The Happenings

So nothing out of the ordinary has been happening, really.

I did manage to give Graffiti a nice big ol' headbutt one morning. That was as painful as it was funny. The outcome was black, blue and a little bit of green. Trent was embarressed to be seen with me in public. The picture taken was the day after it happened. It got much darker over the last couple days and its finally starting to lighten up and go away now.

I've been avoiding his parents who kept telling me during my horse search that a horse was dangerous and I shouldn't be around them when I'm pregnant. "I just don't want you to get hurt!" they'd say. And I'd scoff. So in trying not to prove them right, I've been avoiding them (among other stupid reasons). So far so good. They have no clue I have a black eye. The first day it happened I spoke with his dad who didn't even notice. Go me! My ninja skills are sharpening.

Trent's mom and I are at odds with eachother over a whole other issue and it makes my trip to the barn awkard and rushed. I just don't want to be around there when she's home right now and that limits my time with Graffiti. Hopefully she'll get up off that peg that she's sitting and spinning on and I can go about my daily routine.

Graffiti is a dirtbag. Everything warmed up and things were so muddy inside the pasture and run-in that I wasn't going to attempt another grooming session. She's just about as dirty as the other two horses which bugs the crap out of me.

I did venture in there one morning. I tossed her feed pan inside and she lowered her head to eat. I noticed she kept her eye closest to me closed shut. I peeked around the other side and her other one was wide open. I sighed. Something might be wrong. She wasn't crying and there was no swelling, but I felt the need to catch her and pry her eyeball open anyways, much to her dismay. She didn't appriciate it...especially since she was doing really important stuff. Like eating. But she was forced to deal with it. I found nothing. Nothing was stuck in there. No cuts. No nothing. Heaving a sigh of relief, I let her go to finish her grain.

Maybe she just didn't want to see me that day.

Feet Troubles

So I went to feed this morning (no, really?) and, lets just face it, today was bound to be a stressful day from the get-go. With the horses and without. But we're not talking about times without the horses, so lets deal with the horse issue.

Things have dried up. Well, not necessarily dried, but have frozen. They're now standing ontop of the frozen mud instead of sinking down into it. And because of that, I noticed one little glitch that just tore at my irritation. Graffiti has tiny little feathers. These feathers have dredlocked with balling mud. I must remove this, I thought to myself. So after graining and throwing hay, I dive on in there with a pair of scissors and try my luck at lopping those irritations free of my horse.

Only Graffiti doesn't appriciate this. Not at all. She keeps lifting her foot. Stomping it. Moving away from me. So I back off and grab a halter. She's young...she'll understand eventually. I halter her and try to touch her leg. She lifts it and stomps it...and there goes my patience. I'd understand a little bit if she wasn't constantly giving me dirty faces while dancing around her food. But she's basically telling me that she's eating, and that even though she allows me to groom her while she's doing this, feet are strictly off limits.

So I idley slip the chain under her chin. I have no time for such games. Normally I would gladly spend a few days working with her about lifting those legs, holding them until I drop them. Allowing me to touch and work around them. But here I am. I don't have a stall. This horse's legs will be untouchable with mud when everything thaws out, and I need to get this done now so it stops pulling at her skin. So I slip the chain on her. I reach down for her foot and she jerks it away from me.

Shank.

Wow, that woke her up. A little more work and I have her standing still, not bothering to eat while I work with her legs. If I can't work with her legs while she's eating, then she won't eat at all until I'm done. I trim her front two first and then move on to her back feet. I'm a little leery about her hind legs. She's never kicked at me yet, but you can never predict a horse. I have a hard time bending over now as it is and moving fast just isn't my forte' anymore.

Go ahead and challenge me because I went straight to the chain. I have a baby in my stomach to protect, I'm a lumbering beast, and my horse needs to know what I do and do not tolerate.

