Seriously, Cindy?

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Exechorseluver

Found on the Houston streets, this little one was starved and so much more.

You have to admire my restraint. This posting that this little dachshund was found in Houston shortly after the storms went up on Renee’s Facebook and I left it alone. But I kept thinking about my almost 13-year-old dachshund, Lula and how her health was fading. I love Lula as much as anything. I bought her for Ally as a bribe to break-up with her high school boyfriend. Lula started with us in Sugar Land, moved to Wharton, and now is the queen (or king, she is having some Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner moments growing new sex organs, but I digress) of the farm.

I did not message Renee for at least a week about the dog. At that point they knew there was not a microchip and no one had called about the “found dog” posters. I told her I would be interested in taking the dog if it needed a home.

Renee said she would be asking for potential adopters soon but knew I had asked first. We agreed I would pick up the dog on my way to the dentist Thursday. I could leave the dog at the vet while I had my root canal (how fun!) but I made it clear if the dog had heartworms (and she certainly looked like a candidate) I could not take on that financial risk.

When I got there to pick her up, Renee showed me that the dog had a mass in her jaw the size of a jawbreaker (this is a tiny dog-so big for her) and that her eyes were filmy and blue toned. Now I was thinking, oh, boy she is going to need surgery to remove the mass, she is partially blind, and probably needs to be spayed. Her coat did not look very good either and she was so thin.

Of course, all the way to the vet, she snuggled with me. I stopped to get a drink at McDonald’s and she growled and barked from her position on my lap at the men walking by my car. I started to love her right then! I had asked one of my generous boarders who loves dachshunds if she might be able to help with some of the expenses and she had said yes. I was busy driving and hatching a plan to go to the vet office manager and see if I could do a payment plan on the surgery. I still was on a “no-go” regarding the heartworms, though.

My mind tripped back and forth over alternatives as the dentist attacked my teeth. I really wanted to keep this little girl. In fact, I had already come up with a name. You know how I have this thing for naming my animals after my dead friends and relatives. Well, here we go again. Both of my grandfather’s names were Samuel and my dear friend Dee, just passed away. TA DA-I was going to welcome Sammi Dee to the family if I could afford to get her out of the vet’s office.

I got back to vet just as the heart worm test came back NEGATIVE! So I was on a little bit of a high as the doc examined little Sammi Dee’s eyes and mouth. In the category of too crazy to be true, as the vet opened the little mouth, she said she thought she saw something lodged in there.

The piece of bone that had been lodged for quite some time in the dog’s mouth. It sure did not smell good.

She took some forceps and gently removed a small bone from the dog’s mouth where it had been lodged for weeks (at least). It was a bit like I imagine the lion felt when the object was removed from his paw. The relief was palatable on the dog’s face as she licked around her sore mouth.

Onto the eyes where the vet said there had been a prior injury and/or burning of the eye. But after examination, she told me there was scar tissue but no problems with Sammi Dee’s vision. I was ready to high-five her about this point.

In the end, we determined the dog was probably five or six, healthy, except as noted. She was spayed. I left the vet’s having paid for the exam, the heart worm test, some antibiotics to heal her mouth and rabies vaccine. I will her the other needed vaccinations. Pretty good deal I would say.

It got better as I got home and in true dachshund fashion, immediately told the Doberman and poodles what her position was in the hierarchy (second Queen) and started learning her way around the farm.

She slept easily with all the dogs last night, on my bed, next to my pillow. She even gave a mighty what-for to the mean cat Levi and set him in his place. I think I did something good here, both for me and for her.

So no admonishing me for getting another dog. Sometimes things are just meant to be. As they are with Sammi Dee!

Thanks for riding along!

No worries-Be Happy

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Exechorseluver

Signifying how far away everything was from this strip of sand I stood upon.

Out on the seas away from phones, Internet, Facebook and demands of life, I can step back a bit and relax. In fact on this last day at sea, I have sequestered myself in my tiny room. I have been here mostly in the dark, with light from my IPad reading the new Coburn novel and trying to stay calm.

Television, CNN out of Atlanta,has been telling horrific stories of the rain in Houston. We do not know what we will come home to find. We had service long enough in Mexico to learn the farm had been hit hard again with several inches of rain. The electricity which also runs the water well in rural areas had been off for hours when we reached our farm-sitter, Libby. She has definitely gotten to experience the overwhelming responsibilities of running a horse farm in the worst of situations.

