Summer is finally here!

Everett taking a walk in the woods behind our house.

Always camera shy!

I am so glad summer is here as it seems that we have again had a hard winter. Not long after my last post our beloved 12 year old dog, Everett, died. He lived a long life, he helped to raise my boys and brought us endless unconditional love. Everett was an amazing, special and beautiful boy, his absence is still felt and always will be.

Munchkin got an injury that same weekend and although it was not life threatening it was a nasty one and took some time to heal so he has not had much more cart work. As the very busy school year plummeted forward we decided our animal family was not complete without another dog as Granger reminded us with her sad face every time we had to leave her for work. 

We first adopted a big beautiful and sweet Rottweiler named Bear. Bear and the horses (well. Doc) did not get along to put it mildly and the decision was made to help find him a better home. We did just that and he will definitely live happily ever after! A few weeks later we got up the courage to try again. Max came to us on  June 8th and walked into our home like he had always been there. Max is 10 months old.

left; Granger (Pittbull mix) & right; Max (shepherd / Plott Hound mix)

 

 

 

Max chasing dragonflies, his favorite past time!

They would rather I let them out to play with the horses!

It was exciting to get a new saddle this winter and I changed Doc's bit to something less harsh. The saddle I had was so comfy and nice but it was just too big for me and looked overwhelming on Doc. I found a wonderful new owner for it as her horse was Frankie's old riding buddy and so it seemed appropriate since that saddle was bought for Frankie.  My NEW saddle was custom ordered to fit Doc and is so light and easy. The center rigging has taken some time to get use to but I think I have it figured out now. I love the hybrid endurance / western look and feel. I am getting the best of both worlds. I did have to replace the girth as the one it comes with is trash :^( The turned stirrups are great though!

 

This is made by  http://www.sycamorecreeksaddles.com/

Tony Pritchett is the best to work with! This is what they call a half seat.

My Argentine Dog Bone bit. This is a low level bit that Doc seems to do well in!

This winter I also came up with a new design for my hay feeder barrels out on the track. I took down the blue ones and put two of the ones shown below up. I learned a lot from the first barrels and made improvemnets to the design. These are holding up much better!

I stung both of my new barrels between two trees for better stability. I did not cut off the ends so it will not loose it's shape. I cut a loading lid in the very top and put a handle on it. The top is propped up in the picture so you can see it and the purple sheet is an exercise mat that help the lid to stay put and keep out water. The net is attached better so I make full use of the space. I can fit 3/4 of a bale in each barrel.

 

I have so many things I need to do to fix things up around the place. last fall I built myself a hitching rail and moved all my tack into the basement so it would not get so dusty. This way I take Doc out and tie him to this for grooming and tacking. It has worked very well. 

This summer I started with something easy. The horses love it while the flies hate it, a new high powered FAN in the barn!

It is summertime now and everything has slowed to a wonderful easy pace. I am working on the house and spending lots of time with the animals. With both dogs needing exercise I am dedicated to taking lots of walks and get myself in better shape. Riding has become a challenge around here but I am determined to get Doc out several times a week even if it is just for a short bit! I also hope to get Munch hooked up to the harness again. I have a potters wheel now and I plan on working on that as well. There is always school work to do but I will think about that tomorrow!

Doc Doc Goose!

Home!

Doc and Munchkin, twins (I love this picture)

Yes Munchkin, you are the cutest pony in the world!

Doing their job, mowing the lawn!

Such a pretty boy, Graceful even when he eats

Granger and Max want to come out and play!

Crow Creek

Munchkin gets a job! Learning to Dive Part One

Munchkin is an 11 year old Welsh cross pony. He use to drive but I was told he had an accident with the cart running up and knocking him down. He is scared now and has not been driven for several years. I do not know the extent he was driven before his accident but I am trying to find out.
I have decided that now that I have had him for a year and we have become close I could slowly try to reintroduce him to the cart again. I do not know a lot about driving and so this is a learning experience for me too. All the more reason I take it very slow and do my homework. I know a man that lives down the road who may be able to help me some too.

