Going Out With A Bang!

Fortunately,or maybe magically, things have been "medically" quiet this year. The vet. hasn't had to come to the farm since July. My horses must have been aware of the boredom in their lives, and decided to start causing trouble. Last Thursday, my daughter alerted me to the fact that there seemed to be blood in one of the stalls. I hobbled out to the barn, and yes, there was blood in C'est Bon's stall. My surgeon has told me not to walk on uneven ground,run or jump, but off I went to the back paddock where Fancy and C'est Bon were spending the day. I saw some blood on the inside of CB's back leg, but there wasn't any visable injury to her leg. I moved her tail aside and saw blood and a cut near her labia. She would not allow me to inspect the wound, so I asked my daughter and son-in-law to bring her in the barn, wash off the wound, and advise me if the vet should be called. Ten minutes later I was informed that "Yes, there was a tear, about 5 inches long and it definately needs stitches. As it turns-out, the tear required 7 stitches, and was about 2 inches deep. OUCH!!!
The second event did not require a vet, but still got my heart racing.
I'm lying in bed, all snug and warm, when there is a frantic knock on the front door. By the time I got to the top of the stairs, the door opened and someone yelled "There is a dead horse in your paddock". As I descend the stairs, I am saying "It can't be, they just went out 15 minutes ago". As I run across the driveway, I am thinking "heart attack". I see Eva and Trick munching on hay, so know it must be DB or Mudslide. Please be DB (she never recovered completely from her knee surgery and is 20 yrs old). Alas, I see 8 yr.old Mudslide laying on the ground next to a large boulder. As I get through the gate, Mudslide moves her head, so I know she is not dead, but now I see that she has cast herself against the boulder. Before I could get a rope to roll her off the boulder, she manages to get herself over and onto her feet. I let-out a sigh of relief, and relize that I am standing outside in the snow,have frozen barefeet, and am wearing my pajamas. My surgeon is going to kill me if she finds out what I have been doing. Isn't it amazing the things we will do for our horses!

Merry Christmas

Whats wrong with this ad?

Every now and then, I browse Craigslist to see what people are selling. Needless to say, I always check-out the ads for horses. Read this ad and tell me what you think. Belgian for Sale A STALLION that is 3 feet wide at his shoulder!!! And he's not registered!! What in the world would anyone do with a unregistered stallion? Breed him to your unregistered mare? Are there not enough unwanted horses in the US? If someone wants to raise a colt/filly, go to the auctions, where you can buy one for $125. You could probably get a registered colt/filly for $225!! Not only would you get your "baby", you would save one from slaughter. Yes, foals are slaughtered. The meat is like veal, and the Europeans pay top dollar for foal/baby meat!! I sure hope the other horse next to the stallion, in the ad photo is not a MARE!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!! PS. Whats with the logs? Does that look safe?? Good Grief!!!

Christmas Photo

Every Thanksgiving I bribe my family into participating in a group photo. My goal is to get each of the nieces and nephews, holding each of our horses. One year I had each of the kids riding each of the horses, but when I mentioned trying that again this year, i got lots of dirty looks. So here is this years' Christmas photo. Shown from left to right are: Kayleah with C'est Bon; Erin with Fancy; Laurel with DB; Nick with Mudslide; Matty with Eva; and Kayla with Trick.

This is Fashion?

I have been thinking about this subject for about a week. A flyer in the mail from Horseloverz.com prompted me to immediately sit down to write this blog. On the cover is a young girl holding a horse, with a yellow Lab sitting by her side. This would be a cute photo except for what everyone is wearing. The print is called "animal print". It is what I would describe as a very small "leopard print". Envision the irregular shaped brown circles on a leopards' fur, but inside each circle put the colors pink, light blue, or light mint green. Now make this into a blanket for your 16 hand high horse, add a matching halter, and leg wraps. To complete this picture, put a matching coat and collar on your dog, and have a very large stable tote slung over your shoulder. I will admit to buying Zanita a dark lavender rain sheet, and Fancy a hot pink and black, very small checked rain sheet, but to me, this outfit is funnier than Jeff Foxworthy. You can also buy a coordinating hay bag, hanging accessory bag, saddle bag, and Western or English saddle pad. Inside the flyer's back cover they even sell leopard pattern socks. At least these will be worn under your boots! So if any of my readers receive something like this for Christmas this year, think twice before you re-gift it for next year-especially if you're sending it to me!