The television stories of destruction and death are cycling through the news reports. I shudder each time I hear the story anew of the washed away death of the cheerleader/prom queen/treasured daughter. I hear the reporters say that theses events only occur every 500 or 1000 years, and yet they have hit all these places at once. I do not understand.

I have seen nothing but blue skies and tropical sun for the last four days. I think I just sat on a primitive beach with the softest sand I have ever encountered facing the most brilliant sea I have ever seen. I have been blessed to run my toes through the sand of a lot of the world’s best beaches but yesterday in the remote far side of Cozumel was incredible.

Powered white sand beaches, a tiny building with only a generator to keep the lights on and the drinks flowing

Hard to believe cars and homes are floating away at home. We arrive early tomorrow and will be off in the first wave of passengers. I have two more vacation days ahead but have established a long list of must-do work items for both Thursday and Friday.

I hear my new mare is lame with a swollen ankle. I hope to God it is not serious. I hope it was not a snake bite garnered in the deep, wet grasses of the lower pasture. I hope the flooding was minimal and the electricity is powering through the lines

Others are planning and booking their next cruise. I will not leave home again for a long while. I have enjoyed the diversion but am ready to take up the fight again. As I lie here, my stomach and chest are clinched in anxiety. So much I need to do and so much I cannot control.

As this last day ends on the high seas I will pack my things and prepare to disembark in the morning. For now I will read a little longer, say prayers for those who have lost so much in these horrible floods and give thanks for this time with my family.

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Exechorseluver

Several more inches of rain fell this afternoon.

I have lost count of the number of days we have had. Definitely double digits of days past, each with rain, thunder and lightning. Perched as we are upon the sandy bluff above the Bravos River, it has taken a lot to effect us. Just as the days of rain are now measured in double digits (maybe 18 days maybe 22) the inches that have fallen from the dark skies can also be measured in the same double digits. Five inches the first day. Then it was three more the next day. Day after day rain of biblical proportions has fallen. Each day I am hopeful that the rain is over.

My girls decided that I needed a vacation so we are getting out-of-town for a few days. It has been two years since I left town for fun. I am looking forward to spending time with Lauren, Ally’s family and the her in-laws but am understandably concerned about leaving the farm. Especially leaving the farm when the forecast continues to be full of rain forecasts.

Piper, Jordyn’s pony, is out on trial. Piper has turned into a pretty quick little pony and hope Kendall who is to be her new mom, can deal with her. We are down a few more horses due to recent sales so it at least is not so overwhelmingly full right now.

I continue to enjoy my new paint mare, Nova Mae. She and I are getting stronger together. My legs are not the legs of Cindy the rider of long ago. But I feel with practice I will be able to live up to my horse’s expectations. She is a little weak at the trot and needs to continue to build up endurance and muscle. But she is just doing great and I think I have finally found that perfect horse I was looking for!

I hope all of you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. May God watch over all of those that have gone before us and served this company so well.

The rain has done good things for my flowers.

I regret my absence, I have been out of my mind

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Exechorseluver

Happy Kona on Mother’s day “helping me” with hay.

I guess that title is a little too dramatic. I do regret that I have not written. It has been too many days. There have been ups and downs which we will discuss, but I promise to make every effort to write at least two, hopefully three times a week.

It is over a year now since we landed in this new house, built new barns, arena, got new horses, lost some dear animals and met new friends. Our boarding and training business (which right now is limited to training our own steeds) has grown in size and complexity. A year ago we fed two types of feed and offered two kinds of hay. Now, seven cans of various feeds sit in our feedroom with three kinds of hay (coastal, alfalfa and timothy).

Our horses are a varied bunch with the three original rescue horses (Mickey, Cody and Snow), three ponies (Molly, Snow, Piper), three OTTBs (Hershey, TryDelta (off-site) and No Play), Two Paints (Mickey and Nova), Five warmbloods (Prosecco, Kinnaras, Betty Sue, Fargo and Feather) and one Grand Prix Dressage horse (Kinnaras). The range in size from 13.3 hands to 17.2 hands. You will note some horses are counted in multiple categories. Point is, it is a busy and diverse crowd. I might be in the tack room looking for a 22-inch western girth for Piper or a 54-inch English girth for Nova.