I hate leaving Munch while I go off and ride Doc all the time. It would be so awesome if he could go too at times. I have friends whom could share the riding and driving with me and Munchkin would have a job.

We were given the harness for Munch and so I pulled it out today and cleaned it up. I went outside to try just a couple things to see how Munchie reacted.

Lesson One: I put the bridle on Munchkin with no reins but wanted to see how he reacted to the bit. He resisted it a little at first but then took the bit and I led him around in two circles and he seemed very relaxed. I took the bridle off him and told him what a good boy he was.

Lesson Two: Next I put Munch's halter on with a lead rope and brought out the saddle part to the harness. I first just laid the saddle over his back and then led him around. He looked a little worried for a minute but then calmed right down and was relaxed. I laid the back strap and crupper over his back but did not attach the crupper yet. I then fastened the girth which he was fine with and then I led him around for a few minutes. After that I attached the crupper and then led him again. He did very well and actually looked proud of himself.
I unfastened him and took off his gear to send him back out to his buddy. He threw his lips up in the air and gave me a big smile before he left. I was very proud of him for his first day.

Life goes on and a new year begins

Munchkin spent six lonely months by himself after Frankie died. As much as Munch helped heal my heart and even though I spent a lot of time with him he really needed a pasture mate if I was going to keep him. Later in the year my good friends Brenna and Frank, whom I got Frankie from, made an offer I could not refuse. They needed a good home for their seven year old TWH gelding, Doc. He was born and raised by them, they own his sire and he was dear to them but with a farm and more horses that could be ridden often enough he was offered to me. I went to see him in August of 2011 and brought him home two weeks later. It was hard to think of having a new horse and yet as soon as Doc got off the trailer it was obvious that I made the right decision.

Here are some pictures from Docs first day.

Just off the trailer

First hellos

                                                                            Friends?

                                                          Off to inspect the new diggs!



I have had Doc for four month now and he is wonderful. Munchkin is happy and they spend hours each day playing and running the track. I have taken Doc on many rides and I see a long and wonderful life with the two of them. It has been a year since Emma left us and almost a year since Frankie. So strange how life changes without warning. It has been an adjustment but I feel good again and am looking forward to the new year!

 



Over The Rainbow Bridge

I have waited to write this because it has just been too difficult. I lost my soul mate, Frankie, on march 1st 2011. I can not believe he is gone and I am not entirely sure I will continue this blog. I still have Munchkin and eventually will see a new horse here at Crow Creek so we will see. 

What Happened...
About two weeks before I said my final goodbyes to Frankie we were all out on the track while I was doing some chores, Frankie and munchkin were have a ball whooping it up on the track. I was suppose to go for a ride with a friend a little latter so I went inside to do a few things and when I came back out about an hour and a half later Frankie was limping. He held up his front right for me to look at and I could see a scruff mark on his sole along side the tip of his frog. It looked like he had stepped on a stump or something and so I figures he had bruised his foot. I gave him some bute that night but the next day he was still limping so I called my farrier. He did not return my call and so I figured It would be better to call a vet. Two years ago Frankie had recovered from a fracture to his fetlock on that same leg. I was becoming confidant that he had re-injured that area. He had some swelling in the sesamoid area that was the same as when he had his injury before. I called the vet that had treated his injury and he was going to come out in a couple days (when he made his normal visits to the area) to look at it. Until then I was to continue on low dose of bute an stall him. Well the day before he was suppose to come Frankie became sick and was down in his stall. I called the local vet and he came out on an emergency. What he found shocked me. Frankie did not have a problem with his bone, it was a deep puncture in his hoof! I could not see it because it had gone through the frog and resealed over it. I could not see it at all.  The puncture had become infected in his leg and so the vet cleaned it and put him on antibiotics. I was to soak it twice a day and wrap it in duck tape

He wanted me to call in two days to let him know if it had improved. It did! he seemed better and was putting his foot down. We figured he was on the mend. Two more days went by and no more change, if anything he seemed a little worse by the end of the second day.  I called the vet back but he did not return my call. the next morning I called the vets nurse and told her to get someone out to my place. The first Doctor was off that day so the other one came out. He said there was not really much more he could do to help and Frankie should go to the Equine clinic. He thought he needed surgery or some more aggressive treatment than they could do at my house. 