Horses, Horses, Everywhere

Now that Mark is back home for the winter, our horse population has increased signifigantly. We are keeping "his" horses seperate from "my" horses. Mark takes care of "his"horses, and I take care of "my" horses. Actually, since I am still not able to do much because of my broken/healing ankle, Tom, Alysia and Joe are taking care of "my" horses! I never know each morning and sometimes afternoon, where Marks horses will be. He moves them around between our different paddock locations. Sometimes they are across the street, sometimes in the back "wooded" area, sometimes in the riding ring, and sometimes in the main paddock. Now that winter is approaching, I would suspect that "his" horses will be kept nearer the barn, where there is a place to plug-in the water heater. It reminds me of the prize in a Cracker Jacks box--You never know what you'll win! This morning, I noticed "his" horses were in the main paddock. I wonder where he put "my" horses today?

Old Friends

It was a beautiful fall afternoon. Alcott and Sage each were fed a bag of apples. The vet arrived at 1. There were lots of hugs and tears. After being led to a hole that had been dug in our old apple orchard, they were humanely euthanized. If you have never seen a horse euthanized by a veterinarian, it is very peaceful. The horse lays-down, and "falls asleep". The defination of Humane is "characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for other beings, especially for the suffering or distressed; merciful". Euthanasia is defined as "an easy or painless death". This is how it should be for all our equine friends. Afterall, they have served mankind throughout history. Is there any other animal (maybe a dog!) that evokes more emotion? Movies, books, songs, toys, designs on clothing, huge expositions and shows. It seems that every young girl wants a horse. Some will have a horse as their first "love"!
I know the horse was my first love. My mother told me that as soon as I could walk, I'd try to wander down the street to a local horse farm. I have been present for the euthanization of many horses. It never gets any easier, but in my heart I know it is a fitting end to a special friend that has given me so much joy throughout its life.
Rest in Peace my old friends. You will be in my heart forever.

Where Have You Been?

Do you know where your horse came from, or where he/she will end up if he/she ever leaves you? Today I was organizing and updating my horses records. and was reminded of how far a horse may travel in its lifetime. This is a run-down of where our horses have been, as much as I can put together! C'est Bon was foaled in TX, raced in NH, played polo in Fl and at the Un. of CT. DB was also foaled in TX, played polo in FL and at the UN of Ct. Eva was born in VA, raced in MD, PA, and played polo in RI. Mudslide was foaled in Iowa, raced in Iowa, NEB, KS, and played polo in RI.
Trick was foaled in KY, raced in KY and played polo in MA. Zanita was foaled in CA, raced in CA and PA, and is now in NY. What does all this mean? Once you no longer own your horse, it can end-up anywhere. Sometimes the outcome is positive, but there is no guarantee. Yes, you may have sold or given away your horse to a responsible home, but he/she could go from that person, to an auction in MA, purchased by a dealer in Maine, and then sold to a killbuyer and shipped to Canada for slaughter. So, do you know where your horse has been? Where will he/she eventually end-up?end

