Deal of the year!

I have an "online" friend that lives in NY that spotted these Ariat Hunter Zip Dress boots in a Vintage consignment shop and posted on her facebook page that she'd buy and ship them to whomever wanted them (paying her back of course)...lucky me was online at the time and they were my size :-o it's scary not trying on boots first before you buy them, but these boots are normally $380 and she found them for sale for $90 and they are BARELY even used! I couldn't pass it up.

The feet fit perfect, but I can only zip them when wearing my thinnest pair of breeches - I was hoping to pose in my $.01 Taylor Sportsman breeches I scored the year before, but they are too thick. The calves are gonna have to stretch out more before I can wear them with these boots.

I was so excited the day they came in the mail that I wore them back to work, it is the style after all right? Maybe this week I will actually get to try them out while riding.

Merry Christmas!

I wanna run to you..

Doesn't this look like a clip from a gushy chick flick of 2 long lost lovers?

It wasn't. Limo has her bad habit back of chasing horses:-x I broke her of the habit a couple of years ago with a Citronella spray collar and it worked, but she has started up again. I keep meaning to put it back on her I just have to find the pieces. It has a noise warning, and then 2 spray settings to choose from, I would just blast her full spray with no warning when I used it:-) It made me feel powerful, it was great.

I hope Lester is enjoying his retirement. He seems to be. He's still the boss of his herd and still comes running when you call. He has picked up this very annoying habit though in the last year and it's gotten worse, but he grabs his halter and the other halters if you're not careful and won't let go. He grabs the nose band as you're pulling it over his nose, if you get that far then you have to be fast enough before he bites the cheek straps otherwise you get into a game of tug-o-war for him:-/ Sometimes it's cute, but other times I just want to get the halter on and the others haltered and back to the barn, oh say when it's pouring down raining!

Spooky Shirt

Yes this is a cheap ploy for you all to buy a T-shirt I designed:-) Every year Southeastern Greyhound Club hosts a "Greyfest" and this year it falls on October 31 so I got to design a logo with a Halloween theme. Greyfest is a day of fun for greyhounds and their owners-games, contests, shopping and more!

I'm very happy with how it came out:-) The design can be purchased on anything Cafepress offers- shirts, cards, bags etc and of course the proceeds benefits greyhounds! I need to have mine printed up with just the words Spooky on it for my late greyhound...

I thought this pic was funny, good ol Limo. I've stayed true to Lester's retirement he's just a pasture/barn ornament now. He's getting his fuzzy fall coat in so he's been an itchy boy. He LOVES to be groomed and will stand all day for a curry comb. I'm glad he enjoys it and isn't a typical thin skinned TB that doesn't like it.

Is it wrong of me to be sorta glad when Less is moving funny? I still think he's comfortable enough, but there is just something def' off about him. It's just much easier to stay off of him when I see that things aren't right. He still runs and plays and of course looks pretty fine, but so does my friend's dog that has a spinal injury- you can't tell anything is wrong with her until you see her walk.

