Teaching Pete To Drive

I purchased a pony harness and cart last week off Craigslist. I am planning to start Pete under harness, but I am wondering.. How do I take this

this

and this

and turn them into this?

Magic?

Pete and Margo

My New Horse "Margo"

Tango & Pete

The Great Flood of 2008

Rain Rain Go Away!

It finally stopped raining, but the ground is soaked at our place. We pumped about 6-8 inches of water out of our basement 3 or 4 times before it slowed down. The dryer is not drying clothes as fast now... At the worst of it our septic tank seemed full, the toilet not flushing and water collecting in the tub after a shower. Yuck!

The pasture was like a shallow creek for days and water flowed directly through my barn and out the turn out shed on the east side. (Lucky for me, my hay was on pallets and stayed dry!) The turn out shed it trashed though, with Tango and Pete tearing up the wet floor. The stall in my other building stayed dry, so I hayed the boys in there and they spent a lot of time standing around in there (evident by the two wheelbarrows of poop I had to clean out!)

The ground is a mess, every step Tango takes he literally moves the earth (I weighed Tango the other day with a weight tape, it barely touched ends around his girth and the highest weight on it was 1400 lbs! He is a fatty!) On the first day of Spring, I took down my hot wire fence and let the boys in the back pasture, where the ground is a bit firmer. Our pond overflowed as well. No more rain!

Love These!

Horse Shoes Are Lucky

Tango has been missing a shoe since the Thursday before New Years and my farrier keeps moving back my appts! Err! Now I have big plans with my neighbor, Sharon, to haul over to a new arena Saturday to ride and Tango is still missing a dang shoe!!! Frustrating!
The new arena is the Route 66 Arena, only 12 miles up the road. Sharon and I went over there Sunday and met the nice owner who is wanting to put together a saddle club. Sounds fun! I'll keep you posted.

More Blanket Woes

Tango has managed to somehow split the lining on his blanket right down the middle over his big booty. So I had been putting him in Jake's (too short) blanket, then Tango managed to break one of the front buckles off on it. Lovely. So now, both of his blankets are damaged. Pony Pete, however, looks SOOOOOOOO cute in his little tiny blanket it would make you cry! Pictures soon, I promise!

Will We Make It?

Sometimes I wonder.... should I just move back to town? It certainly would be a lot easier, but I think not!

We have had a bit of a rough time lately. Tango threw a shoe New Years weekend. I called the farrier, but he was in Texas until Jan 4th. I had an appointment with him on the 8th, so I thought, I'll just wait. Then horrible tornado weather hit the area on the 7th. So I called to see if we were still on and he said his neighbor had been hit with quite a bit of damage and he had been out with a chainsaw walking fence lines all morning. So we moved the appointment again to next Monday... So I haven't been able to ride or mess with Tango at all. Also, Pony Pete came to me with horrible feet, I have no clue if he has ever had them done. So he is going to get worked on as well. Wish me luck with that!On to other issues... The basement flooded really bad (almost 5 inches at the peak!) So we borrowed my Dad's sump pump and had that running all night. The water is out now, but it is pretty damp down there. Luckily, it is an unfinished basement, so no ruined carpet or furniture. Dan did see a toad swimming around down there. Where did he come from?

Saving the best for last... The propane company came out Saturday to top our tank off for the first time. I was in the shower when Dan brought the bill in. "Guess how much" he called out to me. I replied "$300??" Nope, it was $870!!! Holy cow, it about gave me a heart attack! $870 Dollars!! And that was not even a full tank. That took us from 12% to 89%. There goes my plan to save for a horse trailer anytime soon!

Oh well, if we moved back to town, I would have to give up Pony Pete and pay appx $400 a month to board Tango, then drive 20-25 miles a day one way to go ride him. And he would probably think the stall mucker was his new owner. So I think it is worth the heart ache/expense/stress to stay!

Happy New Year!

Back to business after a bit of a break! Hope everyone had a happy hoilday season.

