Teeth Floating Day & An Apology to Canadians

It was dental checkup day for Tweed and Epona. I know some people do this every year, but if everything is going well, I space mine out, unless they’re in training. 

The last time Tumbleweed was done was 2022. Even I was a little surprised three whole years had passed. But his teeth weren’t bad. 

Zip zip. It was done. 

Epona was different. She was like Tweed with the few sharp points, but she also had an itty bitty wolf tooth. 

She goes to training on Friday, three days from now. If they pulled it, she’d need at least 10 days to heal, which means no bit. It was my daughter’s decision and she decided to leave it for now. If it causes problems, she’ll call the trainer’s vet out. 

In fact, however, we don’t expect any problems and the decision to remove wolf teeth isn’t cut and dry, especially if they’re not affecting anything else. Here is an interesting article on wolf teeth and the decision to remove or not. 

After the vet left, I photographed the apple blossoms in front of the barn. 

I’ve shared photos of my teensy weensy Kwanzan Cherry tree before. It arrived last year, through the mail, as a stick in a box with a few leaves. Well, it survived and thrived and is probably 3 1/2 feet now. Woot woot!

But we had need of another, where an aspen died in front of our house, and I didn’t want to start with a stick. Last year I couldn’t find any in our city, but this year the day I called they had received TWO. I drove to the nursery as fast as I could and people were already standing around them. 

I asked if they were buying either tree and they didn’t commit. The owner was standing at my side and told me to choose one. 

It probably doesn’t look like it, but this is a 9’ tall Kwanzan Cherry. I was very excited to have found one! It was meant to be. 

Off the topic, but I know some of you are friends from Canada. 🍁 To you, I want to apologize for what is happening, basically, the rhetorical attack on your sovereignty. I find it disgusting, and the man doing it disgusting as well. It goes against everything I believe about my country. I am conservative and even “America First,” in that our government owes us something for our sacrifice. We don’t deserve failing schools, crumbling infrastructure, dangerous cities, and 20 year wars that cost us blood and treasure, but are doomed to fail. 

Nothing about those beliefs is compatible with threatening our ally and good friends in Canada or taking Greenland, by force if necessary. It isn’t compatible with the tariff war or any other bullying bullshit techniques. 

It doesn’t demonstrate strength, it demonstrates weakness, even lunacy. 

I hope you accept my apology, but if I were you, I wouldn’t. If I were you, I’d flip me off. 

Happy trails anyway! 

Golden Oldies

Yesterday was “golden oldies day.” My daughter and I planned to take our dearly loved, big-hearted mares to the park and see what the old ladies could still do. 

For Cowgirl (21), it has been 5 years since she was under saddle. For Leah (20), it has been about 3 years. Both of them had been told they were “retired.”

We were wrong. Turns out, there is still a need for older, solid riding companions. 

It was a beautiful morning when we went out and loaded up Cowgirl and Leah, but as we were driving away I noticed my trailer brakes weren’t working. I kept increasing the gain, but nothing improved. 

Soon a warning light came on and said the trailer brakes weren’t working and to take it to the dealer. 

Well, I turned around, drove home, and took it to my husband who is better than “my dealer” at fixing things.

He first hooked up to my old white Dodge pickup, just to make sure it was the trailer and not the connection to the truck. 

Once he discovered it was, indeed, the trailer, he went into my tack room and removed the battery for the brakes. He then ran it up to a store to be tested (it was dead) and then to another store, North 40, that had the correct replacement battery in stock. 

Once he got home and replaced the battery, everything worked and we were ready to load up again, but only had 2 hours before we had to pick up grandson from preschool. Not a big window, but better than nothing. 

As we were loading the mares, Tweed looked very sad to be left behind. 

The old girls were a little nervous to be back at the park after so many years off, but they quickly settled back into it. 

After doing the obstacles, we lunged them at a walk up and down some steep hills to see how they handled balancing themselves. They both did shockingly well, and much better than I expected.  

