In the midst of the hottest day of the year so far, for south Texas, our farrier (horse shoer) came to put on Feather’s first shoes.  I cannot imagine being a farrier.  My back would give out five minutes into the first client and I would be retired.

Roland has been my farrier since I moved to this little town.  My old farrier refused to make the 100-mile round trip drive to my new home so we went begging for Roland to add us to his client list.  Roland had done some of my horses over the years in Sugar Land and always done a good job.  He had some other clients in the area so he took on my group of horses.  He has been such a regular fixture in our lives that Jordyn calls him, “Uncle Roland”.  She has a book about horses and always points out the picture of Uncle Roland where they show the horses getting their new shoes.  Roland is a good man and good farrier.

Horses need their feet trimmed about every six weeks, depending on how fast they grow and other environmental factors like heat, wet or drought. When Roland got there last night, Mickey and Leo had a full set of shoes on-meaning one on all four feet.  Sometimes, if horses have good feet they go barefoot or just wear front shoes.  Kid and Feather were barefoot but it was time for Feather to get her first pair of shoes.  Kid has already had his last.

I knew Lauren wouldn’t be much help holding the horses with her sore fingers.  I did not know how well Feather would take to the idea of nailing a metal shoe to her foot (and no, it doesn’t hurt, but it does make noise and is a little scary).

We spent four hours in the heat last night.  Roland working slowly, taking his time, doing a good job.  We did Mickey first.  He just takes this as a routine thing.  Feather was next.  With the giant fan going, the anvil, the tools and heat, she was a little skeptical. But she got through the first hoof after Lauren went and got the box of treats.  Lauren continued to feed her treats as I held her leadrope until the treats ran out somewhere before the last shoe.  Probably not great to have fed her so many treats, but after being a little squeamish on the first hoof, she was fine thereafter and stood like a champ to receive her new shoes.

At almost 9:00 pm, Roland pulled out of the drive. He said he had been at his first client at dawn. Talk about hard work, this is it. We had shared stories of days on the ranch, hand injuries to riders, talk of our friends from various other barns and updates on who had a new horse and how it was going.  It was a long night, a hot night, and a rite of passage for Feather.  Now, that she has her big-girl shoes on, I hope she gets in the trailer and goes to the dance.  She is scheduled to go to trainer-Dev’s on Thursday. 

P.S.  Harry Potter, the evil cat, is alive and well and not rotting under my house in theTexas heat. Damn-it!

I decided to follow-up first thing Sunday morning with the Feather loading into the trailer issue.  Thought I would read this great article in Practical Horseman, go apply the knowledge to my horse and all would be great.

I can confirm that Feather did not read the article and it did not go well. It is the hot of murderous crime sprees, it is the hot of people dying, it is the hot of deepTexas summers.  It was over 100 degrees yesterday without a cloud in sight.  That did nothing to help our trailer issues.

Honestly, I think she loaded twice yesterday but I may be delusional from the heat or the 500 attempts we made.   In the early morning, I took Kid over.  I tied him on the trailer.  I thought his presence would give Feather confidence.  She didn’t care.  I put poor Kid in the trailer so she would have company when she loaded.  I think she loaded one time then.  I backed her out.  She did not go back in. The article said to load her and take her out and let her re-load immediately.  Feather didn’t want to do the re-load immediately part. 

Ally came down with Jordyn.  We saddled up Kid (he was getting picked for everything on this hot Sunday).  Jordyn showed her mother and skeptical Aunt Lauren that she could, in fact, mount the horse herself.  I made Ally take the picture with Jo with baby Kendyll hanging in between. I am sure she will appreciate this picture in a year when she is back to old self. 

Jordyn was hanging in the tackroom. Ally had gone in to get out of the heat.  Lauren and I thought we would quickly load Feather, get Jo and get inside.  I explained the article (walk them up, back them off , walk them up, load them up) and Lauren took Feather toward the trailer.  I was behind Feather urging her forward.  Feather got to the door of the trailer and suddenly and with great power backed off.  Number one rule I learned as a child watching a wrangler work with a young horse was NEVER wrap the leadrope around your fingers or wrist.  I watched his wrist snap in a horrible break.  Lauren knows that but got caught off guard.  Feather backed off, the rope tightened, her hand got slammed into the metal and the most God-awful peal of agony came from deep in her throat.  The neighbor’s heads came up.  They may have even, for a short period of time, thought of actually stepping on my property to see if they could make the sound stop.  Ally heard it in the house.  It was not pretty.  I immediately knew what she had done, I just didn’t know how bad it was.

