didn't feel safe riding him further, but I could see his kind, sweet disposition and I thought maybe he just needed time and stability to trust in the world again.  I did a lot of ground work with him and spent one-on-one time with him to build a bond.  I had him evaluated by a trainer I respect.  She agreed with my feelings about him and said he was going to need a lot of time before I would even see what he was really like.  

I kept holding out hope that Rex would calm down to be the "generally bombproof, anyone can ride" horse I was told he was and what his video showed.  (I'm rolling my eyes!).  I bought Rex January 2019.  I kept him until June of 2020.  He did improve and settle down to a degree, but it was clear he wasn't ever going to be as bombproof as I needed him to be.  I need rock solid.  

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with him.  I was so worried about his future.  Horses like he could be often ended up being dumped at an auction, or at a slaughter house in Canada or Mexico.  Even if I found a buyer, I was so worried he would freak out again if he went to a new home.  I decided I would just keep him and think about it later.  That's the advantage to keeping horses at home.  It really isn't that big of a deal to keep an extra horse.  One day, I was messaging an acquaintance (friend of a friend of a friend) about a computer issue and we got on the subject of Rex.  He had met Rex in summer 2019.  He liked him and never forgot him.  Our conversation turned into a horse sale.  Rex had a new home!  His new owner is absolutely wonderful.  Kind to animals and also has the ability to provide for Rex's needs, including a stay at a trainer for a couple of months so they could work together to get to know each other.  

Before Rex left, I had a phone animal communication session to prepare him for the move.  A friend had suggested that because she believed it had helped one of her horses adjust to a move.  Since I was so worried about Rex's ability to handle a change, I thought it was a good idea.  Through the animal communicator, I told him what was going to happen, told him his new "dad" was going to be very good to him, and I encouraged Rex to trust that things would work out.  A horsie acquaintance told me that all the trust he gained in life and people while being with me would transfer to his new home.  I wasn't sure if that would actually happen.  But, I'm so pleased to say that Rex adjusted to the move to the trainer's barn and his new owner very well.  He and the trainer love him!!!  I am so happy that this all worked out for Rex.  He is set for life!

Rex with his new dad.  His beauty just takes your breath away, doesn't it?

Now ... The sad news ... Babe had worsening arthritis in her knees and she became too uncomfortable even just hanging out in the pasture. Her eyes told me it was time.  I had her put down mid winter 2020.  She was such a great horse and I think about her all the time.  She was with me for 16 years.  What a great girl she was.  She is buried in her pasture.  

Rest in peace, Babe.  You were definitely The Queen of my heart.  Saying good bye to Babe:  

Riding into the Sunset

I'm at a point in my life where I'm pretty happy again.  It's been a long time since I've been able to say that.  Not that things were terrible ... they just weren't that great.  I had accepted my life for what it was at the time and decided that would be good enough.

Returning to riding again has made such a huge difference.  It's not just riding.  It's the whole horsey scene in general.  I have made some new friends at the riding stable.  I have reconnected with some of my old horsey friends.  I'm looking at riding tack online and even planning a tack shop visit.  I had gotten away from that because everything is geared towards riding.  Why go to a tack shop if I couldn't use anything I found? 

I had withdrawn from my old horsey buddies because being with them was a reminder of what I was missing.  I know that's not good for me or them, but I have to admit that's what was going on.  I'm hoping that if things change and I'm not able to ride again, I won't withdraw again.  I'm going to count on them to remind me too. 

I'm still riding Chocolate.  Things are going well, but he is SO much work to ride.  Just keeping him going at a canter to complete one circle of the ring is a big job.  He either ignores my cues and breaks gait, or his body kind of falls apart and then he becomes so rough to ride that I start to lose my seat and balance, and then he breaks gait anyway.  Although he is a difficult ride, I still like him.  I wonder what that is all about??  I guess I'm a sucker for a quiet, gentle horse that is still a bit of a challenge. 

The last time I took lessons was more than 30 years ago--yes, that long.  There was a horse at that stable that was my Chocolate, although he was SO different from Chocolate.  Demitrius was a fast, sensitive, spooky horse.  I think I liked riding him because he wasn't much work.  It was worth dealing with the spooks to have a forward moving horse I didn't have to push all the time.  My instructor was tough and she didn't miss a thing.  Riding the fast, spooky horse and keeping up with her instructions was easier than having to concentrate on pushing a slow horse AND keeping up with her instructions.  I think that was it.  Regardless, I attached myself to this fast horse and rode him most of the time. 

