Time for an update on Vinnie. I’ve been pretty busy with life, so he’s had a ride or two per week. We usually ride on the road down to Mt. Pisgah or to the Three Cedars arena. This usually involves riding home in the dark on the road. I sometimes have my headlamp on and always flashers hanging off the saddle. We’ve ridden in moonlight, pitch dark and rain. Vinnie does just fine with all of it. The one thing that has startled him so far was someone hand pruning up in a tree across the road. When I had her say hello, he was just fine. He didn’t mind a bit when it was someone with a power pruner.

My friend measured his cannons and he has a circumference of 7″. Not bad for a 13.1 hand boy! He has plenty of carrying capacity for the average adult rider. He will ride off a snaffle or sidepull, though he prefers the sidepull at this point. I can still ask for bending with it and he stops on a very light cue, sometimes even just sitting deeply and exhaling. He’ll be a light, responsive mount.

I am starting to loose count of the number of rides Vinnie has had. It is likely just at about twenty, equivalent to one month’s steady training under saddle. I’ve started him on moving off my leg with turns on the forehand and sidepassing. He’s doing quite well and just needs more miles at this point. Yes, he’s still for sale. Current price is $2,200. and will increase with training.

“Horses should be trained in such a way that they not only love their riders, but look forward to the time they are with them.” Xenophon, 400 BC

I know I feel similarly about my horses. I visited with Lily and Vinnie this evening. Now that I am home, I miss them already. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have two such wondrous beings to share my journey this time around. I can only hope that they look forward to our time together as much as I do.

How:

And I mean true heartfelt positivity, not just acting it.

I love this blog post.

You horse (or dog or child or husband, friend, co-worker, etc.) can tell on some level whether you are authentic or not. Animals, especially horses, I find, pick up on this much more easily than us humans. They have less layers of societal stuff to get in the way. And they pay far more attention to our real intentions that we sometimes do ourselves. That’s what I find so wonderful about working with them.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

-Mary Oliver

It’s time to post an update on what’s happening with Paisano. In November, I took my last ride out with him at Mt. Pisgah. I ran into Lisa and Laura and Lisa took some photos.

Then he shipped off to Utah a few days later with Zelda and Mike.

He has settled in very well with Amanda and Cody. He has two fillies to care for and watch over. I am very happy that he has his own little herd now. I wasn’t able to have him in a place where he could be turned out in a group. Now he really has that.

Amanda has her own blog at Earth Dancer Spanish Mustangs, where you can see updates on Paisano, Rosie and Miss. And the recent photos of Rosie and Paisano on her Flickr site make my heart melt. It is wonderful for me to see him find such an excellent home, where he is loved by both his equine and human friends.

Rosie and Paisano

When considered the coming year, these two words came to me. Then I thought about what they mean to me and how I may shift to accommodate them. I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. What really set me to look at this was my recent back injury, not the just the change in calendars.

Clarity – It’s about knowing what is important. Injuring my back has really made me look at my health and lifestyle. I had settled into patterns that, while not horrible, were not the most healthy for me. Things like staying up late surfing the net. Watching too much TV on hulu.com, eating late in the day, not exercising; that sort of stuff. I am much more clear now about where I need to make changes and am starting to do that. Now that I am nearing fifty, staying fit has to be more of priority.

Simplicity – This is about getting back to my core beliefs. What are my motivations for the doing the things I do? What is important to me, not just day to day, but for my lifetime?

Every few years, I make The List. I put it in Excel with columns for what, why, benefits to me, my family and others, do I do it out of obligation, duty, or pleasure, and how much time it takes. I put down everything I spend time doing, from the basics like eating and sleeping to things like work, volunteer activities, etc. Then I can look at where things are out of balance. Does something need to be culled? Or do I need to do more of this or that? It helps me see clearly why I am involved with what I do. I can explore my motivations, both good, bad and in between. I can better explain to my family and friends, when that needs to be done. And I can make intelligent choices based on sound reasoning.

Going through this exercise doesn’t mean that I don’t keep some things just because they are fun! That reason goes in the Why column and is vitally important!

What came up to change now…

Doesn’t that list look awfully familiar? Isn’t most people’s list around the New Year very much the same? I guess it just shows that most of us humans have similar challenges.

A few solutions I’m trying…

Are you looking for a quality Spanish Mustang foal? I am offering an in-utero sale of a foal by Paisano and out of Choctaw Lily. The breeding would take place in the spring of 2010 for a 2011 foal, and would be performed at the clinic where Paisano’s semen was collected and frozen. This offer is available through April 2010.