Anyways, the back legs were a little touchy. I stood off to the side and clipped and trimmed what I could. She kept trying to lift her leg, and I thought "Alright, so she wants me to pick it up". I pick it up and put it in a farrier hold and sh procedes to yank and pull on it. This fires me up, and I repremand her. The second time she stands well and I cut those little mud balls off. The other leg? A little more difficult than expected. I had to correct her several times before she let me handle her leg enough to do what I needed to do.

Afterwards I gave her lots of praise and pats, because I felt that she deserved them. This has probably been the first time in a while that anyone outside of a farrier has even touched her legs, so I wasn't expecting much. Just enough for her to understand that I will be touching her there, and she'll stand as quietly as she can for it.

I also take the time to pet around her face because she's been showing signs of being headshy. She doesn't appriciate it. Just another irritation she must endure in able to eat her meal. But she deals with it. Something I really like about this mare. Even though she finds what I do to be rather aggrivating to her on some level, she accepts that I'm doing it, and eventually she doesn't even take notice that its happening anymore.

No hissy fits, no nothing.

Good pony.

Lazy Training or Feed Servant?

I should really rename this blog to "Things I see while feeding" because theres not a whole lot of training going on these days. The mud has been so nasty in that pasture that it's hard to step anywhere and I'd like to work Graffiti inside the pasture before I work her outside of it just to make sure we have some ground rules going on.

So lets talk about yesterday.

We had a lot of rain here yesterday. And when I mean a lot, I mean that you could step outside and drown just by trying to breathe. I was HOPING for the weather to clear up so the pasture might dry a little. no such luck. It'll be a sloshy, muddy Christmas. Yay for glabal warming!

I want a polar bear :(

Sorry, back on track.

I got to the barn at evening feed and it was a good thing I went a little early so it'd give me time to sort the chaos that was happening. Dusty and Shiloh were outside the fence, running back and forth like idiots. Now, the pasture was bigger than it is right now, but the extra half was just fenced off. It turns out that a tree had fallen on that part of the fence and the two horses were running back and forth on the other side of the fence. Still enclosed, but frantic that they couldn't get back into their original pasture.

Alright, stupids. Just step over the part you did when you left.

Graffiti was running back and forth on the original side of the fence. The memo didn't reach her that she could step over the fence as well. At one point it looked like she hit the ground and slid because she was really muddy on one side.

So I grab some halters and FINALLY caught Shiloh. It was a good thing I worked with her a month or two ago because she remembered everything, and I needed her to because the ground was so uneven and slippery and I was unbalanced as it was with a baby in my stomach that I almost fell a few times. But she remembered. I hopped her over the fallen fence and let her go. I went to catch Dusty. Turn around, Graffiti is in the extra pasture. I guess she saw what Shiloh did (oh, step over it!) and wanted to see for herself what it was like on the other side. So I left Dusty to his own devices and caught Graffiti.

About 30 seconds after I caught Graffiti, I snagged Dusty. I pulled them both over the fallen fence and let them go. All in all, it took maybe a half hour or so for me to do all of that. It took me a minute and 30 seconds to type it.

I secured the fence with bailing twine (love that stuff). It's not as tight as it used to be, but at least it's at the appropriate level it used to be. Trent will fix it either today or tomorrow. But I'm very proud of my handy skills. The tree branch that fell on it was dead so it was super easy to move. Or else I would have had a whole other problem on my hands.

Tragedy avoided...this time!

I also found out why Shiloh hasn't been stealing any food from Graffiti. I was feeding yesterday morning inside the shed when Shiloh pinned her ears and went after Graffiti. Graffiti whipped around and BAM! Double barreled her. It was hilarious! She's still the lowest on the pecking order but at least she's standing up for herself.

This morning was cute too. Graffiti was waiting by the fence when I came in and Shiloh came up behind her. Graffiti moved of course, but every step she took, her little butt was in the air and hopping around saying "I'll do it! Don't think I won't!"

I don't know whether she has the balls to do it again or not...but it was funny, none the less.

Peace Is Restored

It's now been a while since nmy filly first arrived.

