I want a pony for Christmas!

We bought this pony tonight! Sadly we don't get to keep him as he is a Christmas present for my Hubby's 4 year old cousin from her parents. I love him! His name is Inky!

You may think it's funny, but it's snot.

Piney and Duke have settled in wonderfully. They are both super relaxed and seem very happy. However today I went out to check on them and noticed that Piney had a LOT of yucky, yellow snot in his left nostril. It's disgusting and I have no idea what it is and its making me a very worried mom. It wasn't there yesterday and in the entire time I've owned him he's never been sick before. I of course googled the symptoms when I got home and sounds like it might be a respiratory infection, but it could be a million other things. So looks like I'll be calling the vet first thing in the AM.  If anyone has any advice, or thoughts of what it could be I'd gladly appreciate any input.
I HATE when things like this happen. It makes me feel like such a worthless horse owner and that having Piney at home was a bad idea. When I was boarding I had people to ask, and people who could take care of him for me. I have a lot of horse knowledge, but I still feel like i don't know anything. I feel so unworthy of horse ownership sometimes. Grrrrr I shouldn't feel like this!!

Guess who's home?

Yep! He arrvied yesterday at about one in the afternoon. He was supposed to arrive Saturday night but hubby had some trouble with my pickup on the voyage out there and ended up having to replace the radiator. I'm just glad it happened on the way out there and not on the way back with a trailer full of horses. I stayed at the farm to get some painting projects done with my mom.

I’d like to tell you that Piney hopped right up into the trailer and was a dreamboat about it. But that is not the case. In fact when we get a chance looks like me and Mr. Pinecone will be working on trailer loading. Hubby woke up early and went and gave the monster the Tryptophan that I had sent along with him. Last time we used it, it seemed to help mellow him out about trailering. It wasn’t as powerful as the vet administered tranquilizer that was needed a few times but it helped him relax. Well he waited a few hours and loaded up the truck with all of the stuff we had there. The trailer he used was the same one we used to haul him up there. It’s a 70’s model WW 4 horse/stock combo. He was going to load his horse up first, since his horse weighs about twice what piney does, then close the middle divider and put Piney in the back. Well hubby’s horse hopped right in like an old pro even though he hadn’t been in the trailer in about 5 years .Then it was Piney’s turn. He wasn’t having any of it. He wanted nothing to do with the trailer. Even with his buddy up front he would rather walk home than load in to that trailer. Well he unloaded his horse and then they tried to put Piney in first. It ended up being a 3 man job. Yes a 3 man job to load a horse into a trailer than has probably been loaded and unloaded dozens of times during his career as a race horse. But they managed to load him up front close the door and then get hubby’s horse into the back compartment, and off they went.


Unloading went much better. Hubby’s horse hopped right on out and so did Piney. We will definitely be working on the trailer loading situation. It’s his only flaw! The horse is a dream to work with unless it’s trailer time! But one I got him unloaded and took a good look at him, I turned him out in the pasture and he started happily grazing. I might add that he looks good! He is still ribby, but that horse can have constant access to food, and grain twice a day and he would still be ribby. He is in need of a good grooming as he has some mud balls in his mane, and his tail, oh his poor tail, it needs some tlc! When I dropped him off it was huge and thick and long and beautiful. Now it is short and wispy and it just looks sad. I wish I had just 20 minutes to spend with my boy but sadly I am way too busy. Plus he is too busy scouting out his new home to even come near me to let me give him a kiss. But It is a huge relief to have him home and happily munching in his pasture.

LOVE THIS!

OTTB Designs posted this picture on their facebook wall.

That giraffe horse looks JUST like Piney! I love this idea and I want to do something like this next halloween! I can't get over how much this guy looks like Piney...especially that face!

Also. Piney might be coming home this weekend. That is all.

Guess who?

Guess who is  FINALLY coming home in a few weeks?

Old Pictures...

I found an old picture the other day and it got me thinking...What I wouldn't give to go back to this day. It was a 4th of July parade back in 2006. Even thought I smiled for the picture I was not a happy camper all day. Firstly I arrived here to see that somone, who was totally meaning well, chopped off Yellow's tail to his hocks, they had also put something in his mane that made it super greasy and mixed with the dirt in his forelock it was a greasy mess. I remember being so paniced about his mane was also so thin and whispy from being rubbed away I roached it off 5 minutes before we had to head up to the parade.
Heading up to the start of the parade he was a dream to ride. but when we got to the start of the parade we were headed back "home" and he slowly started to come undone. I had to hold him back and keep him from prancing all the way home. He didn't spook at anything thought which was great, especially since there were clowns, and kids and candy being thrown everywhere. The parade ended right by a big open field across from where we were staying. The people I was riding with were inexperienced horse people and just let their horses gallop for home. I on the other hand didn't allow that sort of behavior. He fought me to the point where I gave up and hopped off. I'd rather lead him home than have an ongoing fight. So that's what  I did. We walked home as I swore at him under my breath the entire way home.
This picture was taken right as we got back "home" I was hot sweaty and tired with the promise of a nice cold beer (acutally more like 10!) at the lakes when I got done. I untacked the monster and and cooled him off before I loaded him in the trailer and sent him home with my boss at the time. Then raced to the lakes to enjoy my beers.
I want that day back. I want to do things differently. First and foremost I want to go back and have that body back!! Holy Moly! I didn't realize I was  that tiny! haha. But I want to go back and enjoy every moment of that ride, the good AND the bad. I want to take the knowledge I have about riding now and apply it to my ride that day. The rider I am today wouldn't hop off and walk home. I'd work on not rushing home. I've come so far in my confidence in the saddle too that I would have been able to better handle the ride.
 I also would have ignored all the calls and texts from my then boyfriend and his friends telling me to hurry up and get to the lakes. Because I would later in life find out that the boyfriend was a complete d-bag that would fall out of love with me when I stoped being as thin as I was in this picture. I would have spent as much time as possible just being with my horse and not taking Yellow for granted thinking he would always be there for me. Had I known that 2 years later he would be taken from me forever I maybe would have done things differently.

I only have a handful of pictures of Yellow. I think i only have 3 of me actually riding. I hate that...I hate that he is gone forever and that I will never forgive myself for taking him for granted. If I could go back things would have been different but I wouldn't be where I am today...

At my old barn

On the driveway at my old barn.



Big Sky, Montana



I'm still here!

I promise an update! I really do! I have been swamped with the new house, weddings, photography and vacations. My head is spinning! and not to mention this weekend I turn...dun-dun-dunnnnn 30! 

So when I have a free moment I PROMISE that I will post pictures of the new place and update the status of the new farmstead.

Also in other exciting news hubby's cousin said he would trailer the horses down for us this fall so we wouldn't need to make an added trip up there. Hurray! now that just means we need to get our butts in gear and get that fence up!