Sauerkraut

Take a can of sauerkraut, a plastic bag (a bread bag is OK), and some bandaging material-adhesive tape, Vetrap, or Elasticon. Pull the bag up over the effected foot. Pour the entire can of sauerkraut into the bag, putting most of it on the back side of the foot. Wrap the whole thing well with the tape, putting on gentle pressure and wrapping plenty of tape around the bottom of the hoof to help protect the plastic bag there. Leave it unchanged for 3 days. When you remove the bag, the skin is usually clean and fresh-looking, and the problem is much improved. treat it with either softening or drying products as needed. This treatment for Scratches (grease heels, grease, cracked heels, mud fever)was taken from a book published in 1985. A friend lent me this book "How To Be Your Own Veterinarian" by Ruth B. James, DVM. What I find the most interesting is how equine medicine has changed in 25 years. In the late 1960s I remember a pony that had collapsed, and the owner used a bottle of whisky to "drench" the poor thing. This involved putting the mouth of the bottle far back into the pony's mouth and pouring in the whiskey. Unfortunately the pony died shortly thereafter. Big surprize! Some of the old treatment methods make a lot of sense. Using petroleum jelly to soften small wounds and help them to heal. Do any of my readers remember Scarlet Oil, or fasting the horse and tube worming? Do you worry about gunshot wounds? Do you carry a handgun when you go on long trails rides, just in case you have an emergency euthanasia situation? While you are thinking of some "old-time" home remedies, I am going to make some flaxseed tea. I understand it is great for my horse's coat, I bet its a lot cheaper than buying flaxseed oil at the feed store!

Update on Zanita

Zanita has been at my sister Emma's farm in Saratoga Springs, NY, since December 2009. She had been doing very well with her training, but had hit a plateau. Zanita was going to come home on August 2, the day of my "equine related incident", August 2nd. (read previous post) As luck should have it, a couple of days later, Zanita had a "breakthrough". She will now be staying in Saratoga. I was at the farm this past weekend to visit with Zanita, and check-out her progress. I barely recognized her, except for her unusual blaze. She was nicely muscled, had gained some weight, and seemed to have matured. She was relaxed, and seemed happy. Katie, who has been working with Zanita, is doing a wonderful job. Watching Zanita nuzzling Katie,I knew a special bond had developed between them. My sister even felt that it was time for Katie and Zanita to start entering some schooling shows. To think that Zanita went from the racetrack to the polo field, to a killpen (on her way to slaughter) and to a beautiful farm where she is being trained for dressage!!

The Equine Related Incident

This is how it was described in a local newsletter. "It" is my broken leg and ankle- Four breaks, 8 pins and 1 plate. When I am asked how it happened, I am uncomfortable saying "I was thrown off my horse" or "I fell off my horse".
"Thrown" seems to imply that the horse is somehow at fault. "Fell implys that I tipped over, like Humpty Dumpty, and fell to the ground. I usually respond to the question with "I stayed on the first couple of bucks". I believe that if I was a better rider, I would have stayed in the saddle. I suppose my answer blames both the horse and rider. The horse I was riding was Alcott. Tom was riding behind me on C'est Bon, and said he didn't notice anything that would have caused Alcott to buck. Alcott had been very nervous before and during the ride. It is hard to decide if he was acting this way because something was bothering him, or he just didn't want to be ridden. I decided on the later reason. Ten minutes into the ride, for some reason only known to him, he started to buck, and off I went. As soon as I hit the ground, he ran home. I knew my ankle was broken shortly after hitting the ground. Since I fell off the right side of Alcott, and broke my left leg, I am thankful I didn't get dragged to death. Having been riding for 40 years, and falling off numerous times, I suppose I am also lucky that this is the first time anything serious has happened. This also happened on my birthday, so it will be a birthday I will never forget! When I told Mark what had happened he said " don't feel bad Mom, Alcott has thrown-off lots of riders". Thank you very much Mark!!!

