tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63235578828802947432024-03-04T23:56:43.862-07:00The Chevelle ChroniclesChevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-70449718171518488712015-04-28T22:28:00.000-06:002015-04-28T22:28:02.785-06:00How do we get it?My horses, in a word, right now, are big lazy TURDS.<br />
<br />
They lounge around all day in their dusty paddocks, socializing, trying to pick grass through the fence, eating breakfast, dinner, and their midnight snack, and doing little else.<br />
<br />
The grass is so lush and green I don't dare put them out for more than 20 minutes at a time, so they aren't getting much exercise (and when I DO turn them out, running around is a distant, distant second to eating said lush green grass).<br />
<br />
Their manners are in the toilet (except for standards like brushing/touching everywhere without issue, hoof picking, and turning out). Chev hasn't even seen a saddle in months. Who knows what she even remembers.<br />
<br />
Why are they so pushy? Why does Chev insist on pushing my buttons every time I go to do something slightly out of the routine? Why is she suddenly crowding my space all over the place?<br />
<br />
Their safety and handle-ability hasn't been affected (much), but their response time is way down. They need a job. They are fat and bored. <br />
<br />
It got me thinking a little bit, though.<br />
<br />
Horses need just a few things to be happy, healthy, and content:<br />
1. Good feed.<br />
2. Clean fresh water.<br />
3. Shelter of some variety (whether or not they choose to use it).<br />
4. Salt.<br />
5. Exercise.<br />
6. Appropriate vaccination, deworming and dental care.<br />
<br />
A lot of the things we push on them are really for OUR benefit and have nothing or nothing to do with their physical or mental health. These include:<br />
<br />
1. Trace minerals (Does your horse eat? Good. Then he's getting all he needs. In the PNW, only selenium supplementation is a necessity. The rest is a waste of your hard earned money and there is plenty of science to back that opinion up)<br />
2. Blanketing (unless it is pouring and your horse lives in the PNW outside in winter, or you have a sudden and drastic change in temperature that your thin coated horse can't cope with, OR he's an Arab with 1 mm of fur and can't grow more---it's probably best to forgo the blankets. Don't feel bad. Your horse will thank you)<br />
3. Box stalls.<br />
<br />
I know everyone has an opinion on those last three things...and that's fine. This is, obviously, how I feel about it. I've been in a lot of different barns and known a lot of people, and nothing incites heated discussion like whether or not horses need trace minerals, blankets, or box stalls, for heaven's sakes. <br />
<br />
So which thing are my horses not getting?<br />
<br />
#5--a very important one--exercise!<br />
<br />
There's nowhere to train or ride on the property, but fortunately for me, I've recently become the proud owner of a 2 horse slant, so that should be changing shortly!<br />
<br />
Consistent exercise seems to be the thing that most directly influences a horse's attitude.<br />
<br />
Horses were, LITERALLY, made to run.<br />
<br />
But we keep them cooped up 23 hours a day and expect all that muscle and energy to come walking calmly out of a stall for us, every time.<br />
<br />
Even if they get turnout--and especially if there's lovely, distracting grass around--it's not the same as exercise.<br />
<br />
I've never seen Chev more happy then when she's in consistent work. She'll try her heart out for me if I set her up right.<br />
<br />
So I owe it to her to get us both back into it again.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-72043074789738437802015-04-13T16:58:00.000-06:002015-04-13T16:58:38.268-06:00What the hell are we doing?Sometimes I wonder that.<br />
<br />
Horses are SO MUCH WORK. And MONEY. They get hurt a lot. God willing they live a long time, and they need care, they need attention, they need, need, need.<br />
<br />
Occasionally I get away down to Eugene for a few days to visit friends and family. I actually forget I have horses for minutes on end. Sometimes an HOUR. A whole hour. And when I remember I always feel guilty that I'd forgotten and been just a normal person for a little while.<br />
<br />
I'm still relatively young--I just had my 31st birthday. But I've had horses since 2005, when I got my Ben. I was 20 at the time. My subsequent decisions about employment, schooling, and moving were all bound up in my horses. I didn't want to move Ben because he was a fragile old man, so I put off grad school. <br />
<br />
I haven't regretted these decisions, exactly. But horses have been my first responsibility and that was my choice. <br />
<br />
I am one of those people who occasionally kind of dreads going to the barn. It's hard physical work, I'm exhausted, and there's always something to fix or something more to do or worry over. But the second I see them it all changes. I love them with something entirely irrational. Leaning into them after a rough day makes the all work and the money and the sacrifice just fall away into that place the things that don't really matter go.<br />
<br />
I wonder if this is sort of what having kids is like.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-78874167337404395052015-03-25T14:10:00.003-06:002015-03-25T14:12:14.050-06:00Thoughts on stuff and things (Or, how idiots like me can succeed with the horse)I'm fixing up this trailer I got with the SO the other day, and I'm all freaked out about using the angle grinder (as a child I was afraid of sparklers too...don't judge). I am not a fan of sparks.<br />
<br />
So as I'm holding this thing gingerly in my work-gloved hands trying to psych myself up for it, a thought occurs to me:<br />
<br />
"Megan, literally complete idiots use this thing without issues."<br />
<br />
So I took a deep breath, got on the damned horse (figuratively) and used the damn angle grinder, sparks and all. I did forget to breathe DURING the actual grinding in the beginning...but I got better at it.<br />
<br />
Anyway...Sometimes I feel the same about horses.<br />
<br />
I feel like "training" horses has become this big mysterious thing that one certain "horse whisperers" can do. Like there wasn't a time when tons of people trained their own horses. With varying results. But still. No NH needed.<br />
<br />
The only thing I really see in common with these lower-end trainer people (and I'm not talking about the top-of-their-sport people), very generally, is that they are reasonably intelligent and observant and consistent about what they do. They have a little sense about how horses learn and they use it to their advantage.<br />
<br />
Of course, complete idiots also train horses and do a reasonably good job for the same reasons (I might be in this category. What do I know, anyway?).<br />
<br />
Rules for angle grinders:<br />
<br />
1. Make sure your equipment is hooked up right. We don't want one of those disks sailing off who-knows-where at 11,000 rpms.<br />
<br />
2. Don't try to jump in there and touch metal without getting the damn thing running first. This results in unpredictable and dangerous behavior on the part of the angle grinder.<br />
<br />
3. Be sensitive and consistent for best results.<br />
<br />
4. Know when to stop. <br />
<br />
Sound familiar? Complete idiots can do this stuff. You can do it! Get out there and work your angle-grinder/horse.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-72470935640875243582015-03-25T01:38:00.000-06:002015-03-25T01:46:33.514-06:00GreenToday I'm thinking about green.<br />
<br />
Well, I mean, it IS Spring now, so there's plenty of green around :)<br />
<br />
But specifically, I'm thinking about green <i>horses</i>.<br />
<br />
Everyone has their own definition of what green is. I guess I'd define "green" as a horse that doesn't respond predictably or consistently to simple cues (ie, stop, back, turn, W/T/C, etc). <br />
<br />
As I've talked about before, I think "trained" and "broke" are different things.<br />
<br />
I still maintain from 2012 that horses with limited training can be "broke". These are the easy ones. The usual phrase we use for these non-reactive, easy-going horses is "born broke". They just seem to be confident in their survival abilities and inherently trust their handler. They may have some baby moments, but they're pretty reliable.<br />
<br />
Horses with <i>tons</i> of training are sometimes never broke horses. They may be perfectly schooled to cues and execute them with precision...in the arena...but they just aren't ever as reliable. With extreme examples, you take them out on the trail, and they absolutely fall apart. Going to a new place may trigger a meltdown. <br />
<br />