Paisano SMR 3313

Paisano has proven to be an excellent riding horse. He was graded First Premium by the American Sport Pony Registry (ASPR) as a two year old, judged against dressage and eventing performance standards. He has an excellent personality to go along with his correct conformation, smooth yet animated gaits and sweet nature. He has been ridden bridleless and at Expos in front of large crowds and fully enjoys the attention. Paisano is homozygous for black, negative for LWO and also exhibits LP (appaloosa) and Sabino-1 pinto patterns. Paisano stands 13.3 hands tall, with the build to carry a full sized rider.

Choctaw Lily SMR 3150, HOA 1318, AIHR O-3887
(Choctaw Three x Irish Lassy)

Lily is a multi-gaited mare and an excellent riding and trail horse. She has been called a “confidence builder” due to her gentle and forgiving temperament. Yet, she is also sensitive to the aids and ready to pick up her pace with a confident rider. Lily shows several lateral gaits besides walk-trot-canter. These will be refined as her training continues. Lily is solid bay dun with one sock and stands an even 14 hands tall.

The foal may be black, bay, dun or grulla and may well be multi-gaited. He or she may be either solid or show LP traits and/or sabino pinto. Your foal would be halter trained, load in a trailer and be well handled prior weaning at no extra cost. The foal will be eligible for a number of registries including, but possibly not limited to SMR, HOA, AIHR. The foal’s SMR registration will be included in the sale. He or she would be a full sibling to the two horses below.

2009 filly, AR Margarita de los Prados SMR 3886

2006 gelding, AR Cirro SMR 3613

Some details about how this in utero foal sale would work

The sale of the foal would be live foal guaranteed. We would agree on a purchase price, and the deposit (50% of the purchase price) would be paid at the time of signing a contract. If the foal were to not survive to the foal’s 7th day of age, the deposit would be refunded in it’s entirety to you. The deposit on your in-utero foal is refundable only if the mare does not produce a healthy foal (in the opinion of a veterinarian) and deliver it safely to stand, nurse, and be insurable at 7 days of age.

When the foal reaches 7 days of age and is insurable, any remaining balance of the original purchase price will be due. Time payments may be arranged prior to the foal’s birth. There will be no charges (no board) for the care of your foal until weaning. Veterinary and farrier expenses, (as well as mortality, major medical, and surgical insurance, which will protect your investment) will be the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in discussing this further or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Image courtesy of Claire Bow, burdyboo @ Flickr

This month is hosted by Wendy’s Horse Adventures.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Silkscreen Print © 2009 Simrat Khalsa

I’ve been researching all this week, educating myself about spinal anatomy. This involved looking at MRI images (mine and other’s), reading blogs and websites and googling terms that are in my MRI report. Things like Degenerative Disk Disease, hypertrophic endplate changes, annular tear, bilateral foraminal regions. And I’ll say that I now understand much more about this very important part of my body.

Our disks are made up of the nucleus pulposus, the shock absorbing “jelly-like” center of the disk, contained by the annulas, a fibrous outer layer (much thicker than I imagined). These structures must stay hydrated through movement. Without maintaining this hydration, they slowly become thinner, eventually loosing their shock absorbing, elastic qualities. As they thin, the openings in the spinal column for the nerves becomes narrower. Without the ability to absorb shock, arthritic changes may develop in the spine as well. Tears and bulges in the annulus also occur as elasticity is lost. While drinking adequate water is vital to maintain these “small hydraulic shock absorbers”, movement is vital to get that fluid to where it is needed. Another vital thing that I learned, is that the vertebral disks rehydrate at night during your sleep! Another reason to get a full night’s rest.

Basically, I have a few disks at the base of my spine that are drying up. The lowest one is already degenerated. The one above is bulging and the one above that has a tear in the annulus. It all makes quite a bit of sense to me now. All the years that I have been sitting at a desk at work must have contributed to this, along with my slacking on my sadhana and yoga practice. Well, it’s time for me to get back in gear. Pun intended!

All during my reading, I kept remembering the many hours of lectures and yoga classes I sat though with the Siri Singh Sahib (aka Yogi Bhajan). He talked about how a practicing Kundalini Yoga would create a healthy, flexible spine and how important that was; that it would keep us young. I wish that my twenty something self had listened a little better! I was thinking about it more on the level of raising my consciousness, not merely keeping my body healthy. I suppose that’s one of the follies of youth; thinking that you are indestructible. It’s not too late for me now, twenty years later. I know that I can heal myself. Time will tell if I follow through and do the day to day work. I fully intend to, but I now that follow through is not always my strong suit. It may be challenging for me.