The search for a trailer began. I do not have one but have several friends who have them. Nothing was going right and everyone had some kind of problem with their trailer. I finally got a hold of a couple lady's I knew and they said they would pick me up in the morning and take me. We got to the clinic on a Friday and the surgeon, vet and four assistance worked on Frankie for four hours. They did all kinds of tests and ex-rays. We finally had our diagnosis, Frankie had navicular bursa with a %25 -%50 chance of being sound again. They could do perfusion treatments to try to get the infection under control. His coffin bone was still ok so even though it was a huge expense we needed to try. Frankie was so special to me and so many other people. I did not think he would be a riding horse again but I wanted him sound for pasture and alive! The doctor said we should see noticeable improvement in three days but we would continue the treatments for five. In three days Frankie was going down hill. He was still in a lot of pain and not setting his foot down hardly at all. We still did not give up and went one more day but still he worsened. Frankie was depressed now and I knew we had fought as hard as we should but it was time to let him go. With the doctors help we made the decision but it was late, dark and raining. Plus I was driving and could not handle it right then. I asked for them to give him whatever he needed to make him comfortable until the next day.

The next day my Sister and Brother in-law went with me for my last visit. Frankie was in good spirits and the drugs had certainly made him more comfortable. We took him out to a field behind the barn and let him graze for two glorious hours. taking him back was so hard because I knew that within 30 minutes of my leaving they would put Frankie to sleep. 

Saying goodbye to Frankie and leaving him was the HARDEST thing I have ever done. My last moments with him will be forever ingrained into my memory. 

Frankie and I 

I had wanted a horse my whole life. I grew up riding friends horse and was always lucky to be around them but still wanted one of my own. After I grew up and had kids I knew that dream would have to be put on hold so I set a goal for myself. I would have a horse by the time I was 40. I only missed it by a few years when at the age of 43 I got Frankie. We spent four and a half years together and had many adventures and many wonderful times. I was more comfortable with him than I had ever been with any other living thing, We were soul mattes and had a bond too difficult to enplane. I consider myself very fortunate to have had that. My life was blessed by his warmth, his inelegance and his devotion to me. I will miss him for the rest of my life.

 

The Difference A Year Makes

I have been thinking a lot about how different things are this year from last. It was about this time last year I discovered the wild horse keeping method through the Wiki site and Jamie Jackson's book, "Paddock Paradise". With the recent addition of Munchkin and my reading the book, "The Soul of a Horse" by Joe Camp ( I highly recommend this book!) I have been going over my blog and thinking a lot about the changes in how I see things and mostly how different Frankie is since this time last year.

Last year at this time I had Frankie and Emma living in their small paddock, not moving around, eating off a round bale and Frankie was hardly getting ridden. The reason Frankie was not getting ridden much was because we had such a horrible winter for this area and everything was wet and slippery. Normally that would not deter me from ridding but Frankie was so pent up with excess energy riding him was like riding a freight train. I was even having to deal with bucking and a little rearing, something he never use to do. So all this made me not want to ride him even more because I always felt like we were going to wipe out on the wet ground not to mention I was not having fun! Something had to change!

LIVING SPACE CHANGES

 

In February of last year I found the Wiki site and was blown away by my new revelation of how I could enlarge their living space. My very wooded lot made it impossible financially for me to clear more pasture space but a track I could do. The track went up quickly and was in use by the Spring. 

FEED  CHANGES

At this time last year I was feeding from a round bale and giving Frankie a small amount of soaked alfalfa cubes. Now it was not much but I think the alfalfa didn't help with his excess energy. I went to my local feed store and explained my issues and needed a feed that was for an easy keeper and was mainly just a natural product that was not grain based. We got our answer, so now he gets a 1/2 lb of  Purina Nature's Essentials Enrich 12, AM and PM. Because Frankie has a lot of problems with his digestion and is prone to sand colic he still gets his AM dose of Assure with a very high quality probiotic in it and in the PM, once or twice a month he gets a weeks worth of the Assure Plus (sand clear).