Of course--the best kind of horse is both trained and broke! I call these "finished horses". They could do their job upside-down and blindfolded. They might not even need you up there. But anyway, that may be beside the point a little...<br />
<br />
Thinking back before I got Chevy, I was afraid of green horses.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I had ridden a lot of difficult horses (of course I didn't know that at the time; it was just normal for me then).<br />
<br />
They were all trained (some were fairly young). Most were broke even if they were unrefined (as are most school horses--how refined can you be with kids constantly pulling and thumping you at the wrong times?).<br />
<br />
But I had never ridden a green horse. Not until I was in college. I leased a sorrel mare briefly out at a huge facility on the outskirts of Eugene when I rode with the UO Equestrian Team. My roommate and I would head out there after classes in the dark of winter in her old gold diesel Mercedes. This night it was her time to ride. I stood in the middle of the warm up pen, watching her and eying the other horses as they went around.<br />
<br />
After a few minutes, a middle-aged lady rode up to me on a bug-eyed paint.<br />
<br />
"You want to ride?" She said.<br />
<br />
"Ummm...Sure." I looked at her shaggy sorrel and white colt.<br />
<br />
"He's just 3 and he's green, but he's good. Just needs more saddle time. Looks at everything but he's alright. Just get on and ride him around for me."<br />
<br />
Ooooooh boy! I swung up. He <i>was </i>a looky-loo. But he was good. Just as she said. Trucked my hiney around that pen at a fast even walk, head all over the place...but his steps were sure and rhythmic.<br />
<br />
<i>So this is a green horse</i>, I thought. That was about it. Really. I made sure to stay out of his way, watched my heels, calves and hands, and he was great.<br />
<br />
[The only other thing I took away from the ride was: <i>This is the first truly comfortable western saddle </i>(SIDENOTE: I was English-only in those days) <i>I HAVE EVER BEEN IN</i>. I also remember it had a wonderful, cushy natural sheepskin over the seat. Heaven.]<br />
<br />
It may have been the first time a little seed was planted in my head that green didn't necessarily mean...dangerous.<br />
<br />
So maybe green is too broad a term: On the one hand, a crazy horse backed unsuccessfully several times, who bucks and snarls at his rider...is green. And a baby hunter at his first show...is green. Hmmm.<br />
<br />
I'd categorize that shaggy paint as green but with a broke attitude. He may not have responded predictably to all my cues--had I given him any--but his affect was willing, flexible and non-reactive.<br />
<br />
"As long as a horse has a good stop I don't care how green it is." is a phrase I heard recently.<br />
<br />
I guess my problem with that is expecting that a green horse HAS any kind of real reliability. I'm not sure a horse with a sure-fire stop can really be considered green any more. I guess it all has to do with that definition thing again.<br />
<br />
I think a general acceptable definition of green is: "A horse (or rider) at the beginning of his training."<br />
<br />
I've already defined my thoughts on the horse above.<br />
<br />
In my opinion...a green rider anywhere from someone brand-new to horses to someone who knows how to tack up the horse appropriately, and can ride the walk and trot. Green riders lack balance and may frequently clutch at the reins, horn or front of the saddle or use their legs for balance. A green rider may fall off spooky horses frequently because they lack the ability to sense when a spook is imminent. <br />
<br />
I don't think you really get out of green rider status until you're able to cue and ride the walk, trot, canter and halt effectively, understand the gaits, can lengthen and shorten them without verbally cuing the horse...and know which leg the canter originates from on the horse! Ha ha! Seriously though. You gotta have some in-depth knowledge of how the horse works. You begin to graduate into Intermediate status when you are able to give
the horse subtle cues...and understand why you're giving the cues, in
what order for what outcome. You start to figure out how to cue best for the response
you want. You should be able to feel your correct diagonals and canter leads without looking. You begin to develop the sensitivity you expect from the horse.<br />
<br />
There are shades of green, of course. <br />
<br />
Tiny, at about 4 rides, is definitely a green horse, even though she's quickly closing in on 5 years old (eeek! Where has the time gone?). She is easy to handle on the ground but just starting her under saddle career. I'm really excited about her because I'm responsible for all her training so far. And so far...so good. I'm sure we'll run into stickies later. :)<br />
<br />
Chevelle on the other hand, is no longer green, but in the "trained" category. Her responses are dialed in and she responds to them in a predictable manner. Even though she is sensitive, I'm confident if other Intermediate/Advanced riders rode her, they'd have a good ride. She is not suitable for green riders. I'd say she's still at the lower levels of her training though, and that's all my fault. But she is solid on W/T/C, knows some complex aids and certainly knows her leads. She listens to her rider and only requires rare support. But she doesn't do flying changes and isn't highly schooled (especially lately, with all our time off). She is certainly nowhere near "finished".<br />
<br />
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I guess it just all comes down to expectations. I don't know that I'd ever expect a green horse to be able to stop consistently--just like I wouldn't expect a green rider to <i>cue </i>the stop effectively. That doesn't mean they can't--or won't--or that is isn't reasonable for a specific horse or rider...I just don't know if it's really fair, in general.<br />
<br />
I think a lot of success is really just setting the horse up to succeed. <br />
<br />
And I guess I also feel like the stop is one of those simply elegant things to teach, that requires a lot of subtlety and timing to get right and communicate right. The stop is a beautiful thing. I've written about it <i>so many times </i>because when you have a horse that really stops, it is <i>so super cool.</i> I think the only way you can really get there is to have a horse that <i>wants</i> to stop. The stop is their happy place.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Do you know green horses with a great, consistent stop, in the arena and out on the trail?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-16337930490401746492015-03-23T00:59:00.000-06:002015-03-23T00:59:37.505-06:00Catching upI've spent some time catching up on blogs I used to read...before I abandoned the Chevelle Chronicles for two years.<br />
<br />
I was very saddened to learn of the passing of one prominent equine personality--the gal's only horse and the reason for her blog. I found myself in tears several times reading through how everything unfolded for her and for him.<br />
<br />
I often think if I hadn't already had Chevy when I had to put Ben down, I probably would have been out of the horse world for a long time. My whole life would have been different. There is just no way to be prepared for the reality of that sort of loss.<br />
<br />
But I DID have Chev, and even though I couldn't bring myself to come down to the barn for a couple of days after he died (wonderful barn owner stepped up for horse care during that time)...my desire to see her and take care of her got me into my car.<br />
<br />
She kept me going. She got me out of the house, she got me back in the saddle, and she was there for me in her not-at-all-anthropomorphized horse way. She had known him more of her life than not when he passed, and I have to think, although in a much healthier way than I, she was missing him, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
So when I was done reading, I got up, put on my coat, went out the door and fed them their dinner, and gave each a good, deep groom, dropping sheets of blond and brown hair to the ground, respectively. It's another Spring already this year, and they are 9 and 4. I thanked them for being around and carrying me, I gave them extra scratches, and I reminded myself to take more time to be thankful for each day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-80037762556087116642015-03-18T16:23:00.000-06:002015-03-18T16:23:10.496-06:00When we're niceI love sensitive people. I love people who are concerned about the people around them. They tend to be compassionate and quick to help. They also tend to be terribly self-conscious.<br />
<br />
I love sensitive people because they are generally also sensitive HORSE people.<br />
<br />
I'm one of them. So this is stuff I struggle with too.<br />
<br />