I am having some problems with my back.  Some of it is Chocolate's rough gaits.  He yanks my body around.  But some of it is just that I just have chronic back problems, especially the right sacroiliac joint.  I fell off a horse years ago and landed hard on that spot.  Ever since then, I've had problems. The chiropractor thinks it gets stuck.  A pain management doctor thinks it's too mobile and loose.  No one can agree.  Earlier this year I had a procedure called radio frequency ablation.  It burns the nerves so you don't feel the pain.  It worked quite well.  I think the nerves are regenerating because I'm really feeling the pain dramatically increasing over the last two weeks.  I'm headed to the clinic tomorrow to make an appointment to have it re-zapped. 

Having the back problems has reinforced how I am unlikely to be able to tolerate riding a rough gaited horse for the long haul.  I think I can ride anything at a walk, although Chocolate's fast, clunky feeling walk kind of throws my back around.  Maybe I couldn't even tolerate a walk like that long term??  A gaited horse would be nice, but the problem is that it seems to be so difficult to find a gaited horse that is slower moving that I like and consistent with its gait without needing constant pestering to stay in it.  It narrows my field of available horses when I go horse shopping.  I really think I would do fine with a stock horse type with slow, easy gaits--a nice jog and a collected canter.  The western pleasure type, except I hate the limp-a-lope stuff.  Give me a regular canter any day over that crawl that looks so painful.  "Trotting" horses (vs. gaited horses) are more plentiful where I live.  My chances of finding a trotting horse that fits my overall requirements will be much easier than finding the same thing in a gaited horse.  I'm not ruling anything out, but my guess is I'll end up with a quarter horse type.  But, it has to have smooth gaits or it just won't work.  I can see (and feel!) that now. 

Rosie is doing great.  Although I am so excited about returning to riding, Rosie is still my special girl and that will never change.  She gets plenty of kisses on her cute little nose every day.  We will pick up driving training in the Spring.  I just don't feel like messing with the harness straps in this cold weather. 

Jerry is ... well ... Jerry.  No pony on the face of the earth is as well behaved as he is.  He's especially great to have around because Rosie is challenging.  I wouldn't want to have two Rosie's in the same pasture.  Pony-tude overload!

So things are going well.  I will need to have my back tweaked, but I don't see this as something that will prevent me from riding.  Just something I have to work with. 

Baby, it's cold out there!

We are in a cold snap now.  It was -5 F this morning.  Weird weather because the forecast says it's going to be high of 42 F tomorrow. 


The mini's are fuzzy and warm.  They have no concerns about the low temp.  Jerry often has snow and ice all over him; he rarely goes inside.  Rosie goes inside for a while, but then has to come back out shortly after to check on her world--she is a nosey little thing.  Babe didn't grow much of a winter coat this year.  I keep her blanketed.  I noticed her mid-weight blanket may not be warm enough when it gets this cold, and also her turnout sheet with no fill might not be adequate when the temps are at the in-between state where it's too warm for her mid weight blanket.  So, I solved this problem by ordering her a 100 gm blanket liner.  I ordered this one:


https://www.amazon.com/Horseware-Rambo-Optimo-Liner-100g-x/dp/B004BPZ1D6/ref=sr_1_6/133-4120860-5981545?ie=UTF8&qid=1542993828&sr=8-6&keywords=rambo+blanket+liner


I can add this to her sheet and also add it to her mid weight blanket as needed.  I'll let you know how I like it.  I used a Schneider's blanket liner one time and I didn't like the fit.  It seemed to bind her in the chest.  It was also heavier than I wanted--180 gm.  Add that to a sheet and it isn't much lighter than a mid weight blanket.  Add it to the mid-weight and she would be too warm.   Adding only 100 gm of warmth makes more sense to me.


I'm still riding.  Had a great lesson the other evening.  I was having trouble getting Chocolate to canter to the right, his bad direction.  I thought it was because he just physically couldn't do it without struggling. He's an older guy and likely has old age arthritis and the like.  My instructor got on him to check things out.  They cantered both directions without a problem.  I watched closely for signs that he was half crippled to the right ... didn't happen.  She said that, yes, she could feel him moving better to the left, but it wasn't like it was overly difficult for him to go to the right.  He was likely sensing my reluctance and was playing that up some.  I got back on and cantered to the right, this time with purpose and determination.  He did it and felt much better than when I am all wishy-washy about riding his right direction canter.  Don't you hate it when you find out the problem is *YOU* and not the horse, lol??