Please join me over this next year to see how I manage. I’ll be starting in on some basic spinal exercises and will post what I’m working on as I go, along with my results. I welcome your support. Feel free to keep my on track! Maybe I’ll actually start to teach. I did get certified as a Kundalini Yoga instructor many years ago. It’s one of the many hidden talents I haven’t really used yet…

How:

I thought I would put up a How To today on tying up tails for the winter. I’ve done this most years here in wet, western Oregon. Vinnie’s tail had started to get clods of adobe permanently building up on the end of his tail. They can become heavy, get caught on branches and even pull out large sections of tail. Vinnie’s tail already touches the ground. Add a few inches of mud to sink into and I’ve got a problem… I’ve found this to be an excellent solution.

Start with a relatively clean tail. I washed, combed and conditioned both Lily & Vinnie’s tails, thanks to abundant free samples of Eqyss Premier Cream Rinse Conditioner from my local feed store. I’ve liked all the products from this company that I have used so far. I’ll see how their tails look when I take them down in a few weeks. Vinnie was my model today, since his tail is so nicely multi-colored.


You will need a strip of fabric. I use the end of a turban, handy for me, but likely not for the average horse owner. Any lightweight cotton fabric will do. Mine was about 50″ long and maybe 3″ wide. Locate the end of the tail bone and section the tail into three parts. Take the middle of the fabric strip and run it behind the tail with each side running along two braiding sections.


Braid the tail, holding it down toward the horse’s hocks and the ground, incorporating the fabric into the braid. If you don’t hold the tail downwards, your braid will not hang nicely or will have a bulge on the underside. I leave about 10″-12″ of unbraided tail. This will be left open when the mud knot is finished. Wrap the fabric once around and tie. You should have about 6″ or more fabric left for the next step.

If you don’t want any loose hair, you can braid to the end of the tail. You will either need a longer piece of fabric or braid half way before adding the fabric in. Either way you need some fabric left at the end.


Open a space in the braid at the top, just under the end of the tail bone.


Thread the end of the braid through this space from the underside.


Run one fabric end through the space and wrap them around the tail, so that they can be tied into a square knot. Be sure to stay below the end of the tail bone. We don’t want to damage any of the living part of the tail by putting pressure on it.


Lay the open, brush end of the tail flat against the front of the, now folded, braid. This is a side view of the bundle just before wrapping in vetwrap. I cover the entire braided portion, making a point of not covering the loose end or the tail bone.

If I were going to wrap the entire tail, I would make the bundle longer, just folding the braided end of the tail up. It would then get covered in vetwrap.


The end result – a much shortened tail that will stay clean and protected from the mud!

Unless my work falls apart, I plan to leave their tails up for 3-4 weeks. I’ll take them down, check them and likely put them back up. It will be interesting to see how long they grow over the winter. I may need to do some trimming come springtime.

For more photos of them enjoying the nice grass, visit my Flickr page. It was a really lovely day and they enjoyed some time in a new paddock. Their paddock was getting gravel added around the gate.

The goal of this little free pdf book, is to get five million (that’s 5,000,000) people thinking about what matters now.

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Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Today, a day late …. I am grateful that I have not succumbed to my usual winter dark moods. Despite my back issues, my spirit remains buoyant. It’s quite wonderful to actually enjoy these dark days. Instead of cursing at the lack of light and the cloudy skies, I see their innate resplendence. This entire winter, I have been amazed at the transcendent beauty of the air around me.

Yesterday, I renewed my AERC membership and added Vinnie to the roster. He is young yet, but if he gets enough conditioning next year, I may consider taking him in his first 25 mile ride in October. He will have reached the 48 month age eligibility in August. I won’t push him. but if he does turn out to be in shape and ready, we will plan for the Foothils ride on October 16th.

I also rejoined PNER (Pacific NW Endurance Rides). I am on the PNER email list and also PNERgaited list. I may get to the PNER convention too, so figured it was worth supporting my local organization. Lily and I plan to make it to one or two Limited Distance rides in the spring and summer.

Maybe my sunny disposition is due to the fun of planning for next year’s outings. My horse activities are shifting from the NW Expo and dressage schooling shows to trail riding and endurance rides. I hope to throw in some driving training for Vinnie and a parade as well. It is nice to settle into working with my two horses. I’ve had a few years of more horse numbers, different ones moving through my hands, thinking of all the possibilites of breeding, etc. It was maybe too many possibilities to consider. So it is nice to scale back and have more focus. And also to just think about doing what’s fun!