It's taken me a long time to realize that being as clear as possible with rules is the way to forge a good, solid partnership with your animal. (This works best with dogs and horses. Cats are in their own category.)<br />
<br />
A problem that comes up often is: "Will my horse think I'm being mean if I discipline him?"<br />
<br />
The short answer is, no. The long answer is, No, not if you do it as part of a cause and effect relationship.<br />
<br />
The way animals (and people, for that matter) get neurotic is by not knowing what is expected of them.<br />
<br />
#1: If your horse goes to bite you and you hit him hard in the face, will it make him headshy? No.<br />
<br />
#2: If your horse shakes his head because he got a fly in his ear and you hit him in the face because you're scared of his headtossing, will it make him headshy? Maybe. Given enough time, yes.<br />
<br />
I think in order for animals to learn, they have to have some kind of intentional act that puts the rest into play. In the examples above, only #1 had horse acting a certain way with intention TOWARDS a human. Therefore, the horse brain can understand this type of cause and effect. <br />
<br />
In #2, horse is doing something unrelated to human that human perceives (incorrectly) as threatening and gets whacked, producing a nervous horse. There was no distinct cause and effect in his mind in relation to a person for what happened to him, because he thought he was just minding his own business getting a fly out of his ear, and out of nowhere a hand shows up and hits him in the face, poor guy.<br />
<br />
I still hear a lot of horse people say that you never discipline a horse for misbehaving by hitting them in the face because it will produce a headshy horse. I think this is a misunderstanding of discipline. I say, uncertainty will produce an uncertain horse. <br />
<br />
Have I whacked my horses in the face? Yes. Only for things that were part of this direct cause and effect scenario. Are they headshy at all? Not even a little.<br />
<br />
I always loved how horses tend to mirror the neuroses of their owners. I've stated many times before that I am a nervous person. By nature, I worry about everything. I am hypersensitive. I rarely relax.<br />
<br />
Despite this, my horses are pretty calm and cool. And I owe it all to following a strict set of cause-and-effect rules. They know what's expected of them, so they can relax. <br />
<br />
If something is disturbing them, I let them look. Their feet can't move, but they can look. If something is disturbing them, I don't make a big deal out of it. I don't like, take them over there and walk them around said disturbing thing for half an hour, examining it from all angles so that they "understand" it won't hurt them.<br />
<br />
My horses understand it won't hurt them because I'm not making a big deal out of it. <br />
<br />
I don't really see the point to that kind of "desensitization" or whatever people call it.<br />
<br />
Oh good, they learned if they flip over something they'll get to spend the next half hour delicately sniffing it and sneaking blades of grass.<br />
<br />
That's not really the kind of training I'm looking for. <br />
<br />
I have been known to say, "Chill out" and "Be cool" regularly to my horses.<br />
<br />
I do expect them to use their brains.<br />
<br />
I do expect them to reasonably evaluate the situation and evaluate my response to the situation and come to their own conclusions.<br />
<br />
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<i>Ready to rock.</i></div>
<br />
Ride #2 on Tiny was in the corral. We were just doing a bit of walking, halting, and backing up, with some changes of direction thrown in there.<br />
<br />
I was just chilling on her back, staying neutral when I felt her tense up. Her head flew up, her ears pricked straight ahead and she locked on something far down the driveway.<br />
<br />
I had a brief moment of "Uh oh" followed closely by, "Well, let's see what she does."<br />
<br />
A large orange cat popped out from behind some railroad ties and headed our direction.<br />
<br />
Large orange cat turned out to be a lovely fox.<br />
<br />
Tiny watched with interest as it crossed the driveway fifty feet away and went trotting up the hill.<br />
<br />
We went back to our regularly scheduled programming.<br />
<br />
As always, take all this with a grain of salt and work it out for yourself. I know enough to know I don't know much.<br />
<br />
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<i>I know I can't wait to ride on of these slides!</i></div>
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-8692871880831446452015-03-18T00:56:00.001-06:002015-03-18T00:56:58.878-06:00Where we standSlow day up here--several blog entries in a day! I need to get back on the wagon, here. I'm hoping connecting with you horseblog folk will give me some motivation to get going again.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Current state of affairs</b>:<br />
<br />
<b>Chevelle</b>: My baby is now a strapping almost 10-year-old--how the heck did that happen? She hasn't been ridden more than two dozen times in the last 3 years. We moved back from Wyo...she was still having hoof issues after some previous bad farrier work (I was still transitioning her to barefoot), then we moved barns to a place that wasn't well set up for riding at all (tiny arena, whole barn was on 2 acres, crazy crazy BO, NEVER AGAIN), and Chev HATED it. She lost a ton of weight, I freaked out, and moved them again into full care at a wonderful barn. She picked up the weight, was happy and looked awesome, but again, there was only a tiny indoor arena to ride in...and it just didn't happen.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to 8 months ago...We moved again, this time up to the lovely Columbia Gorge! And for the first time ever, I have the girls on the property--5 acres, a old two stall barn with paddocks, and an acre and a half pasture. It's been awesome having them home...but AGAIN, the riding isn't really happening.<br />
<br />
She also had a disastrous two trims with a "barefoot trimmer" who nearly crippled her right after we moved up here, 6 weeks apart. That's another story for another time...but I took over their hoof care 4 months ago. So far...mostly good. There was a lot of damage to undo. But I think she'll be good to ride this summer.<br />
<br />
<b>Tiny</b>: My little blonde punkin, how the time has FLOWN! The itty bitty practically unhandled 18-month-old is now a sweet, anyone-can-handle 4-year-old. She loves people, she loves grooming, and is just a pleasure to be around. She's the opposite of Chev in so many ways (Chev the cat vs Teeny the golden retriever). She's one of those "born broke" horses who just wants to please you.<br />
<br />
She was late to develop physically, and only has about 4 rides on her at this point. I have done all of her handling and riding up until now. I last got on her in October for a ride around the yard. She is fast to pick up on things and has good information retention. She's got power steering built in--I really didn't need to teach that. She stops, she backs, she goes, she turns. She'll be "seriously" started this summer, and I'm really, really looking forward to it.<br />
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<i>Me & Bitty Boo, ride #4</i></div>
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----<br />
<br />
I've only ridden Chevy a couple of times since moving up here, and I have some observations:<br />
<br />
1. I am absolutely getting more chickenshit the longer I go without riding consistently.<br />
<br />
2. My horse is A LOT more broke than I give her credit for.<br />
<br />
So, that's good and bad. Chev is a huge, powerful, bigmotor kinda gal. When I get up on her I can just feel it rippling under me. It would only take the slightest whisper and she would be off like a shot. So she is ridden with a whisper. I taught her this.<br />
<br />
I remember back in her 3 year old year, and her 4 year old year--the year I actually got serious about riding her--she was so LAZY. I remember feeling like I was going to pass out at her first show after 2 minutes of the extended trot. I tired of that real fast. I liked riding whisper horses. Her pluginess frustrated me. I didn't want a sticky slow horse that dumped on the forehand. This was MY horse to get going, and I was going to make her into the best of all the parts of the lesson horses I'd ridden over the years. I was determined.<br />
<br />