Hot Wire

We sectioned off part of the pasture with hot wire, but didn't turn it on, in hopes that Tango and Pony Pete would respect it as it was. Well, Tango did. Pony Pete started out daintily stepping through the fence to eat on the other side. Every morning, I would have to open the gate and put Pete back on the correct side of the fence. Well, Pete abandoned the dainty method and began just barging through to the other side, pulling down the whole damn fence. Err!
So, on the eve of Christmas Eve, Daniel and I went out, joined every extension cord we owned together :) , and turned on the fence. Daniel tested it (thanks), and it worked.

I could tell Tango has been around hot wire, because his ears perked up at the clicking sound and he gave the fence a ten foot buffer zone. Pony Pete ignored the clicking and walked up to push through the fence and BAM! He got it on the nose and tore out of there quick. Well, apparently once was not enough to convince him, so he went in for one more test and got it again. The pony has stayed on the correct side of the fence since, and it is nice to not have to go fix it everyday.

The fence has its own form of (slightly sadistic) humor. Christmas Kitty had only been at our farm for a few hours when he sniffed the fence and got shocked right on his little nose. He jumped about eight feet backwards then tore out of there faster than Pony Pete.
My neighbor's baby goat Odie got it as well, on his nightmarish visit to my farm. I saw him walking towards the fence, and I kept saying "No Odie, don't touch it Odie" but he didn't listen. He got it right on the nose as well and let out a cry that could have been human.

So far that is three for the fence.... This one hasn't got me yet, but I have had my share of shocks, the worst being to the back of my head and to my elbow. Ouch!

A Christmas Eve Visit

(My last Christmas post, I swear!)

Christmas Eve on the farm began as a lovely, warm morning. I went down to the barn, feed Tango and Pony Pete, then sat in the warm sunshine with Christmas Kitty purring and making biscuits on my lap.
To my delight, my neighbor Sharon's boar-cross nanny goat (Bella) and her young kid (Odie) came over the hill and across the field to visit. Tango and Pete took one look and galloped to the far end of the paddock in horror and stood rigid, with rolling eyes, as I was petting Bella and her baby. Of course, I had to invite Bella to the barn for a little of Tango's grain, which she happily ate while Odie sniffed around. Christmas Kitty, like the horses, didn't know what to do, so he perched high and watched.

Tango and Pete's curiosity had to be satisfied, so they approached cautiously. Tango walked up stiff legged and got really excited sniffing Bella, I could feel the energy radiating off him as he began prancing around, blowing great breaths of air and again with the eye rolling. I had my hand on his withers and kept saying "Be nice, Tango, be nice."

Well, Bella had had enough of this great big moose sniffing all over her, and with a "bah" to Odie, she began making her way back to her field. This Tango could not handle, so I yell out "Run, Bella, Run!" As I again see the look of terror in a small animals eye as great Tango comes bounding, full blast after the goats. Thankfully, they jumped through the fence in just the nick of time as Tango slammed on the brakes and snorted his triumph. (Good Grief... What a moose!)

Christmas Thanks

Thanks to...
Mom and Dad for Tango's new galloping boots!
Daniel for a new barn coat!
Daniel's Mom for the book "Equine Emergency Bible"!
Susan for the Christmas Kitty!
Karen for a big ol' bag of carrots and ten dollars towards my carrot fund!
Dad and Mom for a 100 ft extention cord!
Thanks to everyone else for all the other good things I got, but know that the best present is the company of good friends and family!

Christmas Tragedy

My good friend Susan lost her nice, young stud prospect the day before Christmas Eve to a freak accident. I thought if it could help save one horse, it would be worth the warning. Her horse, Indigo, was play fighting over the top of his stall with the horse next door when he managed to catch his bottom teeth under the top bar of the metal hay rack in the neighboring stall. The bar managed to get caught behind his bottom teeth (where the bit would go) and he could not get the leverage to unhook himself, thus he asphyxiated as the top of the stall cut off his airway. Horrible accident, but it is worth checking your stalls to make sure it can't happen in your barn. Thoughts and prayers to Susan for her sad loss.