Stick a fork in us...we're done

I know I've said this before, but I mean it this time. No more riding Lester. I haven't posted about him in a long time because I guess I knew this is where we were heading again, but I wasn't ready to admit it. It started back in June when I started having second thoughts again. A friend of mine needed horses and riders for a photo shoot for a local stable and so my friends and I agreed to trailer over and be the models for the photos. We had about 2 weeks to prepare, I wasn't getting on Lester a whole lot, maybe once or twice every couple of weeks, but I thought I should get on him a little more just so he'd be ready. I don't feel I over did it, we walked alot and would do a few trot sets and rode for a total of about 15-20 mins. He seemed OK up until the last day or so before the photo shoot. He was really tense and chewed on the bit nervously. The day of the shoot I bathed him and braided his mane and made him all pretty. We trailered over and Less was a nervous wreck, more so than I thought he'd be. I was surprised he didn't really "spook" at any one thing, but he felt like a ticking time bomb the whole time. It wasn't much fun for me. When I first got on him I could feel a "hump" in his back and he chomped on the bit constantly. I'm so disappointed in most of the photos, they didn't get one good action shot, the timing on his legs were all wrong. It felt like they were taking a million pics too, I thought for sure there would be some good ones. He blew up twice and I knew not to push him too much so we only trotted. I can't even remember the last time we cantered.
After the photo shoot I gave him a month off. I'm not sure if it was the trailer ride over there and back that did it, but he seemed to be stiffer in his neck than ever. He started blowing up again when I would tack him up and girth him. His eyes would get really wide and he'd just try to bolt even though as always I had girthed him as slowly as I could and let him walk every other hole I girthed. Trotting in hand would immediately get him chomping and grinding the bit. I would think to myself what the hell am I doing and would feel sick to my stomach about getting on my own horse:-( But he is mine and I wanted to prove I, we, could still do it. When I got on he had a fast, nervous walk and a hump in his back. Ready to explode, it was no longer fun, only nerve racking for the both of us. He spooked endlessly, jumped at every little thing, even things that he was facing like a car driving up the driveway. I had two rides like that and decided he needed the chiropractor and I wouldn't attempt riding him again until I had her out. The chiropractor has come and gone. He needed adjustments in his neck, hips, lower back and shoulders. The lower back was a a new one which explained the hump in his back and blowing up while being tacked up. I put him on a new supplement, Remission, it's supposed to help him break down sugars in his body, she said he's very achy in his joints. The chiropractor said I could get on him 2 days later after the adjustments, but I waited another 2 1/2 weeks.
So today I was going to get back on him. Tacking him up went smoothly. He didn't panic and freak out about the girth. I led him out to the riding area and was just walking around when he started tucking his butt and trying to bolt. He started his nervous chomping and would not settle. He kept trying to bolt and buck. I got the lunge line and put him on it and he trotted a few circles and then just blew up. He was bucking and rearing and almost went over. And this wasn't just a "I feel good because I haven't done any work lately buck", it was a panic. I stopped him and reset his saddle and pad and regirthed him. He turned his head to the right and was biting at the saddle. I made sure nothing was poking him and sent him out again and had the same reaction, bucking and rearing. I took the saddle off and sent him out again, he didn't buck or rear, but he was short stepping and lame now. There's just no point to it, no fun in it and it's far too dangerous to try and ride him anymore.

One tough Nut...

Thought I would post some fun pics of the Nut... We have almost had her for a year now and she keeps growing on me:-) She really turned out to be the perfect farm dog, though still follows too intently while I'm on horse back, but lets face it I don't do much riding anymore anyways.
Friday night while I was watching Matt fish Peanut heard the kennel dogs barking and ran to check things out. She was running along the hillside and I yelled out to her "don't fall", just then she hit a hole and did a complete somersault and ate it big time. She yelped, but got up immediately, seemed a bit stunned, but then came running over to be as if nothing ever happened. I checked out her toes, limbs and back and didn't find any ouchy spots. But I got her to lay down in the lake for a good 10 mins and let the cool water help keep any swelling down. I was shocked come Saturday morning, OK it was really afternoon because cause that's been I finally got up:-p, but she wasn't limping or anything. I expected her to be very sore and stiff, but it's like nothing happened at all. It wasn't a pretty fall and she ate alot of dirt so we are very lucky she didn't get hurt!

She was waiting patiently in the wash stall for me to come hose her off...

Don't worry, that's not a real duck...

Limo and the Nut slow dancing...

Gotta love the Nut's attitude towards Limi, even when she's about to get Karate chopped!

Peanut enjoying a nice soak in the lake...

Dog Vacumming 101

no making fun of my white legs!

Fun Limo Pics

For Sale: H/J very "typey"


Dunnanana Bat dog

Dumbo dog

and my personal favorite:-) Bat sh*t crazy vampire dog

How a gelding ruins a photo...

Such a pretty picture or so I thought at first.

It's now been over 2 years...

Ever since May 12, 2007, Lester has had two birthdays a year. April 28th is his "official" one and May 12 is his ReBirthday... It's been over 2 years now since Lester had his colic surgery, the whole reason this blog was started. It seems like forever ago now...but I can still remember how surreal that whole day felt and it's safe to say that Lester and I both are big Auburn fans now. Lester was a very lucky boy and a huge part of it was Laura finding him so early. She found him at the same gate, same area where I found Chase, it's like they know that is where to go and can be seen, the other gate, the one we use daily is harder to see. I feel so lucky to have a second chance with Less. I won't go into all the detail of that day or month or year really, I've linked this post to where it all started if you're interested.
We're just really fortunate the goofy guy is still around.

Lester, I love you big guy!


Thank you everyone for your nice comments about Chase. He is missed, but we are all doing well at the farm.

