Thanks Connie of The Hoge Homestead Blog

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award
3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.

Five blogs that I've been enjoying lately:

Blue Blazes the Trail

The Barb Wire

Princess Witchface

The Gun Divas

Endurance Granny


Its pouring cats and dogs here again, what better day to catch up on some reading!

Pinky Gets Her Nails Done

Another trip down to the vet.  We had planned on going Monday but the snow and bad weather forced me to postpone.

Today is was just raining, raining, raining...

It smelled like a nail salon at the vet clinic as Pinky got her special glue on acrylic shoe and an acrylic hoof patch. 

Here are a few photos of the event.

5 weeks since reset of the bar shoe

getting prepped for acrylic and fiberglass.

Someone isn't easy to work on, and requires a little sedation.

wrapped in saran, to get the shoe dry and set.

shoe is on!

After drilling a few small holes, Doc inserts metal "zip ties" across the hoof split.

He twisted the wires together to form a patch.

Wires are on, now for more acrylic.

Some strange "vet cart" here!  Complete with a drill.

More acrylic.

I didn't get a picture after the vet wrap was removed.  It looks awesome, and VERY stable.  She'll stay in this for hopefully 6-8 weeks and then have at least one more glue on reset.

The vet and farrier have a client who is using these shoes on her trail horse and they are working very well.  Pretty cool :)

Off to the PNER convention tomorrow!

Whew!

I'm so glad I got my ride in yesterday!  Today, it is snowing (yeah! pretty!), and wet (yuck.)

We did an hour or so in the arena, worked on canter transitions without touching the reins.  Shawn rode Cartman last fall in my bridle and mentioned that he thought I needed different reins.  I've been using my leather racing bridle (its the only one big enough for Cartman's head) and a set of biothane endurance reins with snap ends.

Shawn was working on really light communication on a loose rein and he thought I needed heavier reins, being a roper he suggested a nice set of leather split reins. 

I tried, I actually had the brand new pair hanging over the door to the feed room, all ready to go on the bridle.  But...  those ties strings!!!!! Gack.  And the reins felt oily to boot.  Well, a few days after we brought Bo home from the pound Todd found the dogs playing with that new set of reins (tag still on).  So the dogs took care of it for me, no split reins.

I am hoping that the Hought Endurance tack people will be at convention because I see that they have some reins that might just work for me, and Cartman.  I need something with some weight to it, I think the slobber straps on western reins accomplish this.  I need something with a more definate contact with the bit.  The clip ends move a lot.  I still want the clip end option, for our endurance rides (I'm totally addicted to the easy on/off endurance tack.)  I swear if I could I'd have a Beta/biothane saddle!!! No cleaning tack is GOOD!!!

Yesterday I fully understood why the reins I've been using aren't working correctly.  With Dazzby I always rode with contact, english style.  They were great.  

With Cartman going on the loose rein, these reins are flopping around, no doubt giving him mixed signals through the bit and probably dulling his senses to the slightest communication.  It was really evident at the canter. Flop. Flop. Flop.

Pinky update:
Tomorrow Pink goes back to the clinic again to get a hoof patch installed and a new wrap around cuffed aluminum shoe glued on.  There is too much movement at the top of her foot and it is not healing properly.  Sigh.

Bo update:
Bo was slightly "off" in his right front the day we brought him home from the pound.  I didn't think much of it, sore paw? Dew claw? A little twist from sticking his foot through the god awful kennels?  I was pretty unconcerned.

A few days later, it was the left front.  Hmmm.  Then after our day in the sand he was really sore.  He actually seemed to flop over on his side at one point unable to move his right shoulder.  Uh oh.

I made an appointment at the vet to check out the lameness, get all his shots taken care of, and most importantly get him neutered.

When I dropped him off the vet palpated both legs and thought it was his elbow.

They took a couple of x-rays while he was out for the surgery.  Todd picked Bo up the next day and brought him by the lab for me to see.  I missed him while he was gone.