Christmas Kitty

A sweet little teenage boy kitty showed up at my friend Susan's horse farm last week. He was causing an uproar in her cat community, soo..... Dan and I have our first barn cat! Now, we have another animal to name (the horror!) So far, I have been calling him "Christmas Kitty," but I think it is a bit wordy for an everyday name. He is the sweetest little guy, a total purr machine! Tango and Pony Pete have taken an instant liking to him, so now I have three boys to love on down at the barn! Merry Christmas! (This is not a picture of him, though he has the same coat pattern, but I thought it was too funny!)

The Pony Has A Name! (And An Attitude)

After (only) 3 weeks, our pony finally has a name! We have named him "Pete" (which nicer than "Muhammad" as Daniel wanted, and "Pony Pants" which I have been calling him.)

On Sunday, as Dan and I were leaving the farm, I noticed the the bottom strand of hot wire tape was down. (Part of the new fence we built last weekend, which isn't hooked up to electricity.) "We'll mess with it when we get back," I said. Mistake.

Of course, not only was part of the fence down, that spunky pony Pete was on the wrong side! He was galloping back and forth like an idiot, as he apparently had been the entire time we were gone. Lovely. And, of course, my big horse, Tango had been dancing in place on his side of the fence the whole time as well (evident by the badly torn up turf.)

Not only had Pony Pete gone through the fence, but he snapped one of the strands as well! So out went Dan in the dark to tie it back together, while I freed the little beast to the correct side of the fence. So the lesson learned? If you notice something wrong, you better investigate further before heading to town.

So, fast forward to this morning (Monday), I went out to feed the boys at 6:30 am and the little turkey was back on the wrong side of the fence! Err! At least he didn't snap the hot wire tape again. So I freed him once more. Hopefully, when I get home tonight, he won't be over there again or the hot wire might have to become hot. Which would require the purchase of a hundred foot extension cord.... just what I always wanted!

Royalty and Horses

I have always been fascinated that members of royalty, who can afford to do any activity they wish, chose to be involved with horses. Sam Savitt, an noted equine artist, theorizes that royalty are attracted to horses because a horse is as likely to buck off the prince as it is to buck off the groom. He says that horses are noble in that they are honest.

Blankets and Sheets and Coolers, Oh My!

I have always been one for blanketing horses, even though the winters here in Missouri have become more and more mild. But, as with all good things, there are draw backs.

For instance, Tango wears a turn-out sheet; it is windproof and waterproof. It can be soaking wet on top, and underneath he is dry. This is nice. However, when it is below freezing out, the parts of the blanket that hang away from his body become frozen stiff as a board. So... should I leave the half frozen sheet on him? No, I decided. I took the sheet off and brought it in the house to defrost. I must be crazy, because the first thought I had was to put the muddy, hairy, half frozen blanket in the dryer. Thankfully, my husband stopped me before I did that. So then, should I hang the muddy, hairy, half frozen blanket over a heat vent on the carpet to dry? What should I hang it from? ... Alas, I decided to hang it on a hook in the basement stairwell, where, hopefully, it will dry (eventually).

So, now the poor baby (Tango, not my husband) is cold and might get wet (the horror!) So, what to do? Well, I have another sheet I had bought for a previous horse. It is, however, a size 76, and Tango, my dear, wears a size 86. So on goes the 76, with at least ten inches of Tango's butt left uncovered. This is okay to me, at least he is warm and dry (well 88% of him...)(Yes, I used a calculator to figure that). Then I go to attach the leg straps that hold the back of the blanket on. And, of course, at their most stretched out position, the leg straps are at least 10 inches too short. So back to the house I go, to fetch the leg straps off the muddy, hairy, wet, but now not frozen, blanket hanging in the basement stairwell. (This of course, requires me to sit down, remove muddy wet boots, fetch straps, sit again to reapply muddy wet boots...) Long story short, leg straps were combined, crisis averted.