It worked, maybe a little too well. That's not to say she doesn't have things she struggles with, both conformationally and trainer-wise (mostly the second one--she's been stuck with ME for years, after all!), but...for the most part, I have a very willing, very forward when asked, very solid riding partner. Even though she's still green in a lot of ways (and yes, I still ride her in the same plain loose ring snaffle I started her in), all the basics are there and SHE REMEMBERS THEM. Even after only being ridden a handful of times in the last 2 years, she stopped on a dime, backed hard and on cue and planted her feet as soon as I put my rein hand down to her neck, and spun as well as she could in a pasture. She also still has the Western Pleasure trot built in and will happily travel that way, head down, for as long as I ask. I hadn't asked her for any of these maneuvers in at least half a year. She's got it.<br />
<br />
And now I learn there's a big ol' riding arena with a roundpen and a large turnaround for horse trailers just across town--and for a $50/year membership you can go and ride as you please.<br />
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So maybe I'll finally get back into it again after all! YIP!<br />
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<i>A rare sight around here!</i></div>
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-17446923433377162232015-03-17T15:50:00.002-06:002015-03-18T03:07:31.131-06:00And in other news:I have my art business up and running again. Thanks to some unpleasantness with an ex-art school stalker, I had to open up a new website. New name. I called it Bad Star Gallery. Want to know why? Well, I guess you'll just have to follow the link to FAQs to find out...<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.badstargallery.com/" target="_blank">Check it out! ---> BAD★STAR Gallery</a></span><br />
<br />
I'm excited about getting back into the swing of things. I had some health-related setbacks, a move and a long winter...but I'm up and running and about to start my third commission in a month. I hope the trend continues. If you have a special equine in your life and want a portrait--I'd be honored! I'm happy to give you a quick quote. I can work with about any budget. The thing that makes me happy is getting quality custom artwork back into people's homes.<br />
<br />
Here are the last two portraits I've done.<br />
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Nacho--a memorial portrait for a very sweet, very well loved Chihuahua down in Oceanside, CA:<br />
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<i>The Great Ignacio. Graphite on Bristol Plate, 9" x 12". 2015</i></div>
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And a portrait of a lovely mare, commissioned for her daughter in college as a momento:<br />
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<i>Grey Mare. Graphite on Bristol Plate, 9" x 12". 2015</i></div>
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These are both relatively "quick" drawings (vs. the 80 hour Sparkafide drawing of Wyoming fame). The one just started is of a friend's baby girl...wish me luck!</div>
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-65808452485384960822015-03-17T15:22:00.004-06:002015-03-17T15:38:25.152-06:00Something happened to me the other daythat has NEVER happened before.<br />
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I went in a tack shop and didn't see anything I wanted.<br />
<br />
Granted, it WAS Coastal--but still--not a single thing.<br />
<br />
My tack collection has reached a zenith where I have good quality equipment in about every area I would need it. It's taken me 10 years...but, I'm pretty happy with the gear I have now.<br />
<br />
I have a lovely HDR Rivella jump saddle and Exselle show bridle with two sets of nice reins, one extra long, and a beautiful merino sheepskin show pad (you know, in case I ever decide to ride that way again); <br />
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The Jim Taylor reiner;<br />
<br />
My small shop El Dorado training saddle that I like & that fits Chevy;<br />
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A nice little Lazy L by Larry Coats barrel saddle hardly used from 2007;<br />
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Two complete, nice leather loose ring snaffle bridles that girls go in, each with awesome weighted Buckaroo Leather split reins, one pair 1", other pair 1/2" (turns out good quality reins are one of my "things");<br />
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A Martin sidepull (which I never use);<br />
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A gorgeous black Guitron kangaroo bosal and mane hair mecates;<br />
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Two good wool pads, one Reinsman, one Classic Equine, and one Pro Choice pad;<br />
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About 10 nice snaffles I never use, and all kinds of other misc tack of somewhat lesser quality than above (but still nice).<br />
<br />
I hardly ever sell good quality things--because I could, in most cases, never afford to replace them. But, I guess it's time to sell some stuff. I need the money. First on the chopping block: The JT reiner. Phooo.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-71545408450119678372015-03-17T15:12:00.000-06:002015-03-17T15:31:51.577-06:00Horses are horses--treat 'em that way.I just read a heartbreaking article about the death of 2012 Arabian Horse Breeder of the Year Sue Eves. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://readingeagle.com/news/article/top-horse-breeder-from-north-heidelberg-township-kicked-to-death-by-horse-authorities-say">http://readingeagle.com/news/article/top-horse-breeder-from-north-heidelberg-township-kicked-to-death-by-horse-authorities-say</a><br />
<br />
I don't usually comment on things that I don't have the full
backstory on, but this article REALLY struck me. This long-time equestrian was literally
"<b><i>kicked to death</i></b>" by one of her own horses. From the article:
"Marinaccio [a friend of the deceased] said Eves would not have blamed
the horses for her death.<br />
<br />
"It's just something horses do," Marinaccio said. "She teaches you that right away. "Horses just do things. I got bitten one<span class="text_exposed_show"> time. That's something horses do. They don't do it maliciously. They just do it. She would never, ever blame the horse." "</span><br />
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<div class="text_exposed_show">
Oh HELL no. Yes, they absolutely CAN and WILL bite/kick/etc
maliciously! They will not call you in the hospital after they put you
there to say they're sorry! This is why I am so anal retentive about my
horses knowing I'M at the top of the food chain--not them. They know I
could eat them at any time...but I choose not to. Today. (Adapted from the brilliant Mugwump--because she can say it so much more eloquently than I!)<br />
<i class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81"><u> </u></i><br />
<span class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81">Part of me just doesn't understand how this could happen--assuming I'm making factual assumptions, of course. I understand HOW it happened. But I don't understand <b><i>how </i></b>this could happen. As an experienced horsewoman...surely she understood discipline is necessary?...</span><br />
<span class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81"><br /></span>
<span class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81">I remember one day before we moved to Wyoming, my parents came to visit me at the barn. Chev was a huge 4 year old dragging me all over the place and I had to get pretty hard on her. I could tell from her facial expression that my Ma was pained watching my poor pony get whacked with a lead rope. I, however, at 1/10th her size, did not feel bad. It's important that she "respects" me (side note: Gosh, do I hate that term! Talk about overused phrases in the horse world). I'm not unfair--I only strongly enforce when she's ignoring my polite requests. I'd much rather do everything with a light touch on the leadrope, but that's up to her.</span><br />
<span class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81"><br /></span>
<span class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81">I've now spent over 20 years of my life around horses. I'll always be indebted to the trainers and instructors who have helped me along the way. I took 10+ years of bimonthly or weekly lessons (and if I could afford them, I'd sure as heck take 10 years more!). I've spent a lot of time watching horses interacting with each other, with people and under saddle. I read EVERYTHING. I tried to take it all with a grain of salt. I know I don't know anything. But I DO know it's important to be the top spot in the pecking order when it comes to animals that could seriously injure or kill you without even trying.</span><br />
<i class="_4-k1 img sp_0Sn5ZbIH6QB sx_d73b81"><u> </u></i><br />
Horses can and will literally kill you. Horses are not people. Treat them like horses.</div>
Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-43205030434898382712015-03-08T18:03:00.000-06:002015-03-08T18:03:12.068-06:00Holy. Moly.<br />
<br />
It's time to start this 'ere blog up again.<br />
