Happy New Year!

This will be my last post of 2009.  What a year...We had a horse have colic surgery, learned more about parasite control, the mini mule has a bone spur & had a visit with a surgeon (which is getting better without surgery as the Dr. had hoped), we took in 4 horses in need, this is the wetest winter I've known (my truck has been stuck in the mud 3 times, all this winter, and I've owned it for 6 years), business has been good for both companies, had to put another engine in the truck, my son and the quarter horse both had a growth spurt recently and are eating everything in site, & I may have found the location for our farm (which will happen in 2010!).  We start closing the books for 2009 tomorrow and look forward to a prosperous New Year!

Willie

Willie is a standard paint donkey we acquired recently.  A young one as we have found out.  He is so shy!! When he first came to us he didn't know what a bucket was, he was actually scared of a bucket and would walk way around one.  I think he drank water out of puddles the first couple of weeks until the rain stopped (lucky for him it was raining) and the puddles dried up.  Then he became curious about that big red bucket.  He HEEHAWSSS at breakfast and dinner.  Such a welcoming sound. Willie fit in the herd rather well and his best buddy is our miniature Donkey, Tibideaux. Tibby is the daddy to our miniature mule and has adopted Willie as his stepson.  Willie is so gentle that kindness just flows from him.  It's a shame no one ever took the time to get to know him. His shyness definitely stems from his past handling or lack of.   It has been an honor for us to get to know Willie!   We plan to train him for a cart Donkey.  Although, Willie is very flexible.  So flexible in fact he can bend around and almost touch his nose to his tail without moving his feet. When he doesn't want to move getting him to go can be a challenge. He has acquired the nickname "Gumby " Willie has a heart, upside down mickey mouse ears, and a paw print on his side, note the photo below. Looking at Willie's coat pattern is like playing I Spy.

Kiwi's Christmas wishes

Kiwi and Destiny are really getiing used to us and have come along way since the first day they arrivedalmost 4 months ago.  Kiwi has fit in nicely with the herd.  His best buddies are Frodo and Echo, the mini mule.  They are all about the same size and age.  Kiwi's Chriatmas wish is for Destiny to be friendly too.  She is very food aggressive since she was not getting her fair share before.  She will kick and be defensive at feeding time which in her opinion is all the time.   We have been working with her on this and she has made great progress.  I've bee watching videos on training horses with this dominate (aggressive) behavior and am learning some very good techniques for teaching her to be different and tolerant of others. Patients and time will make a difference too. Destiny is frail and petite but her personality shows us she is strong amidst it all. 

   Every little girl's dream... a pony for Christmas....           

 My youngest daughter has been grooming and walking Kiwi. She asked me one day recently "could I have Kiwi for Christmas" to love and take care of all on my own?  How could I say no.  So her special gift was complimented with a grooming set of her very own, too.  What a difference in Kiwi.  He has become much more social and can easily be caught now.  He totally enjoys the attention. I'm so glad he has come to this point in our relationship.  They will soon be cutting the trails.  Kiwi  is somewhat blind in one eye but at one time was a driving mini so he will be trained as a team hitch with my mini Frodo. They are the same size and age.  Frodo has already been driving a year but he's still green as he doesn't have the experience in a variety of situations yet.

 Frodo is the jokester of the bunch.  We keep our hay in a utility trailer and when we open the door he is the first to jump in (not us).  He is always on the lookout for Alfalfa.  I like to indulge in Chocolate and Frodo likes to indulge in Alfalfa! He is learning to smile and bow.  All for treats of course. His next trick will be the spanish walk.  He bends and spins better than a reining horse and can run the barrels in 16 seconds and my daughter Jordan is improving . (You must have a bucket of feed in hand and run. Oh, the barrels need to be closer together too.)

David's Dream

I have a file folder marked David's Dream.  It is tucked away in a special section in the file cabinet.  David is a friend that is handicapped and he is a miniature horse owner.  He would like to drive his mini(s).  That's the Dream! When I first met David this was his goal and not only does he have physical limitations but he also lives far out in the country.  I had always hoped to make it to his place on a regular basis and help train his horse, Ranger.  Although, my focus was turned to a cart as this would definitely be needed.  Time never slows down and here I am years later and David's Dream seemed no closer.  David even got another mini for Christmas last year.  This year I didn't  keep in touch with David like I want to, yet, he was always on the back of my mind.  Then a month ago his grandmother called and as I was talking to her suddenly I realized I knew where the perfect cart to modify was and it was for sale.  Funny how things can come together, just like clockwork!  (David likes Clocks, too!)