It certainly has become more than a fulltime endeavour for us. I have not been gone on a weekend from the farm since we moved here, except for my mother’s funeral. Lauren does a nice job with much appreciated help from her sister Ally in managing the daily activities. That leaves me, and often Ally, with night-time and weekend work.

Thankfully, Alex, Libby, Isabel and Jo Ann all pitch in to help out with stalls and feeding. There is never a spare moment. Remember too, that I have a corporate fulltime occupation with little tolerance for less than my best job performance. It makes for non-stop activity, at least for me. Reason enough to be out of my mind, but I totally try to balance all the work, every day, every hour along with some occasional play

Anyway….

Lauren budgeted for five horse shows for this year. They are expensive and we have limited funds for the big shows. This week’s MayFest has traditionally been a great show for us. Last year, Feather made her first run at the 1.05 meter and earned three ribbons in three classes. Mickey has always been the king of the fest winning multiple championships.

Wednesday, I headed to the arena with baby Betty Sue (who at over 14 hands is not so babyish anymore) and pony Piper to give them some play time. Lauren was going to ride, had gotten Feather out of her stall and strapped her in the cross-ties. I let the little ones loose and off they ran! Feather, never being so sturdy of mind or space, immediately wanted to take off with them. She set back in the cross-ties, rearing and slamming her face multiple time into the sharp tin of the roof. Finally, she broke free and proceed to run to the arena with blood streaming down her face. Like go to the vet now blood!

What you don’t see-her eyelid had to be sewn back on.

The vets thought that Feather could still compete at the show but the swelling did not recede as fast as we hoped. Lauren took Mickey for Alex to ride and agreed to show him for her on Friday while Alex was at school. I had been apprehensive about this. Mickey and Lauren have a long, dramatic history of Mickey throwing Lauren to the ground. Mickey performs better for Alex but I was still scared. Lauren jumped him four feet at home to show me they were great. They would only be doing the .90 meter (which is about 2’9″) at the show, what could go wrong?

Mickey was reluctant to jump the oxers from the beginning. Lauren was in the class for the win and pushed him up to each jump, setting him up well and using her crop as needed to tell him she was serious. At jump seven, Mickey galloped right to the base of the jump and did a sliding stop to rival any of his paint horse reining relatives. Lauren went flying through the air like a lawn dart hitting both poles with her head before stopping. And this is why Lauren does not show Mickey any more!

A slight concussion and stiff neck later, she went and scratched Feather from the show. I am all about pushing on, but when your horse has a face full of stitches and you have been a human lawn dart, it is time to say you will wait for the next show, thanks anyway!

Saturday, unexpectedly with no show to show in, ended up to be a fun day for Lauren, Jordyn, Kendyll and I. We took Kona and the new poodle Maui Jim with us. We went by the show and checked up on Mickey and Alex. It was Maui’s first horse show and he was great! We left soon after headed to the expansive George Bush Park (of course, Houston would have a George Bush Park, and the dog park is called…wait for it…The Millie Bush Park after President Bush’s cocker spaniel). We did not go to the dog park (we kind of have that at home) we did go on a hike down to a pond and let Kona and Maui see what they thought about water. I have never had Kona to the water although Poodles are known as water dogs. The sign clearly said no wading, no swimming and no off-leash dogs because alligators could be nearby.

Still, I threw the stick out in the water and Kona and Maui bounded out in search of it. Maui got out a little further than he intended and had his first swim. He did not go back in the water. The girls had a fun time wading on the sandy beach until we actually saw an alligator and thought it would be a good time to put everyone’s shoes back on. I managed to fall fully in the water trying to balance on a log going over the trail. Lauren was laughing so hard she almost dropped Kendyll. The dogs just stared at me like I was stupid wallowing in the slime on all fours like a common dog.

Totally covered in slimey water and unable to get my feet under me and get up.

So you can see I have a lot of reasons for insanity. Plus it runs in my family.

Thanks for riding along! I promise more wonderful days of action from the farm. If you are on Facebook, look up Six Meadow Farm and see some more pictures of our place. We have a spot for a new boarder, too! Think how fun that would be!

It’s raining, we’re laughing along

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Exechorseluver

The clouds moving across the sky with rain on their heels. Lots of green grass envelopes the farm.