To give my new friend Chocolate a little more TLC, I have offered to buy a joint supplement for him.  I ordered it online and it came quickly.  I'll take it over to the barn tomorrow.  People question why I'm doing this for a horse I don't even own.  The why:  I am the only one riding him now.  Without the supplement, he does just fine hanging out in his retirement.  Riding him puts extra stress on him.  My lessons and riding just barely cover the cost of a monthly joint supplement with a little extra for my instructor's work.  I don't mind footing the bill because it not only helps him and my instructor--supplements add up and Chocolate didn't need it before he started working again--but it also helps me because I should have a nicer moving horse to ride.  I like riding him.  And, I need him.  I feel such gratitude towards that horse.  Chocolate helps me out so much because he is a safe horse for me at a time when I desperately need a horse like that to make my return to riding successful.  And, it's even better because he is also a challenge because he isn't a push-button horse and needs encouragement and reminders about what I expect.  He makes me stretch.  Drifter may be an easier horse to ride, but I don't get the same benefits as I do from Chocolate.  I'm happy to do whatever I can for Chocolate and my instructor, who has allowed me to kind of make Chocolate my own riding horse.  It's a win-win-win situation. 


Rosie is bored.  She doesn't do well with idle time.  I spent some time with her yesterday just grooming her and fussing over her.  She had such a good time.  It doesn't take much to make her happy--she just wants attention and interaction with me.  With her pony-tude, she really needs some kind of work to tone that down and remind her she is not running the show.  Even just having her stand for grooming and picking out her feet reminds her of this.  I could see her eyes light up when she had something to do.  I bet some of our snow will melt with the warm weather we have coming and I'll ground drive her or at least lunge her.  She also loves going for walks with me.  I'll find something to do to make her eyes light up again.

Horsey happenings!

All is well here at the ranch.  Rosie is doing great.  The little nut helped me do chores today.  She is such a help--she pushes the sled I use for hay and bedding with her nose, she tests out new shavings by immediately rolling--she gave today's shavings her seal of approval.  We have snow and I'm not doing any more driving training with her.  We lunge occasionally and I may slip in some ground driving if I get ambitious, but for the most part Rosie is on vacation from her driving training until Spring.  Winter in NY doesn't usually give up until mid April or so.  We just received an early Thanksgiving gift of almost a foot of snow.  That was an eye opener.  I think everyone forgot what winter was like.  OK, I remember--now go away.  

Rosie's little nose is just begging to be kissed

Babe is ready for winter, sporting her Weatherbeeta high neck turnout blanket.  I joke that I will spend much more for a winter coat for my horse than I will for myself ... but, really, it's no joke--It's fact!  But as long as she is comfortable and happy, so am I.

Jerry doesn't need a coat because he has plenty of his own.  He is unbelievably hairy.  Hairy Jerry!

My riding lessons are going great.  I am also riding in between--once or twice depending on how much time I have.  The stable is almost an hour drive for me.  I wish it was closer.  Where I live EVERYTHING seems to be far away.  But when it comes right down to it, I'm glad I have this available to me at a time when it is just what I need.

I'm still riding Chocolate most of the time.  He's doing so well.  When I first started riding him, it was like riding a lumber wagon that stalled out all the time.  As I ride him more and more and we get used to each other, he has smoothed out considerably, is listening to me without gawking all over the place, and has become much more responsive to my aids.  It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment as well as partnership.

I owe a lot of my riding success to Chocolate.  Don't get me wrong--he is a challenge in that his gaits can be very rough, he's very much a push ride (although becoming less and less like that every ride),  and he can be slow and rather clunky feeling.  At the beginning, I would get to my lesson and think "Ugh, I have to ride Chocolate again."  He was a lot of work, he traveled so discombobulated, and I never felt like we were getting anywhere.  But, things have really come around for both of us just in the past few weeks.  It's like magic!  I'm gaining confidence and strength; he's gaining physical endurance and greater flexibility.  Both of us are growing.

Chocolate is an older horse--23, I think.  He is my riding instructor's personal horse that she has owned for 16-ish years, since she was a young child.  But, it's been a long time since he's been used like a regular horse.  From what I've learned, he's been used for some easy beginner lessons and that's about it for the last few years.  He had good training early on but he is very rusty now.

The great thing about Chocolate is that he has wonderful manners, a kind soul, and is one of the safest horses I've ever ridden as far as needing a horse that doesn't pull any crap.  I feel safe when I ride him.  He doesn't spook, he doesn't buck, jump around, or do any of the things that can shake a returning rider's confidence.  I feel like I owe that horse a lot.  And, the special treat is that as I work with him more and more, we are bonding, and I find he behaves like a horse that says "Let's do it!" ...  Not "Let's not." like he was when I started.  How has this happened?  Just being firm but gentle, consistent, kind, and loving him for the sweet horse that he is.  I think all horses respond to that.

Sometimes I can't even believe I'm riding almost like a "normal person."  I dismount and I feel fine ... next day I still feel fine.  It's almost unfathomable to me how this return to riding is going so far.  I see no reason that it won't continue.  My horsey life is so important to me.  I feel like things are starting to come together again--the mini's are wonderful--Jerry is perfect and Rosie is my golden-ray-of-sunshine pony, Babe is doing well in her retirement, and I'm riding again!!  Who could ask for anything more!!!