I think they’re ready to come out of retirement for light trail rides. Woot Woot!

This is going to be an excellent development for Tumbleweed. My daughter can ride her horse, Cowgirl, while Epona is off at training, and my husband can ride Leah. Tumbleweed, thankfully, isn’t attached to either of these mares, and they will make excellent teachers and companions for him on the trail, especially Cowgirl who is much tougher than Foxy and puts up with zero nonsense. 

I do worry a little that Leah will teach him some bad habits trailering. She has always been a paw’er. Tumbleweed loads and hauls like a pro, with zero trailer issues. She better not teach him bad tricks!

As for my injured foot, it fit into a boot, but it was painful. Most likely, I broke the little toe on the right foot, which is ironic since five years ago when my old trailer divider broke, fell hard, spooked Cowgirl, and she stepped on this same right foot and smashed the toes so hard that they split open on the opposite side, it was the two adjacent toes to the little toe that appeared broken. 

I got my new trailer thanks to that episode, which was at the very beginning of lockdowns, March 2020. The economy was in a nosedive and the government wasn’t issuing checks yet. The dealer took 8k off of my trailer. With the shortages and inflation that followed, trailers appreciated in price. So, I prefer to see that whole toe-smashing fiasco as a net positive. 

Looking at it this way, I’d rather have my toe smashed riding horses than walking barefoot in my kitchen on my birthday and smacking it into a chair. 

How boring is that?!? 

Absolutely NO upside. 

Happy trails, everyone, …

and take care of your digits!

Spring Obstacles

 Spring is in full bloom here. Wildflowers abound. 

Unfortunately, my banged up foot has slowed me down with the horses, but I do intend to take Cowgirl and Leah to the equestrian park tomorrow. 

Leah has really surprised me this year with her soundness. She wasn’t allowed any alfalfa and no pasture. She is dry lot turnout most of the time, or stall, when needed. 

In fact, none of the horses got alfalfa this year, and they’re all doing well without it. Even the senior feed is beet pulp based. 

The plan is to have more ridable horses this year so that 1) Tweed will have more opportunities to ride the trails and 2) my daughter, husband, and grandkids can ride more. 

Wish us luck. 

Epona heads to two months of training in May, and it will be good to get her away from her mama. 

Cowgirl and Epona looking at Tweed. Being the one male, he has all their attention. 

I’m a big fan of keeping them as a herd, but it has its downfalls. Well, one downfall:

Herd-bound-ness. 

Epona has gotten very pushy this winter, and I’ve been working with her in the evenings on that. She will have a ‘come to Jesus’ moment when she gets to the trainer. 

Beautiful Girl used to be the enforcer, but she has taken a second seat to Epona and lets her get away with anything she wants now. That is partly due to the fact she has her mama with her and the two of them together are formidable. Tweed does his best, but even he gives up and lets her do as she pleases.

All of this is great in winter, but presents a definite obstacle to overcome in spring.

Ayiyi. They sure keep us on our toes.

Happy Birthday, Cowgirl!

Raise a glass to a truly wonderful horse, Cowgirl, who is turning 21 today. 

She is loyal, FIERCE, brilliant, bold and beautiful. 

She was a phenomenal first time mama who cried real tears when we brought her baby, Epona, back from the hospital after a week. 

She still stands over her as she sleeps. 

We put shoes on her this week, and we’re going to see what the old girl can do and if she might make a grandkid / husband horse. 

Five months old when we brought her home, and oh, how the time has flown by! What a noble hearted horse.  I am so grateful to her for all she has given my sweet daughter. 

Happy birthday, Cowgirl!

Age Undetermined

April 11th was my “birth” day, and, as is traditionally the case, my husband asked me what I wanted to do:

Anything. Just name it. He said. 

We’d had a family birthday dinner on the Sunday before it, so I just wanted to be with my daughter and grandson and then, when they had to go their separate ways, get in the car and wander together, alone.  