Regardless of a gloomy seven-day rain forecast Lauren and I have been smiling a lot around Six Meadow Farm. I think there are several factors.

Fortunately while the rain poured down, in fact it did so several times, our arena and the pastures have absorbed it right in and left things pretty manageable.
The arena soaked after the first deluge of rain
On Friday we went and picked up Kona’s almost five month old half-brother. In keeping with our Hawaiian trend and that of naming them in honor of our departed relatives, we welcomed Maui Jim.
This Poodle is Lauren’s and it will sleep in her room with her two cats. It is a little like my first apartment in Lawrence, KS where I had two cats and cocker spaniel. I am staying out of the training and letting them bond. A puppy is always a good time even if he was more black (mud) than white after his arrival at the farm. Not the best weekend for introducing the white dog.
Since the dog is Lauren’s she choose to be home this weekend which is a rare thing. We enjoyed our Saturday evening with Laine and Isabel playing with the dogs and grooming the horses.We watched a little TV while the dogs caught up from their busy day. Levi, the cat, was clearly awake and alert as we took pictures of the sleeping dogs.
Greatest shot ever, Lauren!
The mare, Fargo, had her OB/GYN exam in preparation for breeding. This is a huge bucket list item for me (not for the horse to have the exam but to have my own foals at my own farm). I will spare you pictures of the exam.
Lauren and I got a lot of projects done between rain showers. We re-matted stalls, spread new shavings and planted new spring flowers. Two ponies are moving out this week and my horse is headed in, so we will move the group around a bit to adjust.
Our boarder, Jo Ann got back from an epic trip to Africa. However, she came home sick and exhausted. We finally saw her on Saturday and heard some amazing tales of a distant land. (I don’t want to go any time soon but was glad she had the opportunity.)
Both horse Kinny and pony Molly got in some arena work yesterday afternoon. Lauren and I decided we better get some horses worked as well. I rode Mickey and she took Feather. We got in about 30 minutes prior to the next onslaught of rain.
Feather headed down the still moist but quite rideable rail.
My new mare was supposed to be in from Georgia last night but the truck had mechanical problems. She is due in around 10 pm this evening and I cannot wait! Expect a few dozen pictures of the new mare soon!
It was just nice to have a quiet weekend without a show or lessons. Lauren and I got have a ‘weekend off’ and enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks for riding along and being part of our journey!

The final chapter

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Exechorseluver

From the court house steps on a gloomy March day as the case was closed.

From the court-house steps on another dreary March day as the case was closed. The trees behind the flags were covered in brilliant white blossoms but I guess the gloom covered up their beauty as well.

I had my long-awaited court date to send my mother’s will to Probate. Apparently the calendar is full and it takes months to get your case heard by the judge. My mother died the sixth of August and her court case took place in March. A long time passed as I waited for this day to come.

I don’t know what it is about my life that invites complexity. I plan well. I am good at organization. I make my bed each day and have a closet that is divided by color and type of garment. You would think these traits would lead to my life going more smoothly. Perhaps as I plan and organize, I do so to rebel against the chaos that surrounds my life. I guess the good news is that I organize as well as I do, because if I did not, my life would simply crumble around me.

My mother’s will was written in 2002. I had recently been divorced and lived with the girls here in Texas. My mother did her will in Colorado with her longtime attorney, Bill Kemp. He was to be the executor of her estate, and if he could not be then my former brother-in-law, Sean, was named as an alternate.

Of course, my mother never dreamed she would die in Texas or in the tiny county of Wharton. But things change. By the time my momma got here it was too late to change her will to the laws of the state of Texas, as she was not of sound mind as the lawyers say.

After my mother’s death, I had the will but was not in any particular hurry to settle things. I just really couldn’t deal with much else and thought it would be very straightforward and quick. It might have been in the fall when I started to hunt down the phone number for the Denver lawyer my mother had used for her will. As my mother’s only surviving child, there was not anyone else to be effected by this will. I thought I would call the attorney, there would be some court thing and I would get a check for the assets left in my mother’s estate. It works like that on television.

I guess my television show would have been characterized as a legal drama with death (and not just my mom’s), inter-state judicial wars, and unscrupulous attorneys.