I told you I change my mind a lot

I wrote in an earlier post that I change my mind a lot.  Well, I did it again!

Last post, I said I wasn't going to canter Chocolate at my riding lesson any more.  Next lesson I cantered him.  Don't say I didn't warn you, lol .

The lesson was going well.  It was cool and Chocolate had some spring in his step ... well, as much spring as he can muster.  He's a pretty laid back horse.  Part of his charm.  I was feeling extra confident--I decided to do it.  At first, he cantered a couple of strides and then broke into a trot.  Lumber wagon thing big time!!!  But, I wasn't willing to give up.  I tried a few more times, fine tuned my cues, got better able to catch him before he slowed down, and he managed to canter the whole way around the arena.  You may think this is no big deal, but on Chocolate, it is.  I've cantered a lot in my life, but I don't think I have ever been more proud of myself for riding a canter.

At my lesson last evening I rode Drifter, who is a barn favorite.  I've seen him being ridden by others, but this was my first time on him.  He is a saddlebred.  He's very well trained, responsive, and is what I would call an over achiever.  He was so willing and compliant.  He was a very easy ride.  He would occasionally bend to the outside and get his body out of whack a bit like many horses do in an arena or change his way of going a little bit, but he was so easy to correct.  He operates in the "how may I serve you?" mode.  His trot is delightful--smooth and cadenced.  Cantering him was interesting.  Being a saddlebred, he has been ridden ultra collected with a high headset.  He needs to be in that position to canter.  Once the rider starts taking up the reins and collecting him, he knows what is coming and pretty much steps into a canter with the slightest cue.  (I told you he was an over achiever.)  I cantered him quite a bit last evening.  I noticed I was using different muscles than other gaits.  It was good for me physically to do a sustained canter like that to build better balance and strength.  As part of his over-achieving ways, when we were waiting in the center of the ring with others while each horse was cantering individually, he always had this look and feel of a horse wanting to do something.  Chocolate?  He falls asleep or entertains himself by watching whatever is going on and has no interest in getting out there to work.  I don't think you could find two horses more different from each other.

As much as I loved Drifter's gaits and willingness, I have to admit I missed my boy Chocolate who makes me work for everything he gives me.  It's such a feeling of satisfaction to get Chocolate to get out of his sluggish ways and do things he doesn't really want to do--things that take some energy and concentration.  He's all for conserving energy and he loves to gawk at anything going on.  So, when things come together riding Chocolate, it's a very big deal and feels as great as if I did something really big--like climbed Mt. Everest (and sometimes it feels that way from all the energy I have to use).

I've been thinking about which horse I'd rather ride.  My answer is both.  They each have gifts to offer.  Drifter is a easy horse who wants to please, is super responsive, and has nice gaits.  He is great when I just want to work on my position and relax more about what the horse is doing.  I don't have to stay on top of him every minute.  I kind of set him in a gait and forget about it ... well maybe a little reminder here and there, but he really is super easy to ride.  Chocolate is a "good old boy" type of horse who is a sweetie but he really doesn't want to do any more than he has to and wants to make sure you really mean what you ask for.  This makes me stretch to use every bit of skill I have in my riding arsenal.  Not that I'm all that skilled of a rider, but I definitely have to use the tricks and skills I do have to bring out the best in him.  And when he responds to that and I see the results, it is a great feeling of accomplishment.

So, riding is going well.  My body is holding up.  I feel like my legs, especially, are getting stronger.  Yay!!  I'm SO glad I decided to try it again.

Rosie, Jerry, and Babe are all doing well.  Babe still has scratches/mud fever on one pastern, but I think I may be on to something.  I found a new sulfur-based cream called  Nu-Stock

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/pierces-nu-stock 

It says to apply it every three days, but I've been doing touch ups every day to keep the product on the bad spots.  Tonight the scabs came off super easy with gentle scraping with my fingers.  It was more like just rubbing the scabs off.  Things look better after just a few days of treatment.  Fingers and toes crossed this works because I'm running out of options.  The lime sulfur dip I got from the vet worked wonders the past couple of years, but this year all it is doing is keeping it from spreading.  I've tried so many products through the years that I've kept the tack shops and feed stores in business.

Babe is also prone to rain rot once her winter coat starts coming in and then she gets wet.  I bought her a new rain sheet that covers everything other than her head.  It's also in *her* color--teal, so she looks especially pretty.  It was on sale and I hesitated to take a chance on it being waterproof, but I took the plunge.  Seems OK so far.  This is the one I bought her.

