Where we stand

Slow 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.

Current state of affairs:

Chevelle: 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.

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.

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.

Tiny: 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.

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.

 Me & Bitty Boo, ride #4

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I've only ridden Chevy a couple of times since moving up here, and I have some observations:

1.  I am absolutely getting more chickenshit the longer I go without riding consistently.

2.  My horse is A LOT more broke than I give her credit for.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So maybe I'll finally get back into it again after all!  YIP!

A rare sight around here!

And 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...

Check it out! --->    BAD★STAR Gallery

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.

Here are the last two portraits I've done.

Nacho--a memorial portrait for a very sweet, very well loved Chihuahua down in Oceanside, CA:

The Great Ignacio.  Graphite on Bristol Plate, 9" x 12". 2015

And a portrait of a lovely mare, commissioned for her daughter in college as a momento:

 Grey Mare.  Graphite on Bristol Plate, 9" x 12". 2015

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!

Something happened to me the other day

that has NEVER happened before.

I went in a tack shop and didn't see anything I wanted.

Granted, it WAS Coastal--but still--not a single thing.

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.

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);

The Jim Taylor reiner;

My small shop El Dorado training saddle that I like & that fits Chevy;

A nice little Lazy L by Larry Coats barrel saddle hardly used from 2007;

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");

A Martin sidepull (which I never use);

A gorgeous black Guitron kangaroo bosal and mane hair mecates;

Two good wool pads, one Reinsman, one Classic Equine, and one Pro Choice pad;

About 10 nice snaffles I never use, and all kinds of other misc tack of somewhat lesser quality than above (but still nice).

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.

Horses 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. 

http://readingeagle.com/news/article/top-horse-breeder-from-north-heidelberg-township-kicked-to-death-by-horse-authorities-say

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 "kicked to death" 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.

"It's just something horses do," Marinaccio said. "She teaches you that right away. "Horses just do things. I got bitten one time. That's something horses do. They don't do it maliciously. They just do it. She would never, ever blame the horse." "

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!)

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 how this could happen.  As an experienced horsewoman...surely she understood discipline is necessary?...

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.

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.

Horses can and will literally kill you. Horses are not people. Treat them like horses.

Holy.  Moly.

It's time to start this 'ere blog up again.

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.

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. 

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.

The girls

are doing well!

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.

She is not terribly thrilled about being tied to a post.

What beautiful, sunny weather we have had in the PNW lately!  The girls got their feet done, and I got a sunburn.

I wish you and yours all the best.  Summer's in no time at all.

A dear friend of mine

in Wyoming pointed out how I am not doing a very good job keeping up on this blog.

To be honest, it's been hard.

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.

When I look at her, it makes me want to cry.

This is when she looked like last summer after her return to Oregon:

And this is what she looked like a month and a half ago.

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.

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.

Chev at the new place as I got in my car last night

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.

Come in from their private pasture

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:

Grr...Tiny, get lost.

And, Tiny is still as sweet as ever.  And...her mane has grown back a little.

Acre of pasture to herself...still manages to get poop on her face.

So...we'll wait and see.

Leaving already?