<br />
We've been cooling our heels for the last two years through several moves (some horse only, the last, all of us). The past two years have been long and sad, occasionally light and happy. All the emotions I needed in a whole lifetime. My thyroid rebelled big time this time and tried to kill me. Half my hair fell out. My very dear childhood friend, one of my two best friends, died unexpectedly in September 2013. And my beautiful 7 year old indoor only rescue kitty who I'd had for 5 wonderful years crashed and burned with unexplainable acute kidney failure, and a week of intensive care and IV fluids at the hospital couldn't fix him. Then my remaining kitty ("The Golden Child") went into what appeared to be deep depression and almost died also. We couldn't find anything medically wrong with her, but she kept going downhill. There was a lot about those years I just wanted to forget.<br />
<br />
But I'm starting again. The horses, the kitty and I now live in the lovely Columbia Gorge on a little piece of land with an old farm house, a shop and a two stall barn. There have been challenges, but we're all here. <br />
<br />
The thing I've never been very good at is just being content with this moment. The sun is out, the horses are swatting flies, the kitty is in a square of sun. We're doing okay. We're doing okay.<br />
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-58792029756862470352013-04-20T21:16:00.000-06:002013-04-20T21:16:09.915-06:00The girlsare doing well!<br />
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Chev's gained at least 75 pounds in three weeks...and Tiny's lost a little, but she was hog fat when we moved in--and on stall rest.<br />
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She is not terribly thrilled about being tied to a post.<br />
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What beautiful, sunny weather we have had in the PNW lately! The girls got their feet done, and I got a sunburn.<br />
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I wish you and yours all the best. Summer's in no time at all.<br />
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-73705811840332224502013-04-17T23:36:00.000-06:002013-04-17T23:41:55.264-06:00A dear friend of minein Wyoming pointed out how I am not doing a very good job keeping up on this blog.<br />
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To be honest, it's been hard.<br />
<br />
Chevelle has had a very rough winter and "lost a little weight" is a gross understatement. I don't even recognize my horse when I look at her. Teeth, deworming, and other things all seem fine according not just to my paranoid self but two of the vets at work. I'll be pulling blood on her next week...just to be safe. Personality wise, she's her same old self.<br />
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When I look at her, it makes me want to cry.<br />
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This is when she looked like last summer after her return to Oregon:<br />
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And this is what she looked like a month and a half ago.<br />
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I have been more or less in shock about it. I have had this horse since she was a bouncing two-year-old, and I haven't known her to lose a pound. She hated the old barn she and Tiny were at (which was pretty nice, even, and certainly not cheap!), and despite pouring calories into her, she just kept losing weight. She also stopped eating on me.<br />
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Now, at the new place, which she has only been at for two-and-a-half weeks, she's already starting to look better...but it can't come soon enough.<br />
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<i>Chev at the new place as I got in my car last night</i><br />
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Meanwhile, Tiny is doing fine post trying to slice her front foot off with her own rear hoof. She's wrapped and healing well. And has bell boots on all the time. I think she might have even grown a little.<br />
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<i> Come in from their private pasture</i></div>
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So, I think things are looking up. I am impatient to have my fat, shiny horse back, but at least I have my happy horse back. Here's what she looked like just a couple of days after moving:<br />
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<i>Grr...Tiny, get lost.</i></div>
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And, Tiny is still as sweet as ever. And...her mane has grown back a little.<br />
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<i>Acre of pasture to herself...still manages to get poop on her face.</i></div>
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So...we'll wait and see.<br />
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<i>Leaving already?</i></div>
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-69766147587184396982013-03-18T23:23:00.001-06:002013-03-18T23:23:20.584-06:00We have been cooling our jets all winter.<br />
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The girls have been stabled at a private place with tons of mud. Tiny has been stalled most of the winter with strange lamenesses. I now have an almost full set of xrays on her, which show no evidence of anything alarming. She's now moving wonderfully. Chev has been fine, lost a little weight over her first Oregon winter outside in the rain (despite her ridiculously expensive waterproof blankets). They're both heading to a lovely full care barn at the end of the month where they'll share a mud-free acre pasture with a double-wide shelter.<br />
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I have been in a working more-than-full-time funk. I get up before the sun rises, work all day, head to the barn, check on the girls, turn them out on grass, clean, water, feed, restock, put them up and head home after dark. It's been, frankly, exhausting.<br />
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But, change is coming. <br />
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And change is something we all need.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-38218727620146678982012-09-01T12:49:00.002-06:002012-09-01T12:51:16.887-06:002 in one day!! Is she back?So a friend of mine came out to see the horses the other day.<br />
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He's really interested in them, but doesn't know much about them yet.<br />
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Like most people who are just starting to work with an animal, there are some residual fear issues to overcome.<br />
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I think fear (for us) has a lot to do with the unknown. We are afraid of horses not because of what they're doing at the moment, but what they're capable of doing at any moment with seemingly little provocation.<br />
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I had him lunge both the horses--Chev on the line and Tiny in the round pen. I think it can be helpful to realize that they do respond in a predictable manner (most of the time). And confidence can be built on the knowledge that they really are (mostly!) pretty easy to read.<br />
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I am a very nervous, high strung, worried person. My stomach churns in new situations. My nerves often get the better of me.<br />
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I was the kind of kid that couldn't even call and order a pizza because my anxiety about talking to a stranger on the phone was too high.<br />
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Ironically, about all I've done for work these last few years is talk to people I don't know on the phone, often in emergency medical situations. Irony! At any rate, I can adapt. Very quickly, sometimes.<br />
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I think this hyper-sensitivity is an asset around horses. I grew up with jumpy, unpredictable horses (Arabians, but who's keeping track anyway?) that would spin and bolt at the drop of a hat (or the buzz of a fly...or the appearance of a shadow...etc, etc ad infinitum). I sympathized with them. I, too, was a scaredy-cat afraid of everything.<br />
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I got really good at anticipating.<br />
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I could feel a spook in a horse way before they were going to bolt (often "wayyyy before" gave me a few seconds lead time). I worked well with them. I became the calm, confident one out of necessity. We understood each other.<br />
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So I guess the point is, over the years I've developed a very calm way around horses. And as a result, I have some really, really laid back horses that look to me for support in strange situations.<br />