As the year draws to a close, I am thankful for all that has come before and all the opportunities that the future holds.

How:

I took advantage of the sun this afternoon and put a bit more work on Vinnie’s driving. I dug out the PVC shafts I had made years ago for Paisano and took them to out to the barn. Vinnie got groomed and harnessed up. I put on the cavesson that I’ve been riding and long lining him with. Then I put the full bridle on over that. I don’t have a driving bit for him yet, but I wanted something that wouldn’t pull through his mouth. I had taken the full cheek home, so all I had was a low port Kimberwicke. Since I was mostly going just ask him to carry it, that’s what he wore today. He mouthed it at first, but once we were headed out, there was plenty to take his attention away from playing with the bit.

I got this. What's next?

When we came to the gate, we passed it and went down the other way a bit. All told, we probably walked a bit less than a mile. I practiced halting and standing, as well as asking him to move side to side on the road from whip and rein cues. He did well to the left and a bit stickier to the right. That’s likely because it’s harder for me to reach his left side with my whip. I had my ground whip with a short lash. Next time, I’ll have to remember the one with a longer drop. I really need a proper driving whip.

Doing well.

Since he had taken all this so well, I decided to try driving him off the bit. I took off the shafts first. Then we did a few rounds of the barn yard, turning and halting before calling it a day. He wasn’t too keen on this bit and pushed his shoulder through a few turns. We ended on a nice halt that only took a couple of half halts to get. Now I just have to figure out the best driving bit for him. And do more sessions like today. Vinnie is quite willing to what I ask, once he understands what that is. Repetition and practice are what we need now.

The wheels that I ordered for my cart are in. I have all the supplies to paint it. I’ve decided that it will be black. Then I will need to make the seat and back, measure for foam and upholstery material and purchase those. I am not sure what color the seat will be yet. I do hope that the cart will end up being large enough for him. I wonder if it will all be ready by April for the parade in Oakridge. Stay tuned!

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

The road onwards ... © 2009, Simrat Khaslsa

By waiting to post my Thankful Thursday this week, I am able to share this with you. A guest blogger on The Pony Expression has asked a group of excellent questions. The pertinent one for me is… How do we maintain gratitude? At first, when new experiences of consciousness are felt, there is a rush of wonderment and it’s not too hard to be grateful for that. But what about when these come daily and become more part of the norm? That for me, is the challenge and one of the reasons that I started Thankful Thursday almost a year ago, January 15th.

As things have progressed for me, my challenge is not becoming complacent and taking my awareness for granted. You know how wonderful the flush of excitement is when you have a realization or an incredible meditative experience or other epiphany? What then happens when these come daily and the moments of wonder start to become connected into a continuous stream?

I want to share a second post from The Pony Expression, by my friend, Susan. I think that many of us now are being called to offer a space of healing to others. For some, like me, who are not already in a healing profession … we have to figure out what form that will take. For me, will it be a formal modality or just holding a space for others to find their way? Or will I manifest my vision to train horses as my contribution to conscious life? I don’t know yet…

I started Thankful Thursday nearly a year ago specifically to retain that wonder and to acknowledge it. I want to thank all those who have joined me on this journey. It is inspiring and also humbling to see this blossoming and expanding outwards.

Thank you all.

How:

I had planned to ride Lily three to four times per week and work Vinnie twice a week, including some arena work, both under saddle and in long lines for both of them. I was considering doing a trace clip on Lily, so we could continue conditioning towards endurance next year and the possible blanketing changes that might entail.

Well, other plans were in store for me. For those who don’t know me on FaceBook or the SM message boards, my back was tender last week after lifting some hay bales and last Sunday at the OHC trail course, it really did go out. I’ve been down resting and taking painkillers all of last week and missed quite a bit of work. I also missed writing my Thankful Thursday post, as I was in a mental fog.

“Getting old is not for sissies.” ~~ Bette Davis

After resting and a couple of chiropractic adjustments, my back is better today. I am mobile and not taking painkillers any longer. The trick for me now, will be to take it easy and come back to activity slowly. I need to start walking regularly, stretching and doing some non-horse related exercise. I am also considering taking the month off from riding. That is hard for me to think about. I’ve been pushing to spend every daylight opportunity in the saddle.