We'll miss you Chase

Saturday evening Chase evidently took a terrible and tragic fall in the pasture. Matt had come to the farm with me to do some fishing that night. Since I rode Less, I didn't get the horses turned out until about 6:45pm. I walked Chase, Bobby, and Andy all up to the pasture and turned them loose. They did the usual "where is my carrot" routine and each one got one. They all just mosied away from the gate. About 10 minutes later I was in the barn giving Limo a bath (she was filthy from "helping" Matt fish) and Matt came in and said Chase had hurt his leg and I needed to go check on him. He said that he saw them running around and making a commotion and then saw Chase not looking right, though he didn't see him go down. He went and got a closer look and immediately knew it wasn't good and that's when he ran to the barn to get me. He was calm and collected- I could learn a lot from him.
I walked out of the barn enough to see Chase through the trees heading for the back gate of the big pasture, completely 3 legging it. I ran back in the barn and grabbed an extra halter and lead rope because his was at the other gate on the other side of the driveway- this would be faster. I grabbed it and also grabbed my cell phone as I knew I would need it. I ran to the gate where Chase was heading and told him I was coming to Ho and be still, he whinnied and kept coming. I got the halter on him and blood was coming from his right nostril, his right leg was just there and dangling. I called Laura and got her voicemail. I called one of the vet's cell number and got a voice mail. I called a friend and got her voicemail- all within span of 2 minutes and it sent me into a panic. With my new blackberry I didn't have the vet's office number, and at first forgot how to even dial a number-but Laura works for the vet's office so I knew if I could get a hold of her she could get a hold of one of the vets. Course while I was calling the other numbers in that 2 minutes, Laura had already called me back and left me a voicemail. I tried Laura again and got her on the phone. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't hold it together very well and told Laura I thought Chase had a broken leg. We hung up and she called the vet. I just petted and talked to Chase and told him help was on the way, he kept trying to move his right leg forward, but it just swung. I thought he was going to go down several times, but he stayed up. Matt had gone and gotten me a wet towel to from the barn that I swatted off flies with as they landed on him and wiped away the blood that was coming from his nose that was tickling his leg or seemed to be.
Laura got there about 10 minutes ahead of the vet. Chase had a "dropped elbow" which meant he either had a fracture somewhere or nerve paralysis. The vet couldn't get much of a pain response out of him, non at all really. After the examination it was decided to give him a couple of days to see if he would regain the use of that leg... so began the journey to the barn. He could move forward by lurching himself with his hind end. It took us over an hour to go 100-150 yards. We used carrots and a bucket of grain which he eagerly followed. We would let him rest every 3-5 steps and get a handful of the grain as a reward. Even though the other horses were out for the night we brought them in to keep Chase company.
Xrays the next morning (Sunday) didn't show any fractures, but he still didn't have much use of that leg. He could throw it forward, but he still wouldn't put any weight on it. The apparent fall in the pasture became more evident now because his eye and right side of his head was now swollen too. By 4pm that afternoon Chase was dunking his head into his water bucket up to his eyes and no longer on his food as he would eat a few bites and then go dunk his head again.
That night he just got worse and worse and more distraught according to Laura:-( At 1AM after talking to the vet they gave him some ACE to calm him and he laid down and relaxed some, occasionally munching hay. When the vet arrived later that morning and they got him up he detected a pocket of (I don't know if it was air or fluid?) on his right side which is an indication of a lung injury, phenothorax? Poor Chase was dealing with more than a leg injury and it was decided then to have him put down.
Chase and Lester were the first horses on the farm. People who were new to the farm always got mixed up and called them Chester and Lace... They were good buddies and pasture mates for a long time. Chase was the horse that could be turned out with anyone, he was a great pasture babysitter as he wasn't too attached to anyone, but got along with everyone. Chase was the horse that anyone could ride, no matter your skill level. He had a trot that would send you to the moon, he was so bouncy, but that suspension made him a lovely mover. Chase was a thoroughbred, but was always mistaken for a warmblood as he was so big barreled and tall. Haltering him could often times be a challenge as he would bite the nose band as you tried pulling it over his head. And once you got a lead rope on him you didn't want to let it go as he would toss his head in his eagerness to go out and often times whack you with it:-)
Chase is the first horse we have lost at the farm:-( it has effected us all. He is buried in the big pasture where he can forever run now.

Where have all the horses gone?