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Tiny was a great example the other day.<br />
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I had the chiropractor out to see if anything could be done structurally to improve her way of going (there could--she was an absolute mess). To do this, he had to take hold of the lead rope.<br />
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Literally no one has handled her but me in almost three months. And before that, no one had really handled her at all. She bonded fast and hard. Now she's tough to get rid of (ha, ha).<br />
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She was pretty confused when I stepped back, and kept looking over like, "Hello? Hello? Is this okay with you? Should this be okay with ME?"<br />
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Anyway, it's sort of flattering when an animal acts that way. But the ultimate goal is to have a sane, happy, confident horse in any situation. We give them support and tools to feel secure.<br />
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So consistency is really the key here. For my friend, it will take time to learn that horses are, for the most part, predictable animals. That doesn't mean we should forget that they are potentially dangerous, whether that be intentional or not! But I think there's a lot of trust that forms there in that daily relationship of predictable handling.<br />
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Horses are great mirrors of a person.<br />
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Certainly not the first time I've heard this said, but the best I've ever heard it said, comes from Mr. Brannaman.<br />
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"Your horse is a mirror to your soul. Sometimes you might not like what you see…sometimes you will.”Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-24762347665439044392012-09-01T12:23:00.003-06:002012-09-01T12:23:58.130-06:00The round pen & a round baleThere has been some serious slacking going on here over at the Chevelle Chronicles.<br />
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Part of my problem is now they are the Chevelle AND Tiny Chronicles.<br />
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Anyway.<br />
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I started a new job about a month ago working for a great equine hospital in town. I have A LOT to learn. But so far so good, and I'm checking into new barns that will be closer to where I'm working now.<br />
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I watched a girl work her horse in the round pen yesterday while I was picking out the girl's paddock.<br />
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The mom and grandma were also looking on, and the grandma was mumbling something about Clinton Anderson--"Well, that's what the Horse Whisperer would do". Clinton Anderson's the Horse Whisperer, right? To be perfectly honest with you, I can't keep all those guys straight.<br />
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The horse, a big chestnut TB-looking lanky guy, was about as unhappy as a horse could be. The round pen was way too small for a horse of his build to move properly in.<br />
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She kept making all these "ARRRRHHHHH" buzzer noises every time he did something wrong, while simultaneously yelling "TROT" "WHOA" and "TROOOOTTT!!!!" She couldn't catch him (which is a feat in a 50' round pen), couldn't get him to stop, and was getting increasingly annoyed.<br />
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That horse had an expression like he wanted to kick her head in.<br />
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He didn't though. He was way too much of a saint for that.<br />
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Then, after several minutes of completely mind-numbing activity where the girl expected everything and didn't listen to a thing the horse was saying to her, I heard the grandma say, "Get him to follow you around! That's what the Horse Whisperer does."<br />
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So she tried that. She called and called him. That horse wasn't moving a muscle except to get AWAY from her. The absolute LAST PLACE ON EARTH that horse wanted to be was next to her.<br />
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It kinda made my blood boil to see.<br />
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Horses are such forgiving, amazing animals. I've made so many mistakes with training that I can't even count 'em all. But one thing I really try to be is fair, and to listen. But above everything is: being fair.<br />
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This horse was set up to fail, and he did. She didn't notice when he gave her signals that he understood and was trying to comply.<br />
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More than anything, she failed her horse.<br />
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And the worst part is, she went away from the pen thinking it was his fault.<br />
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Ugh. I'm going to have to start offering free clinics or something. I'm not an expert by any definition, but I feel like I could at least help people to notice when their horse is trying, and to reward that try in them. <br />
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Then maybe everyone could be happy.<br />
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My girls sure aren't perfect, but they are respectful, interested, and calm. They throw their noses in the halter and go towards something new bright eyed, happy, and secure.<br />
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Speaking of happy...<br />
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The girls are eating their way through a 600 pound round bale, and loving it. The free choice hay gives them something to do all day, and they could both use the extra pounds before winter hits. This was after 1 day of being on the round bale--about 100# of hay gone already! I've since removed the wrapping--it was supposed to help keep the bale together, but they took no heed of that--so we'll see what kind of devastation I'm looking at when I get out there today.<br />
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Happy Labor Day weekend to one and all! Don't forget to hug your horses :)<br />
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-76120008604027156812012-08-13T22:58:00.003-06:002012-08-13T23:03:07.476-06:00In which I talk about coming home...among other thingsWell, we made it back.<br />
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Two horses, two kitties, one 1991 silver BMW, and a ton (literally. ha ha) of stuff.<br />
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Although technically most of the stuff has yet to arrive.<br />
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Anyway.<br />
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Chev had a pretty rough time on the trip back. A few hours from home she started acting colicy, hauler called me, and I kind of freaked out a little inside. For the first few days I was worried I would lose her. I nursed her along (ironically the baby, who had only ever been in a trailer once, was just fine) and now she's back to normal and doing great.<br />
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However, it does make me concede that I'll likely not be moving my horses across country again any time soon.<br />
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It's pretty nice here in the green, cool (seriously, what is up with this 90+ degree weather lately??) PNW.<br />
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I moved them back to a barn I used to board at, and the owner was nice enough to let the girls hang out in a pipe corral big enough for the two of them--24 hours a day. They are doing great out there.<br />
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I had a bit of a set back with Chevy's feet: the second her toesies touched Oregon soil, they went all to mush. I had my beloved farrier out shortly after their return (THANK GOODNESS for good farriers!) and Chev has just been on hoof rehab recently--until 2 days ago, when I climbed aboard my horse for the first time in two months. I miss it.<br />
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Hoof comparison...On the left, soon after her shoes were pulled 5/8/12; the right, same foot yesterday, 8/12/12:<br />