(I smashed my bare foot into a chair at the Sunday party and it still hasn’t healed, so that has put horseback riding, long hikes, and biking on the back burner.)

We went for an easy walk in the country where the purple widow’s grass was abundant. It was as if God had set out the most beautiful bouquets for us. 

3 generation photo. 

The first half of the day with daughter and grandson was lovely, but they had plans for the afternoon. 

The second half of the day, wandering alone with my husband, took us to Whitestone Rock on Lake Roosevelt, about an hour and a half away. We usually go there by boat, and swim or float on paddle boards underneath its massive watch, but there was a road to an overlook that we’d never explored. It ended at the old Whitestone winery, now out of business, but still there sitting quietly unoccupied. 

We were able to park and hike to an overlook. 

Behold, Whitestone Rock. 

Someone, had placed a gnome on the overlook. 

On the drive to Lake Roosevelt, we were able to reflect on birthdays and life and the crazy speed at which it’s all going. 

This birthday, chronologically my 58th, was bothering me just a little, and I wasn’t sure why. As we talked I was reminded that it is closer to 60 and 60 is the age my dad got prostate cancer. Both my grandparents on my dad’s side died at age 67. And, since we’re nine years apart, 60’s for me will mean 70’s for the love of my life, my husband. Naming those things, subconscious fears, I suppose, also took their power away. 

Throughout my birthday week I had received calls, visits, and lunches, and many people asked me how old I felt. 

At first, I searched for a number,…30, 40, 44, 50, 60…? In truth, though, no chronological number seemed to explain me or the way I feel. 

My mom told me that people who feel younger tend to live longer. 

What about those of us who feel ageless? 

I love where I’m at right now and who I’m with in life. I have this feeling, the same that I always have, that it can’t get any better.  There is nothing I hope for, except MORE of this—more time to play my instruments, to ride my horses, to enjoy my friends and family, and to LOVE those I love. 

So, cheers to living outside chronological time and being undefinable, even eternal. 

Let’s raise a glass to embracing the many blessings of being alive,… and loved. 

Addendum: Reality

The funny thing about blog posts is that about the time you publish them, you get contradicted. If not contradicted, at least a new *caveat emerges.

 

My daughter and I had plans to go the equestrian area today. I had my trusty mantra: everything is going to be GREAT! I had positive visualization from loading to hauling, and so forth. 

But when we loaded Epona, she wasn’t okay with it. She pawed, held her head high, and threatened to pull back. It was also clear she was in some distress, as she was breathing hard when you looked at her flank.

Reality happened. Positive visualization is, indeed, a good plan, but part of being a horsewoman is recognizing the reality, too--the needs of our horses. And sometimes those are things we could not have predicted--especially when other people and other horses are involved.

We didn't know how long it would take, or if she'd even be okay loading, but our plans changed to address her needs. I unloaded Tweed who had been loaded in front, and Shiloh spent time with Epona loading, unloading and standing tied in the trailer. 

I decided to work Tweed by having him stand calmly at my side for the entire duration. It didn't take long for him to start doing BABY things. 

What are baby things? Trying to be in my pocket. Sniffing my hair or gloves. Putting the rope in his mouth. Etc. I am determined NOT to see him as a baby this year, so I put him to work when he did any of those things. He had to back up, come forward, (yada yada, you all know the drill) whenever he came into my bubble.

New rule: you don’t approach me unless asked. 

And yet, look at him.  He has baby written all over that face! (No! Stop! He's not a baby. Not the baby. Not my baby. Repeat.)

Since we had this big change in our plans we took the opportunity to deworm the herd. 

