A Guest Blogger Writes About His Horse....

I usually don't write on the blog. In fact I never have. But I am really missing my horse
today. As I am writing this, tears are coming.

I can't say much, but he was my friend. We taught each other about pretty much everything. Becoming close to a horse, or even any animal, will teach you much about life and about yourself. If you truly become close to a horse, you life will never be the same. Honest. I never had a horse before, or any other kind of animal. When we brought him home, I was wondering what in the world we were doing. We was supposed to be Char's horse. But he and I hit it off. We were the same personalities. Peas in a pod. One of kind. Buds.

We brouht him home when he was 2 years old. Char wouldn't let me sit on him till he was 3. And thereafter we could only walk, but that was fine with me. I never sat on horse before, all fit and wide. He had a real slow stride from side to side. So I learned to sit on his back, without falling off. I learned to move my hips with his. Move as he does. The horse and you become one in a sense.

A few months later I started to trot. That was a very different experience. We learned together, both of us. When this happens, your horse and you connect in ways that just creep on you without notice. Now, here I am crying over my horse.

Finally I got to lope on him. That was rush, not only for me, but for him too. He didn't like to lope much, unless it was his idea. But this was an area that Ted and I disagreed much on. But when we got our heads together, it was great.

We went on a few trail rides together. We did a few play days together. We did a clinic together. I got bucked off him a few times. I got bucked off him once at a play day. I was riding out in the arena, getting warmed up. He was just feeling good and gave a happy buck. At that time I was still learning to ride. I couldn't stay on. I came off him right in front of God and everybody. I rode him bareback and fell off a few. We did stuff together. We learned together.

I will miss my great friend Ted. He is a good place now. Through the high prices of hay and other circumstances, I decided to sell him. Hopefully I will be riding Star next year. But I will alway remember Ted. I will always have fond memories of him. Don't joke about me or my horse. Those are fight'n words. If you do, you just don't understand, and probably never will.

Happy Trails Ted

We sold Ted this weekend. He was my first horse after 20+ years without, and he was Tom's very first horse.

Ted, we will carry you in our hearts forever. You taught us so many things and introduced us to some wonderful people. We know you are really gong to love your new mom, and your job on the ranch chasing cattle.


We will miss playing the "Teddy's Big Fat Butt" game we created in your honor around the campfire. At least until the object of the game is to stop laughing rather than crying.

We'll miss your goofy colt like whinny welcoming the horse trailer back into the driveway, and looking for your golden coat shining in our pasture from over a mile away.




You did such a great job taking care of star when she was a weanling. She will miss her Uncle Ted too.

Happy trails Big Fella!

Things I wish I had pictures of

Sitting here bemoaning the loss of my video card reader, I found myself thinking about things that I wish that I had pictures of - like this morning when I looked out my back window and saw Ted and Delight lying together. Ted was behind Delight and I swear it looked like they were spooning! They never lie that close together.

It reminded me of when I was a kid positioning the animals around the manger scene at Christmas time. The camel always went behind the donkey, nestled right next to one another, looking at the Christ child.

I love looking out my kitchen window at the horses. I often see things I wish were immortalized in a picture. Speedy and Spinner (and Star) often are out there playing happily. It's ironic that our two "rescue" horses are the most playful, isn't it? They rear up on their back legs like wild mustangs, teeth flashing and manes flying. I know by the time I got out there with a camera they would stop their hyjinks and come trotting up to me looking for a treat, so I don't even try. Wish I had a picture of that!

The day Star was born I took gobs of pictures. Some of the most precious were ones of my oldest son (who was there for the birth) with her before she even got up. There were pictures of her very first efforts to stand, and her first attempts at nursing. I uploaded the pictures to my laptop, deleted the card on the camera and took more pictures. A week later - you guessed it- my laptop crashed and I lost all of my pictures. I wish I had those pictures!

One day last summer we took the kids and their horses to a show. Luckily it was a local show because our beloved hen Caddie decided to stow away in the tack compartment of the trailer! I have so many stories about this little red hen that I could devote a whole blog to her adventures. When we arrived at the show and opened the door, there she was sitting on a saddle blanket. Not a feather ruffled. I just know she was thinking, "What? Did you think you were just going to leave me behind??"

We had to unhook the trailer and taxi her back home in the truck. Wish I had a picture of that!

