Grief does weird things to your head. It makes you feel fragile, as if any little thing might make you react in a way that might not be appropriate to the situation. That first week after Kasane died, I visited with Breezy a lot. Mostly just stood out in her Read more…
It’s been a very long, muddy winter. And fall, and most of the previous summer too. I had a curious confluence of events that kept me feeling slightly overwhelmed. You know, that feeling where you are juggling everything but can not add one more ball to the mix without dropping Read more…
It’s been a long, slow summer. For the past few weeks, I’ve felt like I was holding my breath waiting for Kasane to reinjure herself. She hasn’t. But she might try, like the times she put her back feet through the stall wall and almost needed stitches. (She demolished that Read more…
When Isis was diagnosed with Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, one site provided answers and informative discussion about this disease, current treatment options, and tests: EPM Horse.org. One of the keys to successfully treating EPM successfully is early detection. The more people know about EPM, the better chance they will have of Read more…
A dear friend of mine lost her mare, Cedars BlueMoon, today. Blue was 23 and, in her day, was a mischeivous, playful, smart little Arabian mare. She was also a 3/4 sister to Isis’ dam, Cedars del Taliah. Blue was a bay with four white socks and a pretty white Read more…
I’ve had a riding lesson for the past two Saturdays. It has been a roller coaster where my riding skills fluctuated from newbie to advanced.
Had my skills degraded? Muscle tone wasn’t as good as it had been in 2008 when we were able to ride more. In 2009, riding time was minimized due to Isis’ and my medical issues. Even though it was hard to ride when Isis tripped several times every ride, we figured out how to compensate for it. Finding out the EPM was responsible for the majority of her tripping was both a relief and a sadness. Every time Isis and I made progress, something devastating happened and we were pushed back.
This year would be different. Nerve damage takes 1-5 years to heal and horses recovering from EPM have to be kept low-stress. This is an opportunity to improve without any pressure from shows or clinics. New year, new improvements. I went to Weight Watchers to lose the weight I had gained (ever seen how form fitting riding pants are?). My exercise program is largely based around riding and work horses.
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When the chiropractor came out in early November, she pointed out that Isis’ spine near her withers had sore points. The sore spots were most likely caused by a saddle that didn’t fit properly. I knew my old all purpose saddle (the Zaldi in the image gallery below, first picture) Read more…
Wow. So it’s been a while since I last posted. I’ve managed to land (mostly) on my feet. I went from being unemployed to being over-employed, but in a good way. My old freelance contacts paid off in the best possible way: I was given enough work to get me Read more…
The vet exam showed that Isis’ left side is weaker than her right. To correct this, I am supposed to work Isis at least every other day, weather permitting. When she first trots, her back legs track wider then normal and eventually straighten out. It’s like watching someone with back Read more…
My stepfather woke me up this morning and said that my Mom’s favourite mare, Farah, had died during the night. Farah was a sweetheart of a mare: multichampion Arabian in halter and performance, dam of five or so babies, and an unchallenged lead mare. She was one of those grand Read more…
I’m visitng my parents this weekend, so I’ll be possibly posting. Depends upon how exhausted I am from working at the barn. It’s a good exhaustion. 🙂 Mom has Isis’ daddy, Sirdar, and several of Isis’ sisters. She also has Kasane’s sister, Kenya, who is by the same sire and Read more…
An international team of archaeologists has uncovered the earliest known evidence of horses being domesticated by humans. The discovery suggests that horses were both ridden and milked. read more | digg story
I just received directions to where Prize is stabled. I really will get to meet her tomorrow. I’m going to take plenty of pictures. Wow. I think I’m still in a little shock.
There was an informal natural horsemanship session at my barn today. One of the ladies started a three year old filly under saddle. The filly is a buckskin, Quarter Horse/Arabian cross. She is a rescue case and has not been handled much. She knew how to lead and not much else.
It was amazing watching how the filly responded and learned what was being asked. She is a smart little girl. She picked up what she was being asked to do quickly. She learned left, right, whoa, and was exposed to the saddle in about two hours.
It was amazing. She had her first exposure to the saddle and blanket and was fine with it being flapped all over her. She was perfectly content to have the saddle placed on her back and cinched. She could have cared less when the rider sat on her back.
Really amazing to watch. What an excellent filly and an exceptional, non-stressful experience for her first time under saddle.
Ever since I sold Prize, I have felt guilty over what happened. To say I berated myself is an understatement. I felt like I had let down my horse. I had promised Prize I would never sell her, and then I had to. I swore that I would do everything Read more…