Hay is now pulled from the round bale that I leave covered in my driveway and the slow feed nets are filled from that. 


After reading Joe Camps book it totally hit home that I needed to lower my nets, I had them up too high. So today I walked the track and lowered all the hooks making the bottom of the nets rest on the ground. Neither Frankie or Munchkin have worn shoes ever if not in a long time so there is not any worry of them snagging a foot. 

OTHER CHANGES

This Summer I worked with Frankie on some new clicker training projects. He is well trained in this process and knows my kiss noise to be his YES signal. I had several close calls with him during last winter with him bolting off with me. He was very hard to stop when I first got him and while he had improved significantly he still needed work. After the bad riding winter we had I wanted an emergency stop signal so if he tried to bolt off with me again I could stop him. Frankie being a fast study learned my signal quickly, first from the ground and then the saddle. We had a couple of opportunities to test it last summer while racing home with a friend and her horse and it worked wonderful as when my signal, both body and verbal, was given he screeched to a halt! 

The other change of course was the arrival of Munchkin. Frankie and Munchkin play and run a lot. I think I actually see Frankie smiling at times. I hate that it took Emma to pass for my husband to allow me to get Munch but even he knew that Frankie could not be alone and I assured him that Munchie would not cost much more than Emma had. In my husbands defense money is very tight this year as it is with so many and we really have to be careful as to what we take on.

THIS WINTER

Things are so different. Frankie is very calm and I have not had one single problem with him while riding this Winter. I have even been riding him bareback again which was something I was to afraid to do last Winter. Both horses seem so happy on the track and use it all day, they even sleep out on it now! Both of them have great feet and I am lucky to have a farrier that is good at the barefoot trim. I can not even imagine putting shoes on them ever, for any reason. I feel good about all the progress we have made and I love the track. It has in so many wonderful ways, changed our lives.

Running & Eating, Eating & Running

It is what horses do best right! So much fun to watch as well and the track has definitely gotten its use the last few days while the horses have enjoyed being out on it. 

 

Now I am trying to figure out the best ways to feed the two of them. I use a round bale and I also keep some square bales around that they like best because it its timothy instead of the plain grass hay that the big bales are made of. The problem with the timothy bales is that they are very expensive but they do give them more encouragement to walk the track. So what I have been doing is mixing a little timothy in with some grass hay and seems to work.

I have also seen more destruction and waist with the two of them at the bale. To combat this I have decided to keep the round bale covered and put a bulk amount in small mesh bags. 

Really, your going to cover it? Such a perfect Frankie look!

I am also putting some loose hay on the ground along the track. Munchie will eat out of the nets but he rather not work so hard, he wants quick and easy! It is more work for me and if I have a day that is too busy I will simply let them at the round bale. The waste is just proving to be too much if they are allowed to be on it all the time.

I would like to build some more feeders but that will have to wait. I have five of the small mesh hay bags and I use all of them. There is also the barrel and I want to put up one more. I really would like to also get a bag of hay cubes but our local place only has alfalfa cubes. There is one other place I will check to see if they have the plain timothy cubes.

Been A Long Time

Emma, a member of our family for two and a half years.

I have not posted in a long time and now that so many changes have happened I thought it time to update. On a very sad note our beloved Emma died on the 28th of December. She became sick with a disease called bloat and the vet could not save her. She was a big part of our family and I am heartbroken to have lost her. We buried her that Friday morning on the track down by the creek, a very lovely spot I think.

I was not sure what to do for Frankie as he was moping around and obviously lonely. I did not have the heart to try to find another goat that would work for our family right now. Fortunately for us I have a very good friend who was downsizing her heard and offered us her pony Munchkin. Munch is a 10 year old, Welsh Pony gelding, standing at 11.2 hands!

Munchkin is now a member of our family and we are very happy to have him. Tomorrow marks his second week with us and he and Frankie have settled in quite nicely. I let them on the track yesterday for the first time because the snow and rain had created so much mud I was afraid of an accident. The track needed some work done on it as well and I needed to block off the second half where Emma is buried until the ground is safe for them to be on. They had a blast on the track, running, running and more running. I will update with photos from this weekend.