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/jeffers-combo-neck-rain-sheet?via=5338848b9fa2600f00000196%2F5338848f9fa2600f000001ea%2F533884909fa2600f000001f0%2F57fd030ef2131d2b520000c0

My only complaint is that it runs a little small.  I bought her the usual 78, but I think an 81 would have fit better.  This isn't a good sheet for horses that are hard on their clothing or in a pasture with a lot of things to poke holes in it, since it's only 600 denier, but Babe is easy on her clothes so I think it will work fine.  For $59, I think it's a steal of a deal.

I'm enjoying my horsey world.  Riding has given me back a huge part of what I enjoy most in life.  It's such a gift.  I love the mini's and retired Babe.  Life is good.

A week off work for horse time!!!

I've had this week off work.  It has been SO nice.  I can't wait until I can retire, but that's going to be a few years. I am trying to focus on the positives of my job--flexible time off, no mandatory over time, no schedule changes unless it's my choice, security, good pension plan ... gee, it's starting to sound pretty good.  So why do I complain?  I'm like everyone else who wants to do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it--that is my definition of retirement and heaven on earth.  Plus, as I get older, I just don't like dealing with the work place politics and crap.  I work for the state government and there is always crap going on.  I swear they go around trying to fix what ain't broke so much that it becomes the new normal for management.  Oh well ... I will just focus on the things I love about my life outside of work.  Retirement will come some day.

I've been working with Rosie quite a bit this week.  It started off hot and humid, totally unseasonable for upstate NY.  The mini's have a pretty heavy winter coat already and they were so hot.  I couldn't work with Rosie Sunday or Monday, but then the humidity dropped and Tuesday and Wednesday were tolerable.  She was wonderful.  I say this all the time ... but I just love that pony!!  She has a bit of an attitude (OK, more than a bit), but she will do ANYTHING I ask her to do.  Well, unless it involves pain or discomfort--the vet!--then she has no tolerance at all.  She just loves doing training work.  I worked her pretty hard Wednesday hitched to the cart.  It was still pretty warm and I'm sure not ideal for a hairy mini.  She was near perfect and never showed any sign of wanting to quit.  She was just happy we were doing things together.  What a girl!!!

I still haven't gotten in the cart and some people have told me she is ready.  Everything I do with Rosie comes from gut feeling.  My gut is telling me to do more ground driving, more complex things with the empty cart so she is even more solid than she appears now.  She trusts me and I don't want to rush things to make her doubt that trust.  Trust is the reason she is so willing to try new things and lets me do so many crazy things to her without batting an eye.

Wednesday I worked on trotting her pulling the cart.  She wasn't quite sure about that.  I don't think it's the noise because that kind of thing doesn't bother her at all.  I had her drag six plastic milk jugs in front of the cart basket right in back of her legs and that doesn't even faze her.   I think it was that the shafts in the harness had a different feel.  She trotted a little here and there but was reluctant to keep going.  Just kept giving me the "Mom, I'm not so sure" look.  So I want her comfortable with that.  I also want her to pull the cart outside of our safe 1/2 acre paddock I've been working in--the big pasture.  I know driving people won't agree with me for ground driving her hitched in that situation, but my gut tells me this is the way to go with her.  If she becomes unsure, I can quickly go up to her head to give her reassurance.  I also want to set up some cones and drive her around them.  She is already doing great turns--she is learning to kind of side step into the shafts and can make some pretty tight turns.  Ideally, I would prefer to have wider shafts that Patty's Pony Place in Canada makes to add to existing carts, but Kelly, the builder, is backed up, and I have to work with what I have for now.  It's OK, but not what I would consider ideal.  Most drivers wouldn't think anything needed to change.  I'm just picky, I guess.  I think Rosie would feel better if she had more room to move within the shafts.  She's a wide mini with a big butt especially.  She needs more room to move and groove.

Riding lessons are going well.  I'm still riding Chocolate.  I have come to realize Chocolate does not like riding in the heat.  I rode Tuesday early evening and he was obviously wanting to quit a lot.  He was also heavy with the reins and was blowing off my attempts to use more subtle cues.  He just wasn't into it.  My next lesson is tomorrow--Saturday.  It cooled off dramatically over night, so he will have more energy--I just hope not too much.  I like that happy medium that everyone else likes as well.

I like riding Chocolate because I feel safe ... but, his gaits are rough, he's a lot of work to keep driving forward when he is having a lazy day (which is often).  I cantered him for the first time a week ago and it felt like I was going to fall off!  His canter is big and rough--I felt like I was being tossed around the saddle big time.  Holy crap!!!!  He is easy to get into a canter, but is very difficult to keep him going once he gets to the short side of the arena.  I decided it's not worth it to risk falling off just to canter him down the long side of the arena.  I told Rayann I would hold off cantering until another, smoother horse becomes available.  I've cantered horses plenty in my life time.  I don't need to canter this very minute to prove I can ride again.  I know beginners get so excited when they are finally cantering in their lessons.  I'm just not at that place where it's a big deal to me.  I'm just grateful and excited that I can ride a horse again and still walk the next day--and then go back for more!