We had some issues with the lead mare, Shiloh...but it all seemed to work itself out. I don't know what else to say about it. One day, she was challenging even me as I stood guard over the filly as she ate. She had left her own grain that was 30 feet away to bother the other mare, and challenged me when I stood between the two. She didn't return to her grain afterwards when she lost. Instead she just ate some hay.

These days though...especially the last three feedings, nothing has happened. Nothing. I fed inside all 3 recent times and all those times the filly waits for Shiloh's grain to be poured and then enters the shed for her own grain. All by herself without any coaxing. She stands between the two leaders and eats without hesitation. She knocks her feed pan here and there, this way and that as she eats, and I stand by nervously (of course I do) watching it get too close to one horse or another and I wait to see if theres any reaction.

There is none. Nothing.

I throw the hay inside the shed. I give them all their fair share in each pile...and then I leave. When I leave, I don't see my filly being chased out of the shelter. It appears as though she's been accepted into the herd. This happened as quick as it would take for me to swat at a fly. One day there was a problem, the next day...peace.

I can breathe a sigh of relief now.

So today since I didn't have to worry and grow any gray hairs, I tossed a saddle pad on my girl to see what she would do. To my delight, she stood there and ate her grain. No biggy. I left it there and threw the hay. Came back and rattled it around on her back. No reaction. I pet her with it, touched her all over with it, padded her, shook it at her, put it back on her back and messed it around. I massaged her butt with it, rubbed her belly with it...muttered a "blalalalalalavlavlablablabla!" as I rattled it around. Not reaction.

So someone has worked with her on this before. I don't know who, since her previous owners said they didn't "sack her out". Just handled her. So now I'm at a loss for things to do. It's simply too muddy for me to walk around the pasture with her without risking a fall on my part. So it looks like I'll be the groom/food provider until the ground dries up a little.

I finally came up with a name for her. I don't know why...but everytime I would think of a name for her, I kept thinking of dark city alleyways and urban jungles. I have no clue why. The sensation just never left me and I started growing attracted towards songs that revolved around that. I started thinking of things that you'd find in dark city alleyways...and a few things popped up. Trash. Dumpsters. Crystal Meth. Fire escapes. .... wait, Graffiti!

And it fits her so well. Graffiti it is. Graffiti is artwork thats unwanted...and believe me, Trents mom was VERY distraught when she found out we brought a horse in (even if she knew about it prior).

I WANT to take more pictures of her, but I just can't bring her to run around a muddy paddock for some good shots. Thats asking for disaster. So again, I have to wait for the drier weather.

Viva la Graffiti!

Peace Keeper

As I've stated before, Dusty is the boss of all. But as the boss of all, he establishes his ownership of his herd and then allows the herd to dwell. As long as they know he's the boss, he doesn't feel he needs to push others around on a daily basis.

Shiloh does. I really can't blame her. She hasn't been lead mare. Ever. And now she is. And as a lead mare, she has to re-establish her dominance everyday. This is how horses have been doing things for thousands of years. I can't hold it against her.

Today it was cold and rainy. The rain froze overnight or something...I don't know. Even though its still cold out, its not freezing. This morning I got a call from Trent's mom.

"I'm not going in to work today. The roads are too bad. Will you be coming up to feed?"

I told her yes, I come up everyday around 9am to feed. She said to call her if I get in the car and decide it's too dangerous.

Sigh.

So I get in the car and drive to the barn. No problem. She also said that I should feed all the horses in the run-in shed since it was raining. Ok, it wasn't raining. It was drizzling. And she's just being over dramatic.

I hop out of the car and the horses are at the fence to greet me. Not huddled in the shed like they would be if they truly were cold and shivering.

So I get everyones feed ready. I give the filly hers outside again since I figure it'll be hard enough haying all of them inside the shed without them having to fight over grain. Once she's done with the grain, I throw hay inside the run-in. I kinda space it out so everyone gets their fill. Dusty has his under his grain bucket. Shiloh has hers in the same spot. The filly? I toss hers in the middle.