I quickly got the phone number of the attorney and waited until 9:00 am Mountain time when they opened to call. A very pleasant women named Rose answered the phone. I asked to speak to Mr. Kemp. Her voice got guarded as she proceeded to quiz me on who I was and what I wanted with her attorney.

Turns out that tragically that week, Mr. Kemp had been diagnosed with a fast-moving cancer. The office was closing and all the files were being transferred out. I was stunned. Bill Kemp, always referred to as my mother’s attorney Bill Kemp, had been a regular feature in our conversations for years. I could not believe that his office was closing and his health so critical.

Mr. Kemp called me shortly thereafter. He told me he could not serve as executor and it would be preferable to have an executor in Texas, such as myself to handle this with a Texas attorney. Okay, I was very sorry but totally understood. I went on an internet search for a Probate attorney. That may not have been my smartest approach to finding someone to handle such an important issue. I read online reviews and chose a female Probate attorney with an office nearby. I was told she would call me. She did not. After several follow-ups with her office, I finally reached her and explained the Colorado will with the dying executor problem. She quoted me a fee of $10,000 and told me to get Mr. Kemp and my brother-in-law to sign away their executor rights.

I called my now best friend Rose at Mr. Kemp’s office and she assured me that was a ridiculous amount to handle this will. The Texas attorney wanted $9000 upfront and the balance before the court date.

What finally settled the issue of this being the wrong attorney for me was when Mr. Kemp called after his session of chemo to tell me another attorney from Texas had called him asking him for all the documents on the case.

I had never even met the female attorney in person nor agreed that she represent me but she had asked an attorney friend to take over the case and sent my mother’s will to him. Mr. Kemp told me if I had not released those files to this new attorney that it was a breach of confidentiality at best. He advised I find another attorney.

This time I chose another method to pick a good attorney. I drove around my little town and looked at their offices. Pretty Scientific. But this new attorney was a winner. He represented me for a fraction of the cost and worked to get all the paperwork in order. He established a March court date.

In the meantime, Mr. Kemp passed away as did my step-father Jim. So much change. I met my new attorney at the courthouse Monday on yet another dreary, rainy, south Texas winter day. It fit my mood exactly. Of course, I was last on the docket but found the process to be quite straightforward. I was asked some questions, the judge told me he was sorry for my loss and good luck. I was officially appointed “Administratrix” of the will. I guess that word is the feminine version of the word administrator, but it scared me so I did not ask.

The next day at the post office, I sent off the paperwork to Wells Fargo and hoped to God that I was done with all of this. I asked for a book of stamps and was given the ones below. My mom was an avid rose gardener in both Chicago and Denver. She always said that the white rose called the John F. Kennedy was my dad’s all time favorite. It was a fitting close and reminder of the fragile beauty of life. Thank you for riding along and being part of my journey.

The stamps I bought as I sent my mother’s stock certificate away. My father’s favorite rose was the John F. Kennedy rose and this is it. Wierd.

Cody reenacts Mother Goose Tale

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Exechorseluver

A gate does not do well when sat upon by a horse.

As I came down the drive last night, I spotted the horses from pasture-one talking to the horses from pasture-two. Then as I looked closer, I realized they were really gathered around the gate like a bunch of rubber-neckers watching a car wreck. This particular car wreck involved Quarter horse Cody and he was literally sitting on the gate.

So, picture this-the gate above bent forward into the pasture with the 1,000 pound Cody, sitting on his butt, body upright on the gate. He looked a great deal like Humpty Dumpty sitting on the wall (before his great fall). Especially with all the horses gathered around like excited town folk.

Cody’s big torso and proportionately spindly legs, looked just like this as he sat wedged in the gate.

I apologize for not getting a picture of that striking pose but I ripped on up the drive to the house, where Lauren was just sauntering out to make night feed. I whipped out of the car (to the extent my body enhanced with metal parts can whip out of my tiny clown car) and yelled that Cody was stuck in the fence! Lauren did not really get concerned until she rounded the corner and saw the spectacle herself. She screamed for me to get Blake and started running to the pasture.

I rushed in the house, yelled at Blake, “a horse is stuck in the gate” , shoved my rubber boots on and headed back out. All the time I was reviewing my tool options for something that would cut the horse out of the fence. I wasn’t coming up with anything.