If I am not going to ride for a month, what to do with the horses? They are getting their stalls cleaned now, so I don’t even have a reason to go see them every day. All I have to do for them is make sure that their daily feed bags are made up and stocked. Other than that, they really would be fine to just hang out. But would they get bored?

Do horses get bored? Lily and Vinnie have a small paddock of about 1/3 acre to themselves. They have water, a tiny bit of grass and three trees, along with their breakfast hay out there. I can tell that they use the two smaller trees to scratch on. I found black hairs from Lily the other day, coated in ice. I wish that I had had my camera. It was quite interesting.

Anyway, I usually feel that I need to do something with them. To keep moving their training forward somehow; Lily getting back into shape and Vinnie with his basic ridden work. Then I remembered a day when my children came out and played with Vinnie. Neither of them are knowledgeable in traditional horsemanship. And they had fun and taught him things anyway. He learned quite quickly to push a barrel with his head. And they had fun playing with him and the hula hoop. It is good to remember that sometimes, it is worthwhile just exploring with the horse and not fitting him or her into a ‘program’ or a plan. They don’t make plans. Why do I?

I know that I could teach them some tricks. But then again, what about just being with them? I haven’t taken much time with that recently. And I do miss it. I think that Lily, at least, does too. I guess I will just take this month one day at a time and try having no goals. How about that? I think that I will take some toys and props out there though… and see what happens.

This weekend, the skies were positively celestial.

Fabulous blue skies in late November ... what a treat!

This video is the switchback portion of #3 through the woods, where there is the most elevation gain and also where the footing was the most slick. In the open, the sun had dried it out pretty well, aside from the portions that are little streams. Those, the midday winter sun turned into gleaming silver threads, inviting me on.

This is one of my favorite shots. That's Sky (Trakhener/Arab X), Diamond (Kiger) and my Lily.

Lily was wonderful and got past several of her issues, from ditches to water with weird, man-made footing. We can now walk, trot and canter through any of the ditches, as well as back down and up. The only thing still to work on there, is backing in without walking through forward first. We played follow the leader with Lily in front over the whole course. I practiced backing and sidepassing in all different sorts of places.

Lily helped Sky and another horse past their water issues when I ponied them. And she got several inquiries from bystanders. And, of course, a few people asked what kind of horse she was. A couple of old timer types watched her very carefully. One commented as we were leaving on what a tough horse she was. That made me smile.

Our favorite part was trying the course at speed! We did a fast run of one side of the course, cantering through ditches and jumping logs. If I can save the $$ for entry fees, I could see taking her in the speed competition next year, along with entering a division or two.

All the photos of the OHC practice are here.

I have to say that I find riding out on the trail truly sublime. Being out alone with just my mare, I can be taken to a timeless place, where human and horse are one, like so many times throughout history. Then to switch gears and try our hands and hooves at the technical challenges of a championship course … what an interesting balance.

And here are the rest of my Pisgah shots… with some more sky images, among other things.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

How:

This is about where we turned around.

My helpers left and I went for a ride! Lily is so game to get out that it makes riding 100% more fun. I ran into Lisa and Laura, so we swapped my camera for photos. I’m really having fun with this new point & shoot. That it takes video is an extra bonus.

Lily is out of shape, so we didn’t go to the top of Mt. Pisgah. I did dismount and lead her part way up the gravel walking trail, so we passed lots of hikers and dogs. I think that we were out for nearly three hours. We did quite a lot of wandering around. It’s quite fun to let Lily see where she wants to go. It’s usually farther away from home, instead of back to the barn.

Mohter & Son - with no time to comb manes

In the meadow, we had a nice gallop. That’s a rush while ponying another horse! Both of them seemed to enjoy it, though I did see some competitiveness showing up. Not the best thing to occur when one horse really needs to stay behind the other. We ended with some controlled slow canter. All the while, rain drops were starting to spatter down.

Window

This all was well worth missing laundry and dishes for. I’ll just stay up a bit later tonight and get that done too. Trail euphoria will carry me though…

Today’s photos are here.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Riding in the dusk

Tomorrow Lily has an appointment with Dr. Mosier. She will have her teeth checked and likely worked on, we will talk about getting her weight back up and her general health. She’s a bit on the thin side right now. In fact, I think that she has dropped a bit of weight since Rita was weaned last Sunday. Thankfully, the swelling around her udder is mostly gone. The first night it was huge. She still doesn’t want me to mess with it (needs cleaning), so it must still be tender. Usually she loves getting scratched there. Ah, well, maybe that’s too much information about my girl … but it’s utterly true! Ha!

