Animals
- Poor Horses
Federal officials are considering euthanizing wild horses to deal with the growing population on the range and in holding facilities, authorities said Monday. Wild horses have overpopulated public lands and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management can't...
- Routine Maintenance
It's been the busiest of weeks for the horses...they've had the works! Hoof trimming, grooming, bridle path clipping, sheaths cleaned, teeth floated...all in one week. For those of you who are not a part of the horse world, I will give...
- Together At Last!
I have been hesitant to put the "Bigs" and the "Littles"together in the same pasture to graze...fearing for the safety of my tiny horses. That is until the other day, when I took the Bigs to the upper pasture and heard the cries ofthe Littles as...
- Moonbeam
He is in need of a bath and some general grooming....but with the weather as it has been for the last several days (rainy), it will have to wait. Still....he is quite lovely, don't you think? Though a bit on the chubby side, (he really loves to graze)...
- Not-so-brave Maddie
It seems the horses and the dogs have a curiousity about each other. Ava and Moonbeam followed Maddie, our Newfie, as she walked the fence around the pasture. As soon as the horses got close to the fence, Maddie scrambled. She is 140 lbs of pure chicken!...
Animals
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
If you have ever owned/loved a horse you will understand what I am going to say.
Horses bring out the best in you,
and
horses can bring out the worst in you!
We love our horses,
and so we care for them...
day in and day out,
several times each day,
no matter what the weather,
no matter how we feel.
We hay them.
We grain them.
We keep their water fresh.
We keep their bedding clean and dry.
We clean up their manure.
We groom them, clip them, bathe them,
keep their sheaths clean.
We pay vet bills.
We pay farrier bills.
We drop money on horse care items without even batting an eyelash.
We take them out to graze,
and round them up again.
We love our horses...no matter what.
And in return.....
they teach us patience, perseverance, humility.
We become better people when we spend time with our horses.
Most of the time.
And then there are the other times,
when our horses can elicit a string of profanity from our mouths that would make
our mothers blush!
It is at these times, when our worst side shows.
Unfortunately, my worst side emerged yesterday.
You see, Moonbeam, my haflinger has a hoof abscess.
I have been soaking and dressing his draining hoof this week.
The good news is...
he is getting much better.
The bad news is...
I am pretty sure he broke at least one of my ribs yesterday while changing his dressing.
During his dressing change,
he started to crowd me in the aisle.
I turned my side to him and pushed, attempting to push him back into the middle.
He pushed back, and moved forward,
pinning me to the stall wall with his 1500 pounds.
It all happened in a split second.
I felt the crush.
I herd the pop in my chest.
The pain ensued.
(An all too familiar pain.)
And yes, I cussed a blue streak!
(And landed a girly punch right on Moonbeam's side.)
He meant no malice.
He didn't think.
He is quite often oblivious to his massive size.
He did to me what he would have done to another in his herd.
My feelings were hurt,
not to mention my chest.
Eventually, though, rational thinking prevailed
and I realized that for the most part
our horses consider us just one of the herd
and treat us like they would each other.
I suppose that is all we can really hope for....
to be one of the herd.
After all, our horses do not love us in the same way our dogs love us.
Do they?
The affection our dogs give to us without asking for anything in return,
might just be a little much to ask of our horses.
And so, we continue to love and care for our horses,
through the bites, the kicks, the stepped-on-toes,
the bruises, the fractures...
all the while knowing that the love we hope our horses feel for us,
is something quite different.
And yet, it's enough.
Don't worry, these types of occurrences are rare.
Our horses are usually quite pleasant and cooperative.
Moonbeam is moody right now.
His foot hurts.
He'll get back on track.
And so, as you read this, I am driving my sore ribs to West Virginia to pick up
Ginger and MaryAnn
our two little Kunekune piglets.
And no, in answer to a question I keep receiving,
we will not be eating them.
They will become part of our farm family.
And I will have lots of pictures for you on Monday!!
Have a great weekend!
- Poor Horses
Federal officials are considering euthanizing wild horses to deal with the growing population on the range and in holding facilities, authorities said Monday. Wild horses have overpopulated public lands and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management can't...
- Routine Maintenance
It's been the busiest of weeks for the horses...they've had the works! Hoof trimming, grooming, bridle path clipping, sheaths cleaned, teeth floated...all in one week. For those of you who are not a part of the horse world, I will give...
- Together At Last!
I have been hesitant to put the "Bigs" and the "Littles"together in the same pasture to graze...fearing for the safety of my tiny horses. That is until the other day, when I took the Bigs to the upper pasture and heard the cries ofthe Littles as...
- Moonbeam
He is in need of a bath and some general grooming....but with the weather as it has been for the last several days (rainy), it will have to wait. Still....he is quite lovely, don't you think? Though a bit on the chubby side, (he really loves to graze)...
- Not-so-brave Maddie
It seems the horses and the dogs have a curiousity about each other. Ava and Moonbeam followed Maddie, our Newfie, as she walked the fence around the pasture. As soon as the horses got close to the fence, Maddie scrambled. She is 140 lbs of pure chicken!...