She's hesitant to come in, so I have to trump out in shin-deep mud and give her a few pets. I have a whip in my hand, but I hold it submissively as if it was just my arm. Nothing big. I turn and head back into the shed. She follows me. Shiloh peeks up from her grain and peers over at the filly, and I raise my whip at her. We had an earlier encounter when I was dumping Shiloh's grain. Shiloh dove her head into the bucket and threw my hand out. I retaliated and punched her in the face for it. I wouldn't let her near it unless I wanted her near it, and I think she remembered that when she saw me raise the whip in warning. This food was not for her. It was for the filly. Back off.

So for a while she minded her own business and let the filly eat her hay.

The moment she was done though...look out. Shiloh chased the filly right out of the shelter. I cracked Shiloh on the ass for it and sent her out of the shelter as well. If the filly isn't inside the shelter, no one was going to be inside the shelter.

I whistled and the filly came back very cautiously. Only when she was inside did I let Shiloh come in and eat as well. A few moments of peace and then we had another tense one. Shiloh lifts her head from her hay and doesn't even get a chance to pin her ears before the filly shys away and exits the shelter. I make Shiloh move after her, kicking her out as well.

The third time was perfect. It took the filly a little while longer to come back in, and I had to push Shiloh and block her entrance when she tried to come in without the filly. So finally the filly came in and I directed her to her own pile. Lowered my defensive position and Shiloh came back in. The moment Shiloh appeared, the filly went to dodge out again, but I reached up and grabbed a hold of the muscle of the filly's chest and squeezed slightly. This stopped her in her tracks. I was the dominant horse and I wanted her to stay...and she understood that. So, after taking a deep breath, she lowered her head back down to eat again.

Through all of this drama, Dust was minding his own business at the other end of the shed...eating his hay happily. He loves sharing his food with the filly so theres not problem stemming from him. He just watched and ate. No problem.

After about 5 minutes of happy munching, I exit the barn and start to clean things up and put things away. Still no uneasy motions. Everything was relaxed. I head out, close the barn up and walk to my car. I give them one last look...I don't see any horses. They're all in the shed, eating away.

I'm not sure what happened when I left. I can hope that Shiloh didn't push the filly back out, but I can't know for sure. I had moved the filly's hay deeper into the shed though and closer to Dusty so Shiloh could have her room. So I'm hoping everything went well. If they didn't...then oh well. They'll figure it out sooner or later. I'm just glad I could assist with the filly's first time inside the shed.

The Girl Next Door

Ah, she's home. She didn't come home on Saturday, which was a total disappointment for me. But it had snowed (of course) and there were at least 17 crashes on our road. None of them fatal, but people were sliding back down hills and off of turns like The Force was willed against them. So no pony for me.

On Monday we had her delivered. Big huge chaos panic on my part, but Trent, my bf, seemed to take things all very calmly like this was a normal, everyday event. Of course this should of helped me stay calm...but it didn't. Instead, I hurled things at his head because he just wasn't moving fast enough for my liking.

The trailer came, parked, and I pulled her off the trailer. We signed the bill of sale, forked over the cash and went to acclimating her to the herd. It actually went very smoothly. So smoothly that it was almost unatural. Dusty, our dominant gelding, welcomed her right into the herd and even though I feed them three seperate piles of hay morning and night, he'll allow her to eat off of his hay pile. Shiloh is a little different, of course. She's the mare...and where as before she was just beta to the alpha in the pasture, she's now alpha mare. She will not tolerate the new filly's presence around her food. Typical bitch.

Feeding time is interesting. The two original horses, Dusty and Shiloh, are fed in the run-in shed by use of corner feeders that're bolted to...well, the corners. I feed Dusty first, then Shiloh. Then I put a few handfulls in a feed pan that we have and take it out to the new girl. She's learned very fast about how this works. She knows not to enter the run-in while theres food in there, and in that respect, she waits patiently for me to bring her the pan. This helps out a lot with acclimating her new grain as well. She's not as rushed to eat it as she would be if she was hounded or competing for food, and she's not in any danger of getting anymore than what her body should for the moment.