Here is a picture from last winter. It was taken at night. Amelia was following me around (as usual) and Star nearly got a hold of her tail! Wouldn't be the first time though. A few years ago Ted actually did grab her by the tail! He swung her side to side before she was able to scramble free! Now that is a sight that I wish I had a picture of! Crazy cat... you would think she would learn!

Es-cop-ay, or Three Big Chickens

No pictures from today, but I sure wish I had some!

Charlotte decided she was tired of the pig sty she was living in and went to go visit the horse sty.

Our farm is currently temporarily under a Governor's State of Muddy Emergency, but that is another story...

One of the kids went out for the 4PM check on the pig family and found the gate to the pen swinging wide open. He got to the shed and the door was busted down and Ma Pig was nowhere in sight!

They hear her grunting and found her in the pasture buried in the mud under the horses loafing shed. She was a sight, covered in mud!

Tawshi was standing near the gate about 10 feet from Charlotte. But, Ted, Delight and Star were big chickens! They were standing all huddled up in the far corner! 'Fraidy cats! What a sight!

Ted: "You go Delight, you are the lead mare!"
Delight: "No, YOU go Tawshi, I command it!"
Star: "Yeah! You go Tawshi! My Mom commands it!"
Tawshi: "You guys are a bunch of chickens! I'll go."

Star: "Look! She TOUCHED the pig!"

Charlotte was easily herded back into her pen, much to the relief of the piglets who had long since resigned themselves to starvation.

A visit from a Boy

A friend was over recently with her grandson and of course he wanted to go out and see the "horsies," so I happily obliged. How can you resist a cute kid? I was wanting to take some pictures of the horses and I needed a "safe" spot to set the kiddo down. I don't think the horses minded too much, do you?

Delight is saying, "Can you please stand still??"
Star, "Does he get to stay?"
Ted, "Move over, you are standing my my hay kid!"

See how big Star is getting? I wasn't able to get the good updated pictures I wanted, but this one gives a little bit of an idea.
Star has a wart. I'm sure she got it from the cows. She loves the cows. When she was younger she would stand against the fence line and allow them to lick the salt off of her. I have a picture somewhere....

With the cattle we just cut the wart off and the summer sun finishes off the cure. With this being so close to her eye I think I will have the vet do it when he comes out to give Spring shots.

Star has such a kind eye. I think it reflects her loving temperament.

I am so grateful to have horses in my life again!

Ted: Another Introduction

I know my readers must be waiting for updated pictures of Star, but the camera needs batteries and the weather is not cooperative. Soon, very soon! They will be something to look forward to!

Ted is a buckskin Quarter horse. He was my first horse after a 20 something year hiatus from horses. In the meantime, I have been going to college, working and raising kids. He was foaled in 2002, and we used our tax refund to buy him in 2004 when he was a 2 year old.

He came to us with the name "Teddy Bear" and he was spoiled rotten. And still is.... *grin* He had a good start on round pen training and leading though, for which I was grateful.

I spent hours and hours with Ted every day. I hand grazed our front yard bare with him. I brushed him and breathed in his horsey smell. I sat at the pasture fence in a lawn chair staring at him and just soaking in everything about being in his presence.

It wasn't too long before I discovered that Ted really didn't mind my presence, but that he wasn't a very cuddly person. Brushing was fine and feeding was the best, but he enjoyed having a job to do rather than having me hugging on his head.

I felt like I couldn't make a connection to Ted, at least not the one I dreamed of and the one that I remember having with my horses as a child. For 3 months I cried. I was so sad. I thought there was something wrong with me. After waiting for two decades, here I had the horse of my dreams and I was unhappy?? What was wrong with me?

I eventually talked to my husband about how I was feeling.


In the meantime though, my Dear Husband fell in love with Ted. Ted was the first horse he had ever been around. He didn't even know that he liked horses before he met Ted!
Ted's name was promptly changed from Teddy Bear to just plain Ted, because "Guys don't call their horses girlie names."

Ted and Tom have become quite the team and they are both learning a lot together. Ted is now broke to ride and he has also been out into the hills on many trail rides. He is still rough around the edges, but with time and training this summer Tom is hoping to remedy that!

Tom and I decided to buy me a second horse, of a breed I had always wanted to own but couldn't because when I was a kid they were so expensive - an Arabian.