We taped Tweed and Epona inside the barn where the ground was level:

Epona 1150-1200 lbs and a little over 14-3 hands

Tweed 1250-1310 lbs and a little over 15 hands (we figured he was closest to 15-1

You all probably know this, but if you have a horse that is really difficult to paste (Tweed and Epona are not that horse--they are superstars for pasting, but Cowgirl is a ferocious beast at pasting time!!), well, if you have one like Cowgirl, you can mix apple flavored Ivermectin into their grain and they will eat it. Since we're no longer competing with humans for Ivermectin, it is readily available in apple flavor. As far as I know, there is no pelleted form of Ivermectin in the USA, but I did see some in Australia.

Another thing I want to mention is that I found my perfect HELMET. 

I have always hated helmets with the heat of a thousand suns. I was convinced they interfered with my peripheral vision and made riding more dangerous for me. But I wore them...sometimes. 

Well, I found the perfect one for my head, and now I love it and love to wear it. It doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything. It's like an extension of my head.

It is the Troxel Liberty Low Profile helmet with the dial-fit band. (photo above.)

I love it so much that I was telling my trainer that I should probably buy another one, just to make sure I always have it. She recommended I contact Troxel. In fact, she said she was told the 5 year helmet rule began from date of manufacture. We looked at the sticker inside the helmet and it was manufactured in February 2023, 2 years ago! That would mean it only has 3 years left.

I contacted Troxel last night, and they got right back to me. They said they cannot guarantee the date of manufacture when they send it to you. It could be 2023 or 2024. However, they said they do guarantee them for 5 years from PURCHASE, as long as it isn't involved in a fall.

So, long story short (again) I love this helmet. I have ordered a hard case for it, and I plan to keep it in the cab of my truck, NOT bouncing around in my horse trailer. I will probably buy another one and store it at home, just in case I need it or for other riders who come here. 

The representative also said that it was one of their most popular lines and they do not plan to discontinue it--or the color I love, "Bluestone Duratec".

Is there anything better than having a helmet you love to wear?

I’m Queen of the World!

Life with horses can go from moments like, “I’m the Queen of the wooorrrllldddd!” …

To

“I’m going to dieeeeee!” in one day. 

Usually, it’s in-between. 

Way back when I first started Leah on the trails, I found myself often expecting the worst, and that worry before the ride detracted from the fun. 

At the same time, I interviewed pianist David Lanz on my old podcast and asked him how he handled stage fright. He told me that he had a method of visualization before performances. He would sit for five minutes and imagine himself playing beautifully, and even imagined the kind words of appreciation after the performance. 

I decided to do the same before a ride with Leah. 

I sat down and imagined everything going great, from loading (she hated the trailer and would paw a lot) to hauling a long distance (I worried about my truck or trailer breaking down on the freeway or someone pulling out in front of me) to tacking up, riding, and returning home safely. 

The first time I did the visualization, it greatly improved our time together, and she developed into a wonderful trail partner when Cowboy was on the sidelines with equine head shaking syndrome. 

Today, I had my lesson with Regina, and it approached “Queen of the world” level, but more than that, it made me feel like Tumbleweed is a blank, but willing, slate. 

There is something different about him at almost SEVEN (yikes! can he really be seven?!!) There is more of a foundation, more maturity, trust, and willingness. The willingness is what I’m talking about. It’s a certain level of looking to, and waiting, for me. It’s a certain form of grace—horse to rider and rider to horse—where you are still getting to know each other, but you trust where you’re going.  

Regina worked us through the sticky feet issue pretty quick. On the ground she wanted me to get more of his attention, strive for less drama, engage his brain and his feet (she taught me an exercise for side passing him along the fence on a lead). In saddle, we worked on fine tuning my communication of requests and releases. 

It was a refresher from last year, but it seemed like a lot of it finally came together—in both Tweed AND me. Both of us were like mutually saying, “Aha! We get it now.”

Much of it is a case of the solids we had left off with last year, but it’s also those same solids having marinated over the winter and matured in our partnership. 

Long story short, it was fun and he made me feel like I was transcending this earth just a little bit. Floating. Flying. Borrowing his wings. 

How is that for a positive visualization?