Monday I was counting the hours until I could leave work to go see Lily. It was just starting to get dark. I pulled her out of the paddock and hopped on. Vinnie ran around and called to her, but we rode and didn’t mind him. I took her on a tour of the neighboring paddock where they will likely expand into. Then we went down the road. Lily only called to some neighbor horses when we got a little ways from home. I think that she was still looking for Rita. Since then, she has calmed down. I think that she is happy to have her cozy stall with all the hay she can eat. She has a smorgasborg right now with four different kinds, including a small serving of alfalfa hay. I’m considering if I should buy bent grass or mixed grass hay this weekend…. The mixed grass sample bale seemed cleaner than the bent grass, so that’s what I will likely get.

So my heart is full this week with much gratitude that I have such a wonderful equine friend and partner.

How:

It was another great weekend at Tired Dog Ranch. This post will be a bit long. Even so, I am not capturing all the fun. That would be just impossible.

Saturday, I ponied Rita from Lily and took her on a short walk through the woods. Romina and Megan worked with Abby, Luna and the mini-donk sisters, Tallula & Pebbles. Since I don’t have a horn on my saddle, I had to lock my hand to my hip at times to pull, not so little, Rita along. She got the idea and did really well through the woods. Meanwhile, Sally and Megan were mushroom hunting with Pebbles and Tallula in tow.

Towards the evening, I got Luna out and took her to the round pen. I ended up getting on her bareback for a few turns and a short trot. I had tried a Wintec dressage saddle on her, but we didn’t have a short enough girth to use with it. She was fine bareback, though she did want to stay by the gate. It was getting dark and plans were made to ride again in the morning with Luna and Lily. The evening progressed with much talking and eating and enjoying of eachother’s company. I was tired from a busy day and retired to the Cowboy Cabin and a warm wood stove. I think I was in bed by the unheard of hour of 10 o’clock.

Sunday morning arrived overcast with a slight threat of possible rain. We convened at the lower pasture sometime late morning and gathered our crew of equines, Lily, Luna, Luis, Pebbles and Tallula. A different saddle was tried on Luna and a sidepull bridle. Romina tried her out in the round pen first, then I got on. She’s been a mom for a while now and could use a little tune up. She was good with both of us though, so I took her out in the meadow. Romina tried Lily and we had a good few rounds. Luna has a very nice trot, smooth and with energy. We all ended up taking the woods trail. When Romina and I got ahead of the other with Luis, Luna’s colt, she got a little anxious and called for him. She was still wiling and did as asked. It was a very fun and productive ride, even though we did get rained on.

On our return, Luis and Luna were put back in the pasture. Lily came with me up to the parking area and my trailer. I’ve had loading issues with her since last year after she was leased out. I was prepared to take the rest of the day to calmly work on it. The day before, I had asked her to load. I had a bale of alfalfa hay inside that I’d just bought at the feed store. This turned out to be far too tempting and before Lily knew what had happened, she had all four feet in the trailer! Previously, she would put her front feet in, but the back feet took a lot of work. Today, she had second thoughts about loading a couple of times, but got over that pretty quickly. I took her in and out repeatedly, closing the door once too. It was a pleasure having her load well. If it takes having a bit of alfalfa in the manger, that’s fine with me for now!

As I drove out, Luna, Luis and Rita were huddled by the front gate. I felt sorry for Rita the most. She looked a little forlorn. On arriving at my barn, I put Lily out with Vin. He nickered and pranced up to her and was very happy to see her. After checking out the paddock, Lily kept watching the distance for every horse that she could see. She didn’t call once though, just watched. I brought them into their stalls to see how it was with the wall between them partially removed. It was fine. They ate dinner and then I put them out again. They both scarfed up the alfalfa crumbs I dumped from cleaning the truck out. Sarbjit and Hargobind stopped in to help. That was nice.

By the time I left, Lily was allowing Vinnie to groom her withers. She even groomed him back a little. I think that his gregariousness might just make Lily less aloof. Her udders are quite full, of course, and I’ll be watching for any sign of mastitis. She seems to understand what’s happened and is accepting it so far.

It was a very wonderful weekend and I am tired! To my friends, Romina, Megan, Amy Jo & Sally, Thank you all for being part of Lily’s departure and homecoming. It was very helpful for me to have the support of my friends, even though it might not have seemed evident. Now I get to let the dust settle on this move and get used to having my two horses again.

See all the photos on Flickr here.

Even hanging back on the lead, Rita has a killer trot and look at how big she's getting!