In Wharton, when our filly Mariah was two, she got her hoof stuck in the wire of the fence. The slender wire caught between her horse shoe and her foot. It was a dreadful time as Lauren and I screamed at passersby on the road to stop and help. I vowed to always have good wire cutters in the future. And I did but no wire cutters were going to cut through a metal pipe gate. I looked at the saw in the garage and then ran for my phone.

I called our dressage trainer neighbor as I thought perhaps she might have something to help us out. I left quite an impassioned message as I got her voice mail. “Help, we have a horse stuck in the metal gate! Please call me right back!”

As I haphazardly trotted over to the fence, I saw the situation had already changed. Perhaps Cody had been content to sit on the gate and Lord over the minions in the pastures around him but when Lauren and Blake got down there, he just hopped off on his own. He trotted off to the bottom of the pasture and returned to look at the gate in surprise, as if saying, “Whoa, did I do that?”

Cody is the one in the middle looking directly at the gate.

Amazingly Cody only had a small, narrow two-inch scratch on his hind leg and trotted off sound after his amazing adventure. In thinking about how this occurred in the first place, I believe that Cody and giant horse Kinny were playing over the top of the gate. They seem to be a little obsessed with one another and spend hours together walking the fence line from their opposite sides of the pasture. I think they got to wrestling and Cody turned his hind end to buck out at Kinny. Those of you that have seen Cody jump know he is famous for his mighty kicks after a jump (not that it deters him from winning!). Anyway, I think he bucked up and out and came down on top of the gate, folding it like an accordion underneath him. I think he was lodged in the fence. I give him props for not panicking and struggling to get loose.

I took Cody up to the barn (after I chased him around for 20 minutes trying to catch him, he was clearly invigorated by his narrow escape from certain death). I hosed down his legs. Jo Ann and I inspected them for damage. You could tell he was getting a little stiff as the evening set in.

All and all, he looked pretty great, no swelling, no cuts except the small scratch, and no serious injury from his sit on the wall. I didn’t realize until later that I never called my neighbor back, I kept expecting her to race down the drive with a giant blow torch to get the horse out of the gate.

The big heroes of the night were Luke and Ally who came after work to replace the gate with a new one before today when the horses went out to pasture again. Lauren had been off to the Rodeo to celebrate her birthday. She was pretty surprised this morning to find a brand new gate installed and the old one creating a metal sculpture along the road.

Thanks for riding along.

Weekends with warmth

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Exechorseluver

It was a warm and beautiful weekend weatherwise, but the true warmth of the weekend was getting to spend time with family and dear friends.

Mia hanging with the mares

We are like a family out here. Maybe we have just been lucky to get outstanding people as boarders but we certainly have. One family, Keith, Wendy and Mia, from the first moments of meeting them, felt like long-lost kinsfolk. And the feeling has just increased over time we have spent with them. Shortly, they will be off to Malaysia and it is proving very difficult to say goodbye. From the relationship Wendy has established with baby Kendyll to young Mia’s willingness to help out with anything at the barn, they have been great. We got in some last pictures and time together this weekend.

Wendy with Betty Sue. She tsaught Betty to break into the tackroom for treats and many other illegal activities.

From left-Kendyll with her best pal Wendy, Jordyn, Piper me and Muffy

We will really miss this family as they leave and hope they are posted back to the US (Houston) real soon. Kendyll and Lauren say they are going to Malaysia to visit but I don’t really see that happening.

Saturday morning lessons took place and Jordyn rode her Piper pony for the first time under Dev’s instruction (they were not quite ready for the big arena previously). Both horse and rider were outstanding. We got a great video of Jordyn trotting away, managing circles, halts and reversing on demand. I am really happy with the progress they are making.

All seemed to have a good lesson. Feather is making progress on listening to Lauren between tight jumps. Mickey and Alex worked on handy turns (Mickey says he’s got this!). Mia and Isabel jumped higher with style.

We had some new boarders come out to see the barn this week and have made the decision to board their kids, Molly (a pony) and Kinny (a big warmblood) with us. This married couple met at Texas A&M first day orientation. What a great story! I think they will be terrific additions to the barn family.

We needed to make some changes to accommodate the two new horses so while Luke got busy with stall changes, Ally, Lauren, Jordyn, Kendyll and I moved the junk we had been storing in the area.