The article clearly says wear gloves.  Lauren didn’t have gloves on either, compounding the injury.  After she quit wailing and was merely doing that jagged crying thing, I looked at the damage.  Three fingers were immediately bruised and swollen.  The ring finger had a funny look to it (you can tell I spent years in the medical profession).  I tried to take Feather quietly up to the trailer and I held her while she stood.  Then I released Kid and her to pasture to work with later.

In the cool of the house, we debated emergency room strategy.  While our local clinic has good doctors, is owned by Memorial Hermann and where I used to work, the reputation of the local hospital is not stellar.  When I broke my pelvis they told me to go home and take Advil.  That didn’t work out well.  We decided to wrap it and wait until the clinic would be open today.

Before dinner when we thought hunger might be a motivating factor, we decided to try Feather again.  I had wrapped Lauren’s fingers and placed them in an oven mitt.  It was a green holiday one.  Figured it was like wearing gloves.  All I am going to say about this segment of the Feather trailer loading was it didn’t work.  It was well over 100 degrees.  Lauren was hurt.  I was tired and achy.  Feather was determined not to go in the trailer.  I need a horse that will load easily and if I traumatize her now, it will never be forgotten.  I swear this is Leo’s fault from riding with her to Caroline’s and acting nuts.

This morning while I was at work, Lauren got to the clinic, got X-Rayed and had dislocated fingers.  Wow, I bet that is why they hurt so much.  I felt really guilty for not taking her to the hospital.  The doctor just slammed them back in place and sent her home.

As a special greeting, our most hated cat Harry Potter (a Tom who terrorizes all living things and we cannot touch) was chasing a snake across the back yard.  Lauren quickly assessed her snake facts, “red and yellow kill a fellow”, and went for her shot gun.  She blew the snake in half using one hand.  Apparently, Harry Potter had been bit by snake as he was lying on the front porch with a hugely swollen leg.  I suggested to Lauren that she shoot him as well but her hand, her conscience and spirit couldn’t take anymore.

I think it is highly likely Harry Potter is now under my house rotting in the Texas heat.

Feather moving forward, working hard, in Gaylyn’s well groomed barrel arena.

Saturday Lauren and I had planned to go to our friend Gaylyn’s house for a little outing with Feather.  Feather, at four, is just enbarking on her life with us and her life as a show horse.  It is important that we do things the right way the first time and develop a horse that is quiet, capable and willing when we get to the show ring. 

So, I have no idea what I was thinking when I thought we would take Leo and Feather to Gay’s house.  I guess I was thinking that Feather had come all the way from Florida in a trailer just a few short months ago and she would not have issues getting back into the trailer.  I was so wrong!. When Feather first got here from Florida she had to re-load from the giant transport trailer into our three-horse slant trailer.  We had no issues.  The next day we hauled her to the vet.  She loaded in and out without a problem.  Since then we hauled her one time up to Caroline’s for an outing with Mickey and Leo.  She was sweating and a little edgy but re-loaded easily for the ride home.

My original theory was to load Feather first then Leo would come in behind her.  First, I am not pointing fingers, but Lauren was in a crappy mood.  It was early, she is never patient on a good day and this was no exception.  Feather didn’t want to get in the trailer.  She would get to trailer door and back off dragging Lauren with her.  She did that a few times.  Then we decided to put Leo into the first slant.  Oh, he went in, but then started pawing and kicking.  His behavior freaked out Feather further. She was not riding shot gun with Leo.  Perhaps she had read my blog.  No riding with Leo!

We decided to go get Mickey and take Feather with him.  I’ve got to tell you, when Mickey is your go-to guy, life is nuts.  Mickey had years when he would not load in a trailer without serious prompting along with bolting and dragging his handler.  In the meantime, Lauren and I are both sweating and complaining about our stupid horses and it isn’t even 8:00 am yet.  Mickey, in his current place, as the king of the herd and champion of Six Meadow Farm, walks right in the trailer.  He stands patiently as we figure a way to get Feather in with him. 