I had to laugh at Lester last night. Laura had gone ahead and put the horses out in the pastures for the night while I hopped on the Pony Man...He didn't mind, but after our ride and he was fed and alone in the barn he suddenly realized he was "alone". He had that worried horsey look and raised his head higher as we walked down the driveway. Still no horses. Less started to whinny and call out to them on our way up there. It made me think of that song by Paula Cole "Where have all the Cowboy's (horses) Gone". He was so relieved when he saw them-head low, acting all cool though.
Lester's trot work was awesome last night! All 2 figure 8's and 3 mins worth, lol! He's been really tight in the neck and jaw lately and while I don't want to work him up to anything or build him up- there is no point, I do wish for the little work he does to be round and feel good for both of us. It's very strange the variations of stiffness I feel on him. He still initially does not want to turn right, cocks his head left and pulls the reins from me. But when he is in this perfect, round, soft state he can do anything. His level of collection feels incredible. He was so foamy on both sides of the mouth (could have been the 10 sugar cubes I gave him :-p)and wasn't behind the bit last night at all and he didn't - he was in my hands and a bit heavy, but he was still carrying himself. I may have to start calling him the 3 minute miracle :-) So how do we get to this perfect state? It's weird. I ask him to back up. I don't yank or pull on him, I just ask him to halt, and gently ask him with my legs and fingers to back up. And he won't do it. Instead he'll usually curl his neck and do turns on the haunches quite steadily. When this happens I just send him forward into a trot. And he's all there. The very weird part is he's all there or not at all, there is no in between, it's not worth trying to ride it seriously. How can this be though- completely perfect or a complete wreck on 4 legs?

Sleeping Beauty

Matt's SURPRISE party!

And I actually was able to pull it off with the help of friends! Matt is leaving to go work for a new company so we decided to throw him a surprise going away party...I'd say though that the majority of the people that came were passed co-workers- they got out earlier :-p

And NO I did not make this cake the friend that helped me put the party together had a friend make it!

The major planning began on Saturday afternoon when I had to make up a story for leaving the house during the day- so unlike me. So I told him I was going to the local tack shop. Instead I met up with a friend from work and we went shopping- in the total opposite direction of the tack shop. I thought for sure my cover was blown when I got a voicemail from Matt telling me he saw me at Publix and he wanted to know what I was doing:-o So I thought fast on my feet and said I had to go to the other tack shop in town and then stop by the store and get some carrots- because I wouldn't be able to do it later when I had the girls (dogs) in the car to go to the farm. Disaster adverted:-) Sunday was the day of the party and I made sure not to ask too far in advance if Matt would go to the farm with me (that's where the party was), if I did then he would know something was up... So I waited midday and asked if he'd come watch me ride because the barn owners would be gone and it's a rule that someone must be on the property in order to ride. So Matt, as always, reluctantly agreed to go:-) I wasn't sure what was the best time for us to show up, I didn't want to go too early or too late. I woke him up from a nap around 3:30 and told him to get ready to go- I had tried earlier in the day to get him to take a shower without him becoming too suspicious, but that was a no-go. It usually takes him 10-15 minutes to wake up from a nap and it usually takes sending Limo in to get him up. But of course not this time. He was up and ready to go so I had to delay a little here and there which made him pretty mad. Finally I say we can go and load the dogs in the car and we are all in the car about to leave and I realized that I forgot my veggie burgers! I would have nothing to eat at the party...so I have to run back in the house with the keys, leaving Matt and the dogs in the car in the heat:-p I couldn't very well just bring out my veggies burgers so I put them in two plastic bags and shoved a bag of apples in there also. I thought for sure I was going to get the third degree of what was so important and what was in the bag, but to my relief he didn't even ask:-) I even had to wear my breeches so as to make him think I was riding one of the horses.

Because I had made him and the dogs wait in the hot car he wasn't very happy with me, he even got grumpy lol. So I text my friend that I was on the way with a grumpy Matt. Last time I asked him to accompany me to the farm for the reason of no one being there while I rode, it turned out I was wrong and there were several people there. So when we pulled into the gate and down the driveway and he saw cars he got pretty mad and said "see I told you people would be here, I'm just dropping you off!" As we got closer and he recognized the people he turned red and told me I was stupid:-) I was the only one that really got to see his reaction, but he was definitely surprised! And I had pulled it off with all my web of lies:-) At this point he became ungrumpy.

The girls got to stay out for the whole party too and they were both very well behaved.

Lester with a party goer...

Limo guarding the Margarita bucket...not really:-)

The guys played volleyball

The girls watched and drank:-)

even Limo wanted to play...

Peanut followed me wherever I went

Limo got some "special" attention