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It'll probably be a couple trim cycles before her feet are perfect (I can see the shape is off and her toe looks long in the solar view--not so much from the side), but boy am I pleased. She's still a little tender on rocks (I've been treating with Hoof-Tough, a mixture of iodine and formaldehyde), but she's doing SO great. Her frog is firm but spongy like a good rubber ball, the deep crack is completely gone and her heel bulbs look great. So yay for barefoot! I'm glad I was patient with her and didn't slap shoes right back on without giving her a chance to mend herself.<br />
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I'm now working at an equine hospital in the area, and I'm pretty excited about the job. It's giving me lots of opportunities to learn more horse (and cow, and sheep, and goat, and pig) things--and there's so much to know! In fact, I better head to bed so I can get up early tomorrow.<br />
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I'll leave you with a few pictures.<br />
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<i>Chev shares her dinner in the pipe corral. I honestly never thought I'd see that kind of sharing from this mare, but boy, is it cute.</i></div>
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<i>Chev and the neighbor</i></div>
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<i>Tiny looks worried when she's not stuck to Chevy's flank.</i></div>
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'Til next time!<br />
<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-7479820264477791352012-07-23T12:18:00.001-06:002012-07-23T12:18:03.645-06:002 more days!I just got off the phone with the lady who will be hauling the girls for me. She's in Cheyenne and will be picking them up tomorrow afternoon, right after the brand inspection. They'll go down to a reining trainer's facility in Cheyenne and stay Wednesday. Then they're on the road early Thursday, and I think they'll be back in OR by Saturday!<br />
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This actually works pretty well for my schedule--I'll have time to pack up the fencing after they head out tomorrow, and be on the road early Wednesday. This way I think we'll get back about the same time.<br />
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Here's to hoping everything from here on out goes smoothly!Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-19178817647277503832012-07-19T21:03:00.003-06:002012-07-29T19:18:13.134-06:00t-minus 6 days...until my little silver car is packed, the cats are in the back seat and we all hit the road--the horses having left the day before, of course.<br />
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I am freaking out. Of course it's a controlled kind of freaking out, which mostly involves how things are going to fit into boxes, stressing over boxes being too heavy, and trying to grasp exactly how much stuff I have.<br />
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At any rate, this time tomorrow I'll have a lot of it loaded into a u-haul trailer, and by this time Saturday, it'll all be in u-boxes.<br />
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I feel sort of sorry for the horses. They have no idea that anything is coming, except that their grain has mysteriously stopped arriving twice a day. The hay continues to show (almost a bale a day!), so they aren't too distressed.<br />
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<i>Eating is a huge part of their day</i></div>
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I was curious about how Tiny would feel about having something cinched around her, since she can be goosey about some things--she didn't even bat an eye at the bareback pad. It'll still be a long while before she's ready for anything serious, but I think she'll be easy when it's time.<i> </i> </div>
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<i>Where you going, carrot lady?</i> </div>
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<i>Why you on that side of the corral?</i></div>
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I've also noticed both Chev and Tiny's hoof soles have been shedding like crazy. Chev has finally shed enough sole that her bare feet are starting to look normal. The impacted bars have shed, and she only has a little old sole still stuck by her toe area. Doesn't her foot look great? <i></i></div>
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<i>Chev left front (more pancake, previously bad) foot, 7/19/12--it just looks comfortable!</i></div>
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Here's how her hoof looked before on 5/9/12 and 5/12/12, a little more than 2 months ago:</div>
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<i>Narrow frog which has now widened, impacted bars (look how far forward the heel buttress is!), and TONS of sole! It looks very painful to me, not at all the feet she has today.</i></div>
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I am really looking forward to Chev's old farrier working on her feet again. I don't think I've ever seen her move more soundly than she does now, and she's obviously very happy with her hooves even though they are chipped here and there.<i> </i>I'm sure he'll be able to get them balanced and shaped just right. This climate though has been awesome for rehabbing to barefoot, and I hope they'll stay nice when we move back to the soggy PNW!</div>Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-84425975679043195722012-07-14T21:35:00.001-06:002012-07-14T21:36:36.453-06:00A night of cellphone photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the most I've seen the girls move in at least a month! Chev is a LOT faster than Tiny ('course her legs are twice as long)...but isn't that picture of them drinking together adorable?Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-91117909330774019232012-07-14T17:56:00.001-06:002012-07-14T17:56:38.290-06:00What do you love?It's time to get back to what this blog is about: Horses. I love 'em. I know that whole "student of the horse" thing is a little corny, but heck, it's true and it's just how I feel.<br />
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I just got done watching the Buck movie again (because it's a brilliant way to put off packing!).<br />
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There's a part of the movie that I really loved. <br />
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Buck is standing there with a mecate (a twisted horsehair rope) strung from his hand to the hand of a volunteer.<br />
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He starts by telling the guy that's he's going to put about 20 pounds of pressure on the rope, like you would do to take a hold on a horse's bridle rein. "Don't let me pull it out of your hands," he says.<br />
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He starts by taking a firm, tactful hold on his end of the rope, and applying steady pressure until he reaches 20 pounds. The volunteer reacts by calmly adjusting to the pressure.<br />
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Buck does this a couple of times, both parties are calm, and no one is upset.<br />
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Then Buck jerks his end of the rope to get up to the same amount of pressure. The poor guy flinches, braces, and is almost pulled off his feet.<br />
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After just a couple times of this, the volunteer is really on edge. After just a couple of times of Buck yanking the rope, the guy is flinching every time Buck even picks up the other end of the rope.<br />
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He just can't help himself.<br />
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And for God's sakes, neither can your horse!<br />
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I remember I had a trainer back when I was young who had a huge impact on me.<br />
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She was a highly skilled woman, with a Dressage background and an understanding of the nonverbal.<br />
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She was always telling me to "tactfully take up the reins".<br />
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I heard that so many times that it became entirely engrained in me. I think every time I take hold of the reins, I hear her in the back of my head.<br />
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The demonstration Buck gave illustrates her point exactly. There are always a lot of ways to get something done, but it should always be done with tact.<br />
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If you need to take hold of the reins (and we all do, sometimes in less-than-ideal circumstances), you have a choice.<br />
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You can do it tactfully, or not.<br />