I am pretty sure this is not what my doctor had in mind. Kendyll is sure doing her part though while Jordyn steers the broken mower.

I asked Jordyn if she wanted to go ride with me. She looked up at me questioningly, “Like you are going to ride a horse, Granny?” Yes, I had decided it is time. With my first hip replacement it was more than three months before I got back in saddle. At the doctor this last week, I passed all the tests with flying colors. I still have more physical therapy to finish but am glad I am getting around so well. The doctor released me to swim, ride or walk as I desired. YIPPEE.

Alex complained that Mickey had been a little slow yesterday. Slow was just what I was looking for in a horse to make my come back on! Jordyn and I got the horses saddled as the fog was just burning off on the brilliant Sunday morning. Mickey was a champ and we even managed some trotting before I decided not to over do the first time back in the saddle.

Piper and Jordyn as the fog burns off on a lovely Sunday morning!

Two bay horses and two cowgirls! Oh and Lula too!

To finish up, the warm weekend, Libby, Mia, Isabel and Lauren worked together to get our jumps re-painted. What color did they go with? Predominantly, PINK! I appreciate all the help everyone gave on this project. And that includes the parents that made multiple trips to the barn to accommodate the young painters.

Our new boarder told me she had talked with her mom about my barn. Her mom reportedly told her that she would have loved a pink pony barn when she was growing up! I guess some of us just will never outgrow it!

Many thanks for riding along.

Painters and Kona hard at work.

Sunday Funday

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Exechorseluver

All photos today courtesy of Arianna Arney-many thanks!

A bunch of us gathered around the arena on a beautiful Sunday.

More often than not, Lauren is gone most of the day on Sundays, taking that one day off a week to get away from the barn and its activity. I had not had a day out at the barn for awhile, at least not one with beautiful weather and lots of riders. I had been sequestered in the house, afraid to take a chance on uneven ground, gravel driveways or misbehaving horses while recovering on crutches.

This last Sunday the weather was perfect! It was sunny, clear and near 70 degrees by the afternoon. All of the boarders thought it would be a pretty great day to ride. Jordyn had stayed over night both Friday and Saturday. She was on a marathon horseback ride, switching off between new pony Piper and tried and true Mickey.

It was wonderful to have all the activity. I knew one of our boarders had a nice pony to sell that was cute and talented. I expected some visitors to stop by and try out the pony on this nice afternoon.

The group approach to jump setting. One works and two watch.

The group approach to jump setting. One works and two make suggestions.

As it often is in the horse world, we tend to do things with a group or at least our friends. The previous night had been the year-end awards banquet for the Greater Houston Hunter Jumper Association. The pony had been discussed with one of the other trainers and they were headed out my way for a trial ride.

Horse buying is tricky. It is a wing and a prayer sort of thing. Sometimes you make brilliant decisions and sometimes you end up with real disasters. In retrospect someone can always point out what you missed but at the time, you just hope for the best.

By the time the gang arrived from north Houston to view the sale pony, things were hopping around the barn. We had a Porsche, a Prius , sturdy trucks and SUVs lined up and parked. A group of girls arrived with the friend of the pony seller to demonstrate the pony and just watch the proceedings.

The arena was being dragged again by one of the dads with his 4×4 truck as our broken tractor sat idly in the sun. Jordyn, Libby and Isabel were still in the arena riding as the truck worked over circle after circle of the soft sand pulling the drag behind. Jordyn was thrilled to be playing “who can trot the fastest” with the other much older riders. The big truck and dragger did nothing to deter their forward motion or their enthusiasm.

I immediately recognized the potential pony buyers as they got out of their truck. No, I did not know their names, but knew their faces and their horses. It was fun to talk with them about their barn building projects which had started last April like ours. It wasn’t long before Michelle looked at me intently and said “I read your blog!” That is always a WOW moment for me, because I write pretty much for myself and it is sometimes embarrassing to think of all the things I have said.

We dragged her off to meet baby Betty Sue and see pony, Piper. She was telling us about a great horse they had for sale. It is that information sharing that usually lands a horse with the right new owner.

As we walked to the arena to watch the sale pony, Flash, work, I told them to go on ahead that I was a little slow. Michelle immediately said she had read about my hip replacement. GEEZ. It was cool but little eerie.

Getting set to try the Flash pony.

