Erata

Nothing big is happening, just a flood of small stuff. I think that's life.

Grendel the goat is pregnant. Her udder is changing so her time is coming. I stocked some pine shavings to get ready.

Dave suggested putting plastic over the round pen to keep the rain off. It was a bit of work, but worth it, I think. I was getting to use it only one or two days, before it would rain again and I had to wait for it to dry. This winter is much drier than last. Last year's rainy season saw nearly 36 inches of rainfall last year between November and March.

I bought a cat bed at Ross Dress for Less. The barn cats needed something warmer. This is Marge. She is adopted from Humane Society of Silicon Valley working cats program. Too feral to be a house cat, but petable in a big outdoor environment. The other one, Fox, is very feral and we see him only in the distance.

Our regular dear. We have been seeing a three some regularly, and a one point buck. The threesome is a doe and her fawn from last year and the fawn from the year before. We thing the buck is her fawn from three years ago. Now we are seeing four, and we are not sure which ones they are.

Living so remotely has its problems, like finding a horseshoer, or getting Amazon to deliver to a "mail shed by the creek." But to be surrounding by this, instead of surrounded by people....

Life is Aggravating

Life is aggravating. Sometimes the best you can do is throw food at your animals and do other stuff that has to be done. Yesterday was a no-pony day. Also a no-art day.

I had some routine tests to schedule. Bureaucracy,  incompetency and cost savings means that it took my over 2 hours and driving into town.
"Sign in and take a seat."
"I'm here to MAKE and appointment."
"Yes. Sign in and take a seat."

Ten people in a room, waiting to make appointments. Forty minutes. "No Cell Phones" There are two workers, they speak three languages. This is inadequate. The computer has a virus. It keeps crashing.

When it is my turn, I am informed that I must go to the town of  Mountain View, 2.5 hours from home. "I am not going to Mountain View." She figures it out. I do not have to go to Mountain View.

Of course, when you live so far from town, you never drive there and do just one thing. You fit in other errands. I got home after dark. Thank goodness for slow feed nets.

A saddlepad vendor called me about an order. I had ordered some colors on that were not available. The website had given me colors on my order that did not exist on the website. We got it figured out, but they are not the colors of my choice. That would have taken a wholesale order with the manufacturer for more money that I am prepared to invest right now. But these are the colors(piping colors not shown).

Agh.

Holding Pattern

Things are static. I'm in a holding pattern. My roundpen is still too wet to use. The road is just too steep to drive up without a warm up. I have texted the farrier and he didn't respond. I voice called him on a day that I could get a cell signal. He is looking for a tool to help him clinch the nails on the hoof-it shoes.
Yndi's toes are long, she grows so much foot! I have started rasping her toes a little bit each day. that's all my back can handle. She's been mostly stagnant for months! She is still my beloved old mare.




So yesterday, I took Yndi out. I was going to walk her a little in the driveway, but is has some gravel and rocks and she was tender, so we went out on the road which is paved but smoother. It is abrasive since they added the tar and gravel. That's good for her feet, wear them down.
She was apprehensive on the road until we got within sight of the equipment they have been using for a little road work. This was different. Curiosity overcame apprehension. We had a good walk.
Headed home. she was anxious and wanted to hurry, but she kept touching my wrist with her nose. checking in. I love it when she does that.

The National Drive

Here are the photos of The National Drive at Kentucky Horse Park. Yes, I know, it was on October '17. These photos are by Pics of You. I purchased all the pictures they took of me. I wanted to support the event photographer because if we don't, they will get other jobs and then we don't even have the opportunity to purchase photos anymore. I didn't even know they were taking pictures of me.

I drove a mare I had only just met and who hadn't been driven much lately because her owner had been busy taking care of her grandsons age 2 and newborn.

 This is Kokovoko Querita, AKA Trouble, the 11 year old half sib to my Pepper. She is a purebred Gotland and is for sale, but sadly not to me because I like being married. One more pony and its the single life for me!

(go to gotlands.net or Kokovoko Breeding Farm on facebook)

I took some lessons from Amy Neary of TN. She was great. I haven't had many lessons in a while, because of misc.

Trouble can really step out, and she can stretch down into the bit, but not at the same time, at least not for me that week. The potential is there. She could score in dressage and she likes to move out.