So today, seeing as though things have settled down, I decided to see what she'd do if I let the leadrope lay over her back while she ate. I tossed it over her...not even a flinch. So I let it rest there while she ate. I take that opportunity to brush her down as well. She's not sure why I chose then to primp her up, so every now and then she'll pause and move away from her food and I drop the pressure so she'll return. She's getting a lot more used to being fussed over while she eats though, and she's not aggressive with it at all. Just not quite sure why I'm insisting on doing it. She ignored the lead rope, like I said. So I went to sliding it off her back and tossing it back on there a few times. No problem with that as well.

If she wasn't as settled as she is, I would definitely hold off on that and wait for her to relax. But as of right now, she's so easy going with everything and very accepting that I'm not sure a leadrope on the back will stress her out in the least...as she's actually shown me. At one point in time she took a quick walk around a portion of the pasture after eating her grain and transitioning over to her hay...the leadrope was dangling off her back and forgotten.

I'm going to continue with the leadrope a day or two longer and see if she has the same reaction with a saddle pad. We'll see.

I still haven't picked a name for her. All of the names I thought of are strong and powerful, but she's a petite little curious thing. I was thinking Cinder, but as a friend pointed out, people will be calling her Cinderella...to which then they'd die a horrible death and bleed out their eyes. So Cinder is out. She'll tell me when the right name comes by. It'll fit.

Heres a picture for your viewing enjoyment

Time Is Near

The count down has begun and we're still full of "if"s.

Tomorrow I head down to a Festival of Lights with the whole fam damily except for the boyfriend, Trent. The poor guy was already dragged to Thanskgiving dinner and the annual Christmas Tree shopping gig. He's either doing this out of the kindness of his own heart, or he's using the opportunity to ditch another family occasion.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and Saturday is the only day our hay-selling friend is able to loan us his every-busy trailer. The horse has been saved, we have our money, and tomorrow, she'll be in our pasture. Big red gift bow is optional and preferable, but if she's delivered without it...hell, who am I to complain?

I'm a little torn. I really wanted to be there for her shipping so I can panic. You know...typical female "what if"s and the rightly timed anxiety attacks just complete the who trailering process. That, and we'll be tossing her automaticly into a pasture with two other horses. I had a whole system planned out to introduce her one by one to those horses, walk the fence line with her, and then finally let her go to tear around the place like someone had slapped a sticky bomb between her back legs and set it off.

Instead, I'll be Oohing and Ahhing at pretty little lights and stuffing my cannals with earplugs to drown out my louder-than-life niece. I tried discussing my introduction plan with Trent, and he just stared at me as though life wasn't hard enough, why would I want the shipping and acclimation of my new animal even harder? So I guess I'm freaking out a bit. She's my new horse and the last thing I want is for her to run through a fence because we didn't do anything to prepare her.

My friend says I'm over reacting, Trent thinks this as well too. So maybe I should just calm the hell down. I would REALLY like to be there...but maybe it's just best that I'm not and fate is pushing me away for that lone reason.

Either way, I'll be leaving Trent with a camera. Again, he stared at me. But I insisted that he take pictures. Theres going to be lots of squeals, rears, bucks, farts and bolts, and I want pictures damnit. I also warned him that if he dares to take a video of it like he did as a shortcut the last time I asked him to take pictures, I'll club him with a log of fire wood we just had delivered and I won't be sorry for it.

On another note, all of this will happen IF the trailer is available for our use tomorrow. IF. IF. Argh! I can't handle the IF part. I've been waiting for so long and now that the time draws near, I'm in a bit of a frantic state. I can only guess my bf is relieved that I'm not going. I don't blame him.

I'm hungry.

Bye!