Bo was wearing the cone of shame.  Appparently he was wanting to lick, or chew his stitches so they fitted him with a huge cone to keep him from causing more problems.

It turns out our pound puppy has OCD in both elbows.  Todd saw the radiographs and it was evident even to his untrained eye there is a problem.  One elbow has a flap of bone that hooks out and is actually catching the joint at times (that explains the floppy leg thing).

I guess when the vet explained to Todd that Bo would need a fairly expensive surgery to fix his issues Todd calmly replied, "Oh, that's nothing.  We have horses I'm used to big vet bills."  I had to laugh at that one.  Sad but true. 

So, after the neutering heals up Bo will be headed back for surgery number two.

Two a Week

Rides that is.   Since Christmas we've upped to two times a week.  I plan on continuing this until C's shoes go back on in the end of January.

Saturday (New Year's Eve) we headed out solo for a little ride in the sand.  These sand rides have to be pretty short unless his feet are up to hitting the 5 mile jogging trail (they weren't this week). 

So we did a ten minute warm up walking.  I'm practicing on the neck reining, stopping, backing, and standing.

The next ten minutes were spent trotting and doing small segments of canter.   I am really hesitant to do too much canter in this footing as I have suspiscions that it might cause hock troubles down the road.  Nonetheless we got a little canter in, and since it is quite deep it was a good aerobic workout.

Lastly we spent 10 minutes walking under saddle and exploring some new areas of the dredge spoils before going back to get a cooler and sheet and doing a bit of grazing.  We were home within an hour this day.

New Years Day was a day of rest and wishing the horses Happy Birthday.  Lots of treats were consumed, for them, and me as well.

Today Jan 2 Michelle and I headed down to the local arena for some arena work.

Cartman and I practiced our walk/trot/canter, neck reining and roll backs (at the walk), and LOTS of transitions.  Cartman is doing well and starting to go nice and round at the trot.  The canter is a somewhat different story.  He does pretty well, for a young long legged dude, but its not what I would call collected, at all.  I pretty much have been concentrating on just getting him nice and forward and ignoring the "giraffe neck" and the flat gait.  The rest will come later, I hope!


The new dog Bo, is doing great here!  Although he is a little "off" on his left front.  I thought he just got stepped on, (he is somewhat underfoot) but yesterday it really seemed to be bothering him.  He has taken to sitting and doing this pitiful whine.  I don't know if he is in pain, or just being needy and obnoxious?  I thought pain at first, but today he seems to feel fine- he will run and play outside.  But here he goes again with the whining while he's sitting next to me.  Perplexing.  I have made a vet appointment for Thursday, hopefully they will be able to tell me what is going on.

Pinky is doing well turned out, her foot is good, except for a little worry about the bit of tissue protruding from the slit at the top.  I will try to attatch a photo.  I fear it might be some proud flesh.  I emailed pics to the vet Friday, but sent them from work so I can't get into that email until tomorrow to see if he's replied.  We may be heading back to the clinic for them to check it out though.

Happy New Year to all!!!!

Post Holiday Ride

The forecast said "rain after 10am."  I dashed through morning chores and grabbed Cartman.

He was a little surprised.



I might as well chew the rope.



At the parking area

 About this time Michelle called to see if I wanted to ride!  Well, yes, I do, come join us!

A little warm up

A little trotting, and killing some time while we waited.

I got on and rode around in the sand. 

I was SO PROUD!!!!

No, its not a mistake.

 So, in case your wondering, why two pictures of Cartman just standing there?
Well, I was so happy with him, that's why!

Anyone that's ever had a five year old TB might understand, and I imagine anyone with youngster of any breed could understand.  He stood still for almost 5 minutes.  No fussing, no fidgeting, no noodling around.  Stock still.  Now this might sound very silly, but if you've ever had a horse that won't stand you know what an accomplishment this can be!

At this poind Michelle pulled up with her truck and trailer and we rode for a while.  I, as usual, got so distracted with chatting that I completely forgot to take any more pictures. 