I got a short whip and stood behind the horse, while Lauren lead her forward into the trailer.  It took a couple of trys and couple of hard retreats (dragging Lauren out of the trailer with her) but Feather loaded and we were off to Gaylyn’s place.

Gaylyn and I have been friends for several years.  Both of us moved our families from Sugar Land to this little town to have more space for our horses.  Gaylyn has run top-quality Quarter horses and a few paints in barrels and poles over the years.  She has made her mark at Quarter Horse World and as a dear friend.

Fortunately, we live only about ten minutes apart.  I was very happy with Feather when she got to the new arena.  A show horse must settle in to new places.  There isn’t time to be afraid of everything, buck or run.  At a new arena, my horses need to be ready to work.  Feather really took the whole new place in stride.  She certainly was looking around and taking it all in but not in any crazy or difficult way.

Boomer, with his perfect head cocked toward the mare.

Gaylyn’s young, home-bred, gelding, Boomer sure had his eye on my mare.  He is a pretty perfect looking Quarter horse.  I think he liked the looks of my leggy grey mare as well.

We all had good rides working on our multiple horse disciplines.  Gay was working her barrel horse stuff, lots of canter circles and stops.  Lauren was trying to get the mare collected up and moving well.  I was riding Mickey, walk, trot and canter with my main goal to stay in the saddle.

Gaylyn turned to watch Feather work.  She remarked that the mare moved powerfully and yet smoothly.  I definitely was proud of Feather (and Mick) when the cows in the pasture next door start a mini-stampede for their barn.  Feather watched them carefully but made no move to run or spook. 

We got both horses in the trailer pretty easily and headed home.  It is good to have good horses and good friends.  Feather will practice loading each day this week until her departure to Dev’s for more training on Thursday.  I bet she will be a pro by then.

Man O’War

My friend Gaylyn gave me a photo of my favorite horse of all time-Man O’War, last night.  Man 0’War, or Big Red as he was called, raced in 1918-1919.  He won 20 of 21 races beaten only by a horse named Upset in a race as a two-year old where he was literally backward at the barrier when it was snapped (no starting gates existing then) to start the race.  His jockey got him boxed in on the rail and still he only lost by a neck in this horrible race.  He didn’t win the triple crown, I think he would have, but his owner, being truly interested in the welfare of his horse, thought a mile and a quarter was too far to ask a three-year old to run early in May.  He did win the Preakness and the Belmont. He was truly one of the great ones.  If you have young kids that like to read, get the Walter Farley version of Man O’War.  It will be a great summer read for them or you.  Just be prepared for the proclamations that Man O’War was the “mostest horse that ever was” as his groom used to say.

Secretariat

Secretariat, also known as Red, may have been the greatest ever-I would say certainly in the spring of 1974 when it was Triple Crown time, I do not think there was a horse ever that could have beat the horse he was then.  Yesterday, a decision came down that Secretariat’s time in the Preakness was officially a Preakness record.  This has been debated since 1974.  The official clock malfunctioned.  Two track timers clocked him at the same Preakness record time but it wasn’t until Penny Chenery continued to fight for her big red horse that now, the record will stand until someone can surpass it.  Secretariat broke records at all three triple crown events.  His time from the Belmont (watch the movie Secretariat if you haven’t-you will enjoy it) will never be beat (or if it does that thoroughbred may be the best ever).

Kid at 30-imagine him in his prime

My big red horse, Mr. Kid, continues to be the love of my life.  He is an off the track quarter horse.  He was fast.  He went from the track to speed events like barrels and poles.  He is related to both Secretariat and Man O’War in his bloodlines, or at least that’s how I remember it.  Both of those super race horses had what horse lovers call heart and I believe my horse does as well.  He has certainly given me his.

The other two OTTBs, are coming along.  Leo worked better today than ever since his adjustments.  We made some saddle and pad changes.  I think the saddle was not fitted as well as it should have been.

Caroline and Joey (I think they like each other!)

Caroline is doing a great job on the new horse Joey.  I think they have bonded and he is lucky to have someone he trusts as he makes the transition from race horse to jumper.  He is gaining weight, getting stronger and more balanced.  I want to see him go over some small jumps soon. Oh, I hope he likes it!