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And boy, you can sure tell a horse who hasn't been handled tactfully! Just like the poor guy in the demonstration, it only takes a couple of hard yanks to change the whole body and attitude of the horse.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-43567215839775639512012-07-12T15:56:00.002-06:002012-07-12T15:56:26.753-06:00Countdown to leavingI am t-minus 9 days until I ship all my things but the essentials back to Oregon, and 13 days until the horses ship out. It's 14 days until I pack up the kitties, my houseplants, and my suitcase, say goodbye to the man I love, and head West again.<br />
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Will it be goodbye forever? Fourteen days of tears surprising me on and off every day, wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Two weeks to question if I'm making a big mistake--but I guess that's what making big changes is about. It's too late to change my mind again. And I do feel that it is time to go home.<br />
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Yesterday the vet came out to do vaccinations for the girls, check them out and write up health certificates. He took a look again at Tiny's jaw lump, and was perplexed to see the same thing sprouting on the other side. I'm convinced they're "teething bumps". With her itty bitty head, she has less room for teeth to come in. He declared her fit for travel in two weeks and asked that I send him an email after she saw my vet back home. There's a traveling dental specialist in Washington who can see her if need be.<br />
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I am having a really hard time. Some moments feel like nothing could ever be different than it is right now--I make my coffee in the morning and eat my toast, sit in my favorite chair and watch the cats do whatever it is they do, just like any other day. But now everything has a countdown. Is this the last day I drive by that house? The last time I hear a Wyoming thunderstorm? I don't remember the last time I drank from my favorite cup before I packed it away, and so many other things. Everything seems important.<br />
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It's almost like what happens when you lose someone: somehow everything somehow relates to the day they died, which becomes the center of your universe. That bill I paid, it was <i>before</i>. This moment, is <i>after</i>. But the waiting is worse, knowing the end is coming--and that I caused it--and not having a clue how to face it when the moment to leave finally arrives.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-91134135360958215412012-06-28T20:27:00.002-06:002012-06-28T20:33:43.006-06:00Girls updateWell, it's been a while since I've posted an update on the girls.<br />
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Mostly all is well. To be honest, Chev has been just a pasture puff for the last 2 months. I haven't had good access to an arena, and the pasture has been taking enough of a beating with just the regular walking back and forth. Because of the drought, the grass has failed. Luckily I was able to purchase a nice local 3x3x8 780 pound bale of grass/alfalfa...so they certainly haven't been suffering for want of forage.<br />
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Tiny is so wonderful. She is easy, forgiving, and very smart. And she is so--nice! So friendly, she always wants to be right at my elbow, hoping for a scratch.<br />
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Unfortunately she has developed a dental cyst--or possibly an impacted tooth. I had the local vet out to look at her, which I thought would entail sedation, a thorough dental exam, and then a plan. Instead, the vet took literally one look at her and told me she needed surgery. He tried to twitch her (which she was having NOTHING of...now I know how they got her feet done before), was unsuccessful, felt the lump some more, and told me she'd have to go to CSU or up to Sheridan to a dental specialist.<br />
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To be honest...I was pretty flabbergasted. So sedation, no dental exam, and I was looking suddenly at surgery. I called a vet down at CSU and explained the situation, hoping for more information. He was very nice, and said he didn't think it sounded serious. He told me to make sure to get xrays before I took her ANYWHERE, and if I did he would be happy to look at them and consult with a surgeon on my behalf. That made me feel a lot better.<br />
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I also emailed pictures and a detailed description to my vet back home, who I LOVE, and who has helped me with all of Chev's medical indiscretions--and he also said while it warranted a dental exam, he didn't feel it would be a big issue. He couldn't guess why the local vet didn't just sedate her and look.<br />
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She is eating and drinking enthusiastically, has no temperature, no nasal drainage or drainage anywhere else, and the hard lump on her lower right mandible hasn't changed in the last week. It isn't hot and she doesn't react to pressure on it. I get no pain response whatsoever. I hope it turns out to be benign. And I really hope...<br />
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...that it won't need further treatment before I return to Oregon at the end of July!<br />
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Yes, that's right, I (along with my 2 cats and the horses, of course) will be moving back to home sweet home at the end of next month.<br />
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So, in a mixture of elation, excitement, stress, and extreme depression, since the SO will be staying here in Wyoming--I am planning the return of the prodigal daughter.<br />
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In other news, Tiny has gained almost 100 lbs in the last month. She now weighs in at a hefty 860 pounds--and she's still a week of her second birthday! Yikes!<br />
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I'm also happy to report that all my ebay items sold for what I hoped they would. <br />
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Without further ado...<br />
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<i>This is from today. There are a lot of pictures of her with her head in the feeder because that's about all she does these days. Look at that hay belly!</i></div>
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<i>It's Chev's barn.</i> </div>
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<i>She got a slice on her hip--but it's all healed up now. </i></div>
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<i>She is such a lovely redhead! </i></div>
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<i>And here's the blonde!</i></div>
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<i>Oh...got an itch.</i> </div>
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<i>Look at those big booty girls! Yeesh!</i> </div>
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<i>There's that pretty Tiny horse!</i></div>Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-42134647844103324932012-06-19T15:56:00.001-06:002012-06-19T17:51:11.961-06:00Ebay!I have listed several nice tack items for sale on ebay...please check them out! Please buy them! Please please please!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/baskovia/m.html?_nkw&_armrs=1&_from&_ipg&_trksid=p3686" target="_blank">http://www.ebay.com/sch/baskovia/m.html?_nkw&_armrs=1&_from&_ipg&_trksid=p3686 </a><br />
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<br />Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6323557882880294743.post-42081906685571314492012-06-18T17:25:00.002-06:002012-06-18T17:25:40.983-06:00Homesick postI am feeling incredibly homesick.<br />
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I think what really started me off was missing Father's Day--for the second time in a row.<br />
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It's a daunting task to think about moving back, with moving costs approaching $3000 if I want to relocate my furniture, my car and the horses.<br />
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On the other hand, I've been entirely unsuccessful with landing a job here in Wyoming, so I don't have any disposable resources.<br />
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In a word, I feel stuck.<br />
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It is not a great feeling to have.<br />
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I miss my best friend, I miss my brother, and I miss my mom and dad. Enormously.<br />
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Life just feels a little hard right now.Chevellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13056233547269435066noreply@blogger.com0