So, I'll leave you with a pictorial description of why I haven't ridden, until today, for two whole weeks!

On the left, christmas reindeer.  On the right?  Aliens? The Chupacabra?

Final product.

Almost done.

Riding in the rain, just riding in the rain!

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Castle+Rock+WA+98611

I'm a little bummed, but really shouldn't complain.  December has been somewhat awesome this year, weather-wise.  It had to end sometime....

My Christmas Present

I think we have a new addition to the Wren Loop Farm. 

Todd and I have usually kept two dogs around.  One for him, and one for me, although most of my dogs have ended up Todd's dogs in the end.  He is the "dog magnet".  My last true dog was Mack, a Border Collie/German Shepherd/ Husky mix with blue eyes and a learning impairment.  I adored him and he always stayed "my" dog despite Todd's pied piper-like draw for all other canines.

Mack passed away in 1999 from, of all things, food poisoning.  He found a huge cow bone when we were living in Arkansas and apparently the bone had some sort of anaerobic bovine bacteria that killed him a few days later, there was nothing to be done but supportive therapy.

I've tried several times to get my own dog since, but for whatever reason they always end up being Todd's.  The last one was the Standard Poodle that we still have, Nick.  Last week I spotted a German Shepherd cross on the adoptable pet page in the newspaper for the Humane Society.  It was a three month old female puppy.

On Wed. I told Todd about the puppy and got the standard response, "We don't need a second dog...." Hmmmf.  I knew he was right.  One dog is enough mess to clean up after in this wet climate.

I was a little surprised to get a phone call Friday at work from the dog pound.  Todd was there looking for the puppy.  I rushed through some work and raced over there to meet him and look at the puppy.

Unfortunately the puppies were under a Parvo watch.  A dog in the kennel  had died from Parvo and they had to quarantine the exposed puppies.  Sigh.  I did get to see the puppy and she was really cute.  Todd was not as smitten.  He thought she was way too hyper. 

He did want to show me a few adult dogs he'd scoped out in the regular kennels.

We walked along the rows of dogs,  lab crosses, pit bull crosses, pit bulls, several young Blue Heelers, a Husky cross.  It was deafening in the kennel area, the pit bulls and labs were just barking their heads off.  Not that I blame them, but I am really sensitive to loud noises and the incessant barking is like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. 

Then in the very last kennel one dog pressed up against the chain link fence, perfectly quiet.  He just looked at me, with one blue eye.

"I like this one."  I knelt down and talked to the dog.  He rubbed against the kennel and tried to squeeze through the chain to get as close as possible.

He looked like an Australian Shephed crossed with a German Shepherd. 

The next half hour was spent deliberating.  Did we really need a second dog?  Would the Shepherd  herding instinct be too strong?  Would he chew up everything and dig holes in the yard?  Would he run off???  Would he get along with horses??????

We went back out to talk with the lady at the desk and told her about the horses, and that we were a little concerned because the dog was already a year old and a herding type dog, that we might have trouble training him with the horses.  She had a great suggestion, that we do what they call a foster-to adopt.  We could take him home for a week or so and see if he would be able to adapt to our lifestyle.  Perfect!!!!

So, this afternoon we picked up our new addition.  Here are some photos from the afternoon and evening.  Do you think he's going to fit in here? 

Those are some BIG dogs!!!!

Meeting Dazzby

Doesn't he look like a farm dog?

What I found when I came in from doing chores tonight.

He immediately laid his head on my feet when I sat down.

One blue, one brown.

He's already learning to stay on his mat! 

Pinky update:

Thursday we got Pink's bar shoe reset.  Thanks to my farrier's efficiency and a little Acepromazine, it was a blessedly uneventful experience. 

This morning I decided to turn her out, it wasn't raining and some exercise will help circulation and healing.  Here are some morning farm photos.

Sound!

Dazzby babysits

The boys were banished to the barn, so as not to get things to wound up.

Taj

Cartman