Off Bella went amid guns and engines roaring.

The pony did well as we all watched. One of my charming neighbors decided that this lovely Sunday afternoon should be filled with guns and proceeded to fire off like a thousand shots, seriously, one after another, disrupting the quiet afternoon. But the pony didn’t seem to care, he went along quietly and easily. Then my other neighbor started working on his car engine. I thought we were in an episode of Street Outlaws (where they drag race illegally). It was not what I wanted when trying to show off a sale horse at my facility. On the other hand, Flash reacted not at all to all the disturbances so I guess that was okay.

Trainer Elizabeth keeping a sharp eye on her student.

In the end, it was decided that this was not the correct match for the girl who was looking. It was a little sad as I thought it had gone swimmingly well given all the activity. But that is how the horse (pony) business goes. They did say they liked the bay horse with the star. I was dumbfounded for a moment, thinking we don’t have a bay horse with a star, when I was told my Piper pony was a bay horse with a star. DUH. Well, she is not going anywhere soon.

Very nice trot!

Flash will be gone quickly as he is too cute and too good to not be picked up fast. Any pony buyers out there?

Pony can jump, too.

Anyway, it was a great day and lots of fun for us all. Still, I was glad as I saw Lauren head down the drive returning from her weekend off. I think I was asleep by 7 pm.

The best thing I heard from one of my riders this weekend was after they watched me walk down the driveway. Jo Ann told me that I was looking and walking pretty well. She could still tell I wasn’t completely sound-but almost! Wow, I think a lot of people would agree I have never been completely sound and they would not just be referring to my obvious limp.

Thanks for riding with us at Six Meadow Farm!

Teach your Children Well

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Exechorseluver

Jordyn and her special journey with OTTB Bruno.

Jordyn preparing to get on big Bruno for the first time.

Off they go!

Bruno with Jordyn and her great grandpa-Jim.

Giant Bruno being confidently handled by five year-old Jordyn

Nearing the end of his days

Days before he died with Jordyn and Kendyll

Jordyn and the big thoroughbred Bruno had a special relationship almost from the day he arrived at our barn. Although over 17 hands high and a huge 1450 pounds, he was a gentle soul and they seemed to just get along.

To say Jordyn loved Bruno is an understatement. She also watched him suffer through surgery, helped Lauren re-bandage his hoof many times, saw him with blood streaming down his face and on the good days as well. Jordyn was five years old when Bruno came to our barn. She was old enough to understand pain and suffering and appreciate what we were trying to do for the horse, in trying to get him get back to sound and healthy.

As the time went on, she saw Bruno start to soar, spending time with Lauren and him at the trainers as Bruno learned to jump and watching Amelia take the big guy further than we ever dreamed. But his success was short-lived and his infection in his hoof returned. Jordyn also watched him stand, unable to walk, as we continued to try to do something to save him.

Bruno had a few days when he rallied. Jordyn was there to walk him in the green pasture and sit endlessly on his back as he ate the fresh grass.

Jordyn was not there when he died. It would not have been right but she did see the freshly dug grave and laid flowers on it for him. She and I have spoken many times of life and death on farm but not really specifically about Bruno, not since he died, anyway.

I was surprised this weekend when she mentioned him and how much she missed him. Jordyn is a sensitive, intelligent child that observes more than we think and absorbs more than her share of the hurt she sees in the world. She told me the story of what her other grandma, Dodie, had shared with her this weekend as she was missing Bruno so much.

I was appreciative and impressed by what she had been told. Dodie told her about Bruno in Heaven eating forever green grass and running without pain. She told Jo how Bruno would never have to hurt again. She made Heaven a real and wonderful place for our granddaughter. And that is how it should be. What a wonderful gift to share with this imaginative child, one of happiness and joy instead of memories of pain and sadness.

I am indebted to Dodie for this and Jordyn is blessed to have a grandmother so confident in her faith and belief that she can draw pictures for a child’s dreams of the broad, green pastures of Heaven. I could only be thankful and think of the old Neil Young song of “Teach your Children Well“. This child has been taught of suffering and death but also of tremendous happiness that awaits. The best we can do and the best we can give is to teach our (grand) children well. Thank you, Dodie. I am grateful.

Exechorseluver

The life and times of modern day horse woman

Category Archives: Life on the farm