His family was even able to buy the cart at a lower price because the people selling it wanted to help also.  The cart has been getting it's makeover and will be ready for "fittings" soon.  I hope to help train his mini(s) this coming spring so David's Dream can be complete.  I have been so inspired by David that I may start helping others with their Equine Dreams as well. My daughter calls it Equine Wishes.

Gone Buggy!

We went on an adventure tonight for 3 hours to get an antique buggy.  I have decided to focus on our collection of carriages and carts this coming year (New's years resolution).  We have one cart that we are customizing for a handicapped friend so he can drive his minis.  Then we have another mini cart ready to be restored. One of the carts I currently use needs new seats.  Now we have another restoration project.  This one is really cool because it is over 100 years old and all original.  On the way home from picking up the carriage the seat blew off and got hung on the back gate of the utility trailer.....So Gald!  It has stayed together for over 100 years and tonight it was Alomst separated. We didn't think to check the seat it looked attached and the carriage was heavy.  We took off the wheels and put them in the back of the truck.  The seat was actually held on by a really old piece of bailing wire.  Lesson learned...always check it out good before hauling.  The antique carriage is HOME now and will be restored and used.   Buggy madness has begun....

Snow Cold

Finally some snow in December.  The horses were unimpressed.  The feed store where we normally get hay had gotten a bad batch, so we had to buy hay elsewhere and the herd disliked the quality.  So snow and poor quality hay made for a dull weekend.  Monday the feed store got a new batch of hay and the herd was once again happy.  Not enough snow sticked in our neck of the woods to make a snowball.  It was still pretty falling from the sky.  It would have been great to have a carriage ride with the sleigh bells on but, I just couldn't stay outside for long and I wouldn't be able to feel my toes.  We're not acclimated to the colder weather I guess.  So, staying inside with a cup of hot cocoa was a better choice that day.  The equine herd was content in the barns with their coats on and under heat lamps munching on the hay even as untasty as it was.  By sunday the snow seemed a distant memory and Monday came work as usual.... 

Dreams.....The Climb

I really like the song The Climb by Miley Cyrus!  I believe sometimes she wrote that song for me and I hope others feel that way too.  We all have a goal or a dream, or at least we should...that's what keeps us trying to do better. Of course things get tough and ouch! maybe I should give up......Let the songs keep rolling....Nickleback sings songs with lyrics about gettin' the most out of life or givin' the most......Aerosmith has some songs that can bring tears to the eye....Music has a powerful way of getting us thinking about life.........

I recently had my cards read (Tarot)  It was fun and very accurate!  I had my palm read many years ago, it was fun and also somewhat accurate.  It got me thinking about what my  dreams and goals are and the belief that anything is possible...We just need to work at it and stay focused. 

Here is an example of a goal.  I thought if I ever had a party of event around the coast I wanted to get a photo of the minis at the ocean, which is difficult because of beaches not being horse friendly.  I happened to have a party in Texas City and it was 1 block from the dike.  We dove down there after the party, but most of it was closed due to Hurricane Ike damage.  As we were looking at the water some of the people enjoying the day were asking about the horse trailer and I told them I wanted to get a photo of the minis with the ocean in the background.  They encouraged us and we unloaded and got a photo.  We didn't go to the water's edge as it was rocky.  Their hooves still haven't touched a sandy beach yet...one day! We did feel the breeze of the Gulf of Mexico and it was great.

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving was great...the food, the weather, and best of all I got to hitch a mini and drive somewhere different for a change.  We also too our mule and we each had a chance to ride as well.  John Henry the mule is a calm boy...unless you ask him to lope then you have a 50-50 chance he might buck. Henry likes to walk and trot.   That is fine with me though because the minis can be fast when we're pleasure driving and having fun! It's good to relax and have a slow ride.  There were alot of cars on the road, which is normally quiet, due to the holiday.  That actually cut our drive and rides short.  It was nice to return home and hear the horses nicker for supper.  Everyone in the herd got apples for a Thanksgiving treat.  I will be sad to see fall end as I like scarecrows and pumpkins.  Although, the gloomy weather leaves me looking forward to spring!