I posted on facebook my description of my perfect horse.  Kind of like declaring to the Universe what I want so it will open up to come into my life.  Of course, my horse friend enablers found me some ads. (You knew they would, huh? :-))  I contacted the seller about one by facebook messenger.  I couldn't resist--she was a gorgeous palomino!!!  I know, you can't ride color--but wouldn't it be great if I found my ideal horse in my ideal color!   I explained my story and what I'm looking for.  Does her horse fit what I'm looking for?  She got snippy, started talking about that I'm scared and won't be able to find any horse that won't react to my fear ... blah, blah, blah, followed by "You need an old, old, old horse!"  (Yes, *3* olds)  This horse was three hours away.  I'm not going to even entertain the thought of driving to try her out if she doesn't have the qualities I'm looking for.  It's called screening horses before wasting everyone's time.  That, of course, pissed me off.  OMG--is this what I'm going to encounter over and over until I find that jewel of a horse I need?  I know they are out there.  I've owned a couple in the past that would be perfect for me now.  I just have to weed out the frogs to find my prince (or princess).

Ideally, I would rather wait until Spring/Summer of 2019 to look seriously.  I'll have more money saved up.  I'll have good weather to immediately be able to start riding the new horse--I don't think it's a good idea to buy a horse now, have it sit for most of the winter, and then try to get to know it after it's sat all winter.  Sounds like a recipe for disaster.  But, a girl can dream.  Who knows?  But I'm willing to stick my neck out there to get the ball rolling.

Lots of Horse Happenings!

So much has happened.  I feel like my life is in a whirlwind--a happy whirlwind.  Yay!

Rosie is doing SO great with her cart training.  I punched more holes in the straps of my harness so I could raise the tugs to better balance the cart.  I think it looks much better.



She is pulling the cart around with me ground driving from the side and in back of the cart.  No fear and no more than very brief moments of confusion when I do introduce a new element to the routine. She always keeps her head about her.  If I can get my butt moving to work with her more frequently, she should be ready for me to get in the cart very soon. I want to make absolutely sure she is solid and comfortable before I do that.  About the picture.  She is tied to the barn by her halter.  Technically, I know I'm not supposed to be out of the cart without someone at her head ... but I'll warn you, I'm breaking a lot of rules with Rosie.  Get used to it, lol.  I'm on my own most of the time and I have to make do.  I've also been around horses most of my life, so I'm pretty good at sensing if things are headed south and can intervene--not always, of course, but although I'm new to driving, this "ain't my first rodeo" with horses in general.  I'm also not planning to use a bit or blinders--that will really freak out the driving folks, but that's what I'm doing with her because I think it's best for her and makes her more comfortable with the whole process.  That's what's most important to me, not following the traditional norms.  Don't I sound like a rebel???  LOL

Some Rosie news that's not so good:  She developed an eye infection several days ago.  The vet came out, much to Rosie's dismay.  She is afraid of anything that says "vet" to her.  They smell funny, they have needles--not a good thing.  Poor girl.  The vet and a student were trying to examine her and they did manage to do so, but it's never easy with Rosie.  She just hates vets and decides no good can come of this  no matter how many treats they offer, no matter how many times they say hello to her at visits when she is not the target of their visit.  I feel bad because my vet really IS kind and nice to her.  Rose just thinks she is the enemy.  The good news is that she didn't have any cornea scratch, which I was so sure she had by the symptoms--just a conjunctivitis kind of thing going on.

I was given antibiotic ointment (3X day) and they left. I wanted to start her immediately so there would be enough time in between that dose and the night time dose.  That was a mistake because Rose was upset about their visit--I really should have given her more time to calm down.  Long story, short, I went round and round trying to get the eye ointment in her eye.  One time was bad--she reared and jumped forward.  Happened in a nano second and the end of the tube went in her eye and I heard and felt a snap.  OMG!!!  I thought I punctured her eye.  She kept it closed after that too, which made me more fearful.  I called and asked the vet to come back.  She did and examined the eye.  She didn't see anything bad.  She thought maybe it caught the third eyelid and that's the snap I felt.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  I decided to leave well enough alone and wait until the bedtime dose, which went MUCH better.  She was calm by then and just tossed her head a bit.  Subsequent doses were no big deal--I'd just squirt the medication in the eye and that was it.  No fuss, no muss.  I should have given her time to calm down after the vet ordeal.  Lesson learned.