On to the pony (whom we still haven't named). I decided that the poor pony needs a blanket too! So out I go in the mud and muck to measure him. He is a size 48. So in I go to look through my horsey catalogs for a size 48 sheet. Well, the normal horse sheets start at size 66. And the sheets and blankets for mini horses only go up to size 45. ??? So, what about all the ponies and horses that wear size 46-65??? I don't know. They must be a forgotten market segment. (Maybe I should start a company that only makes horse blankets size 46-65). So, should I order him a size 45 and let 2 inches of his butt stick out? Will the neighbors think I am odd with my too small horse sheets? Will I ever find the elusive size 48? Tune in to find out...

Yuck Yuck Yuck

Nasty, cold, icy rain moved in over the weekend. Daniel and I filled up a bunch of empty gallon jugs with water, just in case... Our neighbor has a generator and said we are welcome to come over if the lights go out...

Even with the rain we got a lot done. On Saturday, my neighbor Sharon and I took two of her horses over to a huge, lovely indoor arena 10 miles down the road. We had the whole place to ourselves and got to ride and play a bit. It was nice.

On Sunday, Daniel and I went into Republic and spent over 30 min. in the check out line at Wal-Mart. We bought fencing supplies at the farm store and spent a soggy afternoon putting up plastic t-posts and hot wire. My big horse Tango has thin soles on his front feet (we are trying to grow his feet out) and the vet said to keep him out of the pond by all means. So he had been in a little pen with his pony the last few weeks. (The pen is now ankle deep mud). I turned him out Saturday and he ran around like an idiot, bucking and chasing the pony. The pony had a look of terror on his face, and his little legs were working over time, trying to avoid Tango who was having a ball galloping after the poor thing. So the fence is now up, and Tango can happily be out again. I closed the pen off, but I think it is beyond repair at this point. And thankfully Tango has given up his game of chase the pony. For now...

Oh My

I found this lovely pillow online today....

My Favorite Things

I rewrote the words to My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music

Overo paint geldings and dapple gray hunters
A big horse named Tango and imported jumpers
Chocolate brown ponies with blonde colored manes
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored jodhpurs and riding bareback
Indoor arenas and winning the hack
Aluminum trailers and whinny’d greetings
These are a few of my favorite things

Organized tack rooms and leather horse boots
Tailored hunt coats and saddle seat suits
Loading up for a horse show on summer mornings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the horse bucks
When the feed bill comes
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

Reality vs. Fantasy

I have been horse crazy since my Dad got me my first Breyer in the early 80's. I then took lessons, Pony Clubbed, worked at other peoples farm's to ride, leased horses, rented horses, rode on the horse show team in college... basically, I did everything I could to be around, among, or even thinking about horses. Including reading every horse book I could lay my hands on, watching National Velvet and other old horse movies (anyone seen Horse in a Gray Flannel Suit?), and reading horse magazines. This all built up in me an image I'm sure many horse crazy girls have, a romanticised, loving, instant bond with a dream horse who is perfectly trained.
How many hours have I spent in my youth galloping cross country on my Breyer horses? When my husband Daniel and I first moved to the farm, I was unpacking my Breyer horses and each one has a name, a personality, and memories frozen in me just as they are frozen mid prance, canter or trot. These fantasy horses are easy to love. They never bite, buck, bolt or balk (4 letter words!), they do not get sick, or need $80 shoes every six weeks, they don't eat a bale a day, they don't require good footing, etc, etc, etc (and I do mean etc!)
So, back to my point of fantasy vs. reality, I loved my day dream horses. They always behaved and were a lot easier to care for. But a living, breathing animal with his own opinions (that don't always match mine) is certainly a lot more interesting. And the expense is worth it to me (not necessarily to my husband...) but to me, it is worth sacraficing a Starbucks or new work clothes to hear a nicker when I round the corner with a bucket of grain.

Introduction

Hello! Welcome to my first blog posting! I am a 27 yr old recent college grad who just purchased a 5 acre farmette with my husband. I own two horses: a 10 yr old, 17.2 hh, TB gelding I use for English disciplines; and a 2 yr old, 9 hh Mini who keeps him company. My husband and I have just passed the 4 month mark at our new place, not without incident, and I am hoping to use this blog to share the trials and errors of first time land owners.