Trouble is put to a Bellcrown cart, a Phantom, I believe. The removable backstep has been removed. This cart is heavier than my Frey Sprint and rides a bit higher.

The Thoroughbred Makeover Project was at Kentucky Horse Park during the Combined Driving Event. Many of those OTTBs became desensitized to carriages.

Rats

My last drive with Pepper made me like her even more. Since then, she has not wanted to come to me. I can walk right up to her, but if I don't, she just looks at me.
We had some rain. Not mud making rain, but enough that I did not want to work in the round pen. If I mess up the ground. I'm stuck. I took both ponies out to roll in it, but I didn't work in it.
Pepper had a good roll, tried to eat grass but its too short and tender. Then she had Masterson massage.


I got a call from Leslie. She had been all set to go to the All Breeds Livestock Conservancy annual meeting to represent the Gotland breed. Gloria was chosen in her place. Gloria is the wrong person to do this. Its upsetting. ALBC doesn't have the funding to have two representatives from any breed.

Pay Off

Yesterday, Pepper came right over to me when I arrived with her halter. I didn't even have to call her. She did a little work in the roundpen and was pretty bucky. I don't know for sure if this is due to being in better condition of if she has something going on. From looking at her, her hindquarters are better developed than I have seen them before.

Then I drove her and she was very good. We didn't go far, but the hill is so steep. I have resigned myself to going just this far through the end of January. Just like for me, walking up my driveway from the barn two or three times a day has resulted in an easier time doing it over the course of the year without having to gradually add more hill work of greater speed. Its a really hard hill. Really.

I'm looking at Google maps to try to figure out feet in elevation over the distance we drove.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Pepper.

PS The distance we traveled is about 8/10 mile round trip with a difference in elevation of about 186 feet. I told Pepper to pretend she was a pit pony. So you can see why I am conditioning slowly. My road predates automobiles, so it has been done by horse and carriage before.

PepperPony Pizza

Tricky. Yesterday, Pepper was easier to get. I only had to chase her a couple times to get her to follow me, and once she decided, she followed me all the way to the door.

There was static, so I

couldn't brush her much. I have Static Guard spray, but she isn't too fond of the smell. Normally, I would say "Suck it up." but I decided not to.

I did a little Masterson on her and was totally shocked to get a big release about 10 inches behind her poll on the right side. Multiple yawns. I got more at the croup and again, surprisingly at the poverty groove.

On her left side, the release was on her neck about 10 inches ahead of the wither, and at the base of her tail. They were pretty big releases.

There were a couple of times she reached her  nose around affectionately, or to indicate where I was to release next. I can never be sure with Pepper. Very smart and communicative about what she needs or wants, not so open emotionally.

Really. I'm describing a mare here.

She would really let me have her nose to release her at the poll.

Then I put her away. She loves Masterson. I should do it more.

It's times like these when I can't tell if I'm working on 101 reasons not to drive, or if I'm putting my pony's needs first.

Follow Me

Big adventure on New Year's Eve? Nope. Just another day.

I drove Pepper up the road on Friday. Its a steep climb. When she is in shape to get up the first mile. then it levels off and we can go for miles without steep and long hills. It's that first mile. She seemed funky. One front foot was stubbornly planted and would not be cleaned. Very odd. The other front seemed fine.

She was a little bucky in the round pen, but not unusually so, for her. All in character.

Putting to, she turned her butt away from the shafts two times, then stayed where I put her and I got the cart hooked. Not quite normal for her. She likes to be turned to a little disadvantage when I bring the cart out of the barn, but she stands well. The drive was about 20 minutes.

Nothing really notable, except, I have had this pony for 4 years and SHE ALWAYS HAS A REASON FOR WHAT SHE DOES. She's smart enough to make your average horse look like Forest Gump.

Saturday I took her into the roundpen and just let her not work. I scratched her and palpated for soreness, massaged and hung out. She didn't role. Unusual.

Yesterday I went to fetch her and she wouldn't come when I called. It took a while before she would come to me and follow me to the door without her halter. I decided that this would be the goal of my session. She didn't know it. When she followed me, I haltered her and took her out, tied her and fed her many treats. I almost never feed treats, but this seemed to be the time. Then I put her away.

That was all. She did what I wanted that she didn't want to do. I made it a positive experience. Right?