I was feeling particularly cocky one day after I medicated her without even putting her halter on--just out in the pasture.  I kind of cuddled her head and asked her to hold her head still ... and she did!  I've medicated her two more times that way without any problem.  I thought--to all the people who think I spoil her too much and let her get away with too much pony-tude stuff, I say "Take that bitches!"   ha ha  (I mean this in a joking way, but I really did say that to Rosie out loud when I finished with her just standing there cool as a cucumber.)

Rosie's eye is looking great now and I only have today's medication and I'm done.  I'm free!  I really hate making that bed time medication visit late at night when I'm all settled inside cozy and comfortable after a busy day of work and everything else I have to do around here when I get home.  Not that I don't want to see the horses, of course, but it's cold, dark ... not a fun time.

Rosie's eye at its worst



More on the vet medical front--I'm still battling Babe's scratches on her left hind pastern.  I think I may be making some headway, though.  Even though she doesn't have much hair on her leg, I decided to shave it down with clippers.  That has helped a lot, I think.  Last evening the scabs came off more easily and I could tell the liquid medication I use (lime sulfur dip that I mix with water dispensed by the vet--works better than anything I've used before) was getting to the skin better.  If our weather can just stay dry for a few days, I might have it licked.  But with all the rain we've had this summer and early fall, that's asking for a lot.  At least the scratches are not getting worse.

Babe is SO patient for treatment.  I scrape off as many scabs as I can, and I know it is painful for her.  I don't even have to put her in the stall or put a halter on her--she just lets me do it, with no more objection than occasionally picking up her hoof and holding it in the air for a few seconds or turning her head around to let me know when it's too much.  Babe is so patient and tolerant.  She has always just seemed to understand that she has to tolerate uncomfortable things for short periods of time occasionally.  If you exceed her "short period of time," then she starts fussing.  Until then, she will tolerate a lot.  What a good girl!

Jerry is doing well.  He's always doing well.  He is a totally trouble free and always a good boy.

Back to some good news.  I'm taking riding lessons!  I'm riding a horse named "Chocolate."  He's a very sweet older horse.  Very well behaved and kind.  He's big and his gaits are rather rough, but I think he's perfect otherwise.  I feel very safe and my body is getting used to riding again.  Really, there is no exercise that simulates riding--you just have to do it to see if you CAN do it.  My body seems to be holding up really well.  I get a Charley horse kind of cramp in my hip/leg when I first get on.  I just wiggle my leg around, stand in the stirrups, or whatever to get it to go away.  It sometimes comes back a minute later, but it's the same type of cramping I get when my leg gets torqued in a weird way doing other things.  I have talked with my surgeon about it and he thinks it might just be some scar tissue around the hip prosthesis that causes a muscle to kind of pull for a bit.  I can work with it, so I'm not interested in pursuing any further treatment.  I've been through enough.  Once I get that hip/leg thing sorted out, I'm good to go.  I'm not even that sore when I get off dear Chocolate!

Chocolate's gaits are rather clunky.  Kind of like riding on a logging truck on a bumpy road.  He's rather lazy, as well, so it's actual work to ride him.  First lesson I didn't do much more than walking.  The trotting I did do, it was difficult to keep him trotting.  He is used mostly for beginner, walk riders.  His rough trotting and the starting/stopped threw my back around.  He must have been able to tell I didn't feel confident.

I had my second lesson yesterday.   After working out my hip/leg kink in the beginning, things went very well.  Chocolate seemed to sense my increased confidence.  We did a lot of trotting and once he started to pay attention to me--"she is serious!"--he was much smoother.  Still rough compared to many horses, but smoother for him.  He is such a kind horse.  I'm lucky to be able to ride him.  The great thing is despite doing more work at the lesson, I felt really good when I got off.  I still feel good today.  Next lesson is a group on Wednesday and I'm going to join another group that rides every other Saturday morning.  I met some fellow riders yesterday--Saturday, so more activity.  Everyone was welcoming and friendly.  I love my instructor.  She is young and easy going.  And, one of the best things about her is that I know she loves her horses.  She looks at Chocolate with total love and admiration for what a nice horse he is.  I like that.  I think I found a good stable.

I'm beginning to think this riding gig will work again!!!!  That is such good news.  As I said before, I LOVE my mini's and will continue to work with Rosie on driving.  This has been such a great addition to my horsie world.  I also want to ride if I can ... and it looks like I CAN!  I feel like I've hit the horsie lottery--my wonderful mini's and driving, AND riding.  I still might not be able to ride hours and hours like I used to--in fact, that is unlikely--but I'm OK with that.  If I can only ride for one or two hours at a time, even mostly at a walk, for the rest of my life, I'm OK with that.

Oh, my mind is spinning thinking of possibly buying another riding horse in the future.  Nothing that I will do right way.  If all continues to go well with lessons, maybe next year.  Yipppeeee!!!!!