Roy Rogers and Trigger

My hero has always been Roy Rogers. I have even, as a pre-teen,  owned a palomino and a German shepherd just like Roy.  When I was a child I watched Roy Rogers re-runs every Sunday.  I sat  and enjoyed every episode without leaving my seat.  We all have Heros..he is mine!

A palamino has come into my life again, Bonnie Belle, named after my first welch pony.  She is a big 16 hand Saddlebred.  She hasn't been handled enough in her 18 years of life but is starting to look forward to seeing us at feeding time and gives a welcoming nicker when she sees us.  If we touch her she pins her ears but tolerant of  us.  Some days though she doesn't want to be messed with .  Bonnie is a great companion to other equine.  She has a mule buddy and a 2 year old horse. She is much bigger than they are at 12 and 13 hands respectively.  The 3 of them eat shoulder to shoulder and if her pals leave the pasture for training, grooming or riding, Miss Bonnie has a fit. Bonnie is currently working on her trust issues with humans.  She has learned to lower her head for haltering as I'm 5' tall and her head goes up about 7 or 8 feet in the air.  Bonnie is learning to back up, which has been a big challenge for her, and has lengthy sessions of the Parelli Friendly Game.

Kiwi and Destiny

We took theses 2 minis in a couple of months ago.  Destiny was so very thin when she came to us but has gained weight very nicely and has the most beautiful winter coat coming in.  I've already bought her a blanket for those freezing nights we are sure to have.  Kiwi never had a weight problem but was very afraid to come near us.  Now he seems to like a little attention and lets us pat his face and catch him easily.  Kiwi is making friends with Frodo who is a mini the same size as he is; they are both brown and a cute 28" team.

What is a mule?

What is a mule? And what does a mule look like?

A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey!!! when you breed a (female) horse and a (male) donkey you will get a mule. A mule always look's more like it's  father so a mule look's more like a donkey  than a horse. But what is a cross between a horse and a donkey and look's more like a horse? A Hinny!!!

A hinny is also a cross between a horse and a donkey but a hinny's mother is a jenny not a horse.

What is a jenny? A jenny is a (female) donkey.  A hinny's father is a horse not a donkey so that means that a hinny look's more like a horse than a donkey.  This is my mule Henry!!!!!           

He is the best mule in the world!!!!!

Horse Boots

There are so many types of boots on the market it's a lot to think about when you start searching.  I have some new polo wraps that were given to us a year ago and they are still in the package...every time I look up information on them I find the cons out weigh the pros of using them.  Maybe they would be better served as a table runner on the nick nack shelf. I have a mini that has always unloaded the trailer (2 horse bumper pull)backing out but as she has gotten older she now clips her back leg between the stifle and the hock on the inside of her leg.  I started researching shipping boots only to realize they don't come up as high on the back legs to the spot she is nicking.  My solution... to unload her forward.  I take the back 2 pins out of the center divider and swing it to the side enough for her to turn around.  Luckily she is a mini! It took her some getting used to but it has solved the problem.  Now I should consider splint boots for the impact when she exits the trailer?!

Echo a small mule in Texas

Echo is a miniature mule.  He was born on Christmas night in 2005.  He lives today with his mother and father and is one of the few... equine that live with their parents. He's ready for winter sporting a heavy winter coat. Echo is the constant companion of SnowBelle.  When he was born he had two moms Sparkle his real mom and SnowBelle.  His mother sparkle is the oldest member of the mini herd at 21 years of age. Sparkle has a passion for acorns.  3 years ago when Echo was a yearling Sparkle choked on acorns.  This of course happened on a Saturday night when the vet office was closed, fortunately the vet was in and prepared for an emergency.  A 30 minute ride to the vet  and quick response by the veterinarian her airway was cleared....and in no time she was headed home to her very distraught little mule son.  He was so happy to  see the truck and trailer. He ran circles around the vehicle so we had to stop and unload mom.  To this day every time he hears and/or sees the truck and trailer he makes is very unique mule sound waaaaaaaah he he he he!

Pink Snow

SnowBelle is a lead mare to a herd of mini horses, a mini donkey, a mini mule, and a shetland.  SnowBelle is a party pony (mini) and goes to kids parties and helps to raise money for her herd.  She used to do this single handledly but now has members of her herd going also.  SnowBelle is always on the look out for food which has gotten her into trouble.  She foundered 2 years ago.  The first year was a long process of rest, special diet, vet and farrier visits.  SnowBelle has fully recovered and the experience has not changed her attitude about diet or exercise.  She loves to eat and do nothing.....