Mr. Chocolate and me:

Inspiration Can Come From Unlikely Places

I watch a lot of Youtube videos.  Some to learn new skills and information and others purely for entertainment.  I don't have "regular" TV--I have Roku hooked up through my internet, so I can watch videos on my TV with the bigger picture.  I love nature.  Lately I've been watching quite a few videos of thru hikers on the Appalachian Trail.  So interesting to see the progression of the hikes and the terrain in different states along the way.

One hiker said something recently that was very inspirational for me.  She is a 50-ish (I think) first-time hiker and is having trouble with her foot.  She had to take some time off to rest the foot.  When she resumed hiking the trail, she spoke of getting very discouraged.  The foot pain was getting in her head and making her question whether she could finish the hike.  She decided to re-frame how she was talking about the hike and change the way she did it.  She decided to keep going but hike shorter days and take days off if needed.  Her new mindset was that as long as she was making forward progress overall, that was good enough.  She couldn't keep going the way she had been, but that didn't mean she couldn't still do it.  Rather than thinking/saying *if* she could finish the trail, she changed it to *how* she could finish the trail.

That change in wording and thinking make a big difference to her, and I found it did to me as well.  As you know, I have been hoping to start riding again.  I found myself saying *if* a lot when I thought and talked about it.  Well, that has now changed to *how* I can ride.  I decided things were probably never going to be perfect again and I was going to have to make some changes in *how* I hope to accomplish this feat.

Last time I tried riding several years ago, I did everything my usual way.  This time, I've been thinking about what changes I need to make to my riding style, position, my expectations, etc.  Heels down and putting a lot of weight through my leg into my heel will probably not make my bad ankle happy--so, that will have to change.  I have a bum knee that won't like having a big bend and won't want to absorb a lot of shock through it--so, that means I may have to lengthen my stirrups.  I may not be able to do more than a walk until my body gets used to it again--or maybe I'll never be able to do more than a walk and be comfortable and not re-injure a body part--fine, I will walk the entire time if need be.  It's better than not riding at all.

I have a lesson scheduled for Thursday afternoon.  I already discussed my challenges (not problems!) with the instructor to give her the heads up and get a feel for how she would respond.  Everything was "Hey, no big deal--we will work things out."  That was encouraging.  Last thing I want is to go to a stable where I'm viewed as a lesser being just because I can't hop on and ride like the good old days.

I'm going to be constantly listening to my body as I ride during each lesson.  If I need to take a break to dismount and walk around, I will.  If I need to stop and stretch my legs out of the stirrups to rest my back, knee, and ankle, I will.  I'm going to be grateful to even be back on the horse in any capacity, so if I have to change the way I do things, so be it.

No more putting off riding until I'm perfect ... until I've lost a significant amount weight ... until my body is markedly stronger ... until I can ride like I used to do.  Although that is sound thinking in one sense, it's also just making me postpone riding longer and longer.  I've decided I'd rather adjust my expectations and work with what I have now than to continue to put it off until things are closer to perfect.  The bottom line is that I really miss riding and I haven't felt like myself since I gave it up years ago.

Don't get me wrong.  I've been working on increasing strength and endurance by hiking with my dog Heidi, doing a lot of more farm work without needing help, and working out with a yoga video here and there (I admit, that one falls through the cracks).  I feel myself getting stronger and will continue these things, as well as work very hard on losing weight.  But, the wait for everything to be perfect is just not cutting it any longer.  Horses in general are a big part of what makes me, me.  Riding is also part of who I am.  I love my mini's and I think driving Rosie will be a lot of fun.  I will continue her training.  It's just that riding has always been my escape from life stressors and it just plain makes me feel alive.  I want to do it.  So my new way of thinking:  It's not *if* I can ride, it's *how* I can ride.  I'm so glad I watched that hiking video to get this piece of inspiration.

Here's a picture of the last time I rode Babe.  The strong heels-down got me in trouble and re-tore my ankle tendon.  When I look at the picture, I see there is no reason I need to have my heels down that far, so that adjustment should take a lot of stress off my ankle.  The stirrups can come down a hole too and I think I'll still be fine.  Part of the *how* I'm going to make riding happen.

A friend I haven't seen in a long time came to visit today.  She had never met Rosie and Jerry.  Rosie gave her the sniff and "oh, big deal--you seem pretty boring" response that I expected.  She is just not into other people very much.  I got some of my desensitizing toys out--hula hoop and the big ball.  She yawned through my "show off" performance (lol).  Here is the ball in mid air getting ready to bounce off her back.  She looks very impressed, huh?  lol  Babe also seems to think it's not a big deal although it did get an ear to flick sideways.