Time is Flying By

Ok, I apologize for not writing anything for 2 months. Its not that life at Stony Bridge is uneventful, its that I would rather "play" outside with the horses than sit in front of a computer. Just to catch-up I will briefly list some of the high points of the past 2 months. After Marks move to NY with 5 horses, it was so quiet around here that I actually was able to find time to trail ride. Having 4 horses is easy compared to 10-remember, Zanita is still in Saratoga Springs, NY with my sister Emma. I've also participated in a horse show and parade,riding Fancy. Sage came out of retirement for the lead-line class in the show, and my grandson, Ryan rode her in the parade. Tom and I had been trail riding every week, and sometimes twice. At first it was Fancy and C'est Bon, then poor Fancy got an abscess in her hoof so Alcott took her place. One of the nice things about living in Oakham is that most of the town is state owned land, or Quabbin Reservoir watershed land, so there are endless miles of trails within a few minutes of the farm. One of the highlights of the summer was that Jen bought a new horse. Bianco Appeal aka: Bam, is a registered OTTB, with an amazing past racing career. He is a very handsome boy, and he and Jen have already won several ribbons at the local horse shows. The above photo is of Jen and her new "love", Bam.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Mark has moved from CT to Middletown, NY. He is now working at Blue Sky Polo. He brought with him, DB, Eva, Mudslide, Tequila and Trick. What a beautiful facility. The horses have acres of pasture, theres 3 polo fields, and Mark has a nice apartment. Since Zanita is still in Saratoga Springs, NY, this leaves me with only 3 horses and the pony. I had forgotten how easy it is to only have 4 horses. C'est Bon lives outside, so I only have 2 1/2 stalls to clean (Sage counts as half)! Not only do I have more time to ride, but I've also been able to work on my flower garden, and get the yard looking like something other than a disaster zone.

Can You Guess?

On May 12, 2010, yours truly participated in a Fun Show. This show is a yearly event held by the Barre Riding and Driving Club. This is the only Horse Show that I have participated-in, in many years. The only rule is that helmets must be worn. At the end of the day everyone gets a blue ribbon. Anything that is asked of the riders, does not have to be done, if the rider is not comfortable with the request. For example, in the Walk-Trot class, if the rider is not comfortable trotting, they don't need to trot. This is a great show for an inexperienced horse, or rider, or like myself, someone that can't ride well enough to enter "regular" horse shows. The original plan was for me to ride Fancy, and my grandson to ride Sage. My grandson opted-out the night before the show, but since Sage "jumped" onto the trailer, she also went to the show. Instead of the Leadline class, I would take her into the Pairs class, and Tom could walk her through the Versatility class. Fancy, Sage, and I were a "hit" in the Pairs class, and I managed to get through the "Jack Benny-over age 39 Walk Trot class. During the day, riders and horses were encouraged to practice the Versatility class. Fancy would not walk over the blue tarp, was afraid of the raincoat on the post, and hated the "bring the foam pool noodles from one barrel to another" test. Sage, being led by Tom, had no problem with any of the obstacles/tests, so it was decided to have Fancy follow Sage through the course. I always find it amusing that the terrible monsters a horse may encounter, are not so terrible when going home, or when another horse leads! It was a fun day for everyone, and the best part is that the show started at 10am and after clean-up, we were out of there by 2pm, which left me the entire afternoon to do my chores!

Dietary Specifications

Some people periodically like to rearrange their furniture, redo the bathroom, buy new curtains or paint their house a different color. I like to change horse feed. Don't worry, I do it gradually, so as not to make my horses sick! Trick and Eva have gone back to CT for the summer polo season, so there are only 3 elderly TBs, and an ancient pony at Stony Bridge Farm. Alcott and Sage lost weight over the winter. C'est Bon, who just came back from CT, also needs a few extra pounds. After the "Infamous Choke/Bone Chip" incident with Divine, I am trying to stay away from Poulin feeds. I still buy Poulin Forage Extender because they seem to be the only company in this area that make mini-bites. After attending a nutrition seminar, I decided to add beet pulp to my horses diets.Speedi-Beet has a beet pulp product that is very compacted, so that when water is added, it expands in about 10 minutes. Other brands of beet pulp take about 1/2 hour to expand. Wanting to get more info on this product, I contacted the company, and got immediate response with feeding suggestions for my horses. Next, I researched different grain companies that supply equine feeds to my local feed store Hardwick Farmers Co-op. This narrowed my choices to Poulin, Nutrena, Blue Seal and Triple Crown. I wanted something with a protein content of around 12%, fat content around 5, a high fiber content, and can be fed without hay-as a complete diet. The fiber content is important because my old guys have touble chewing hay, and as a result get little fiber in their diets. Maybe thats why they are always chewing on the trees! After taking into account the above criteria, I narrowed the "grain contestants" down to about 4 choices. Next, I contacted each of these feed companies with questions about their product, and feeding recommendations.Nutrena was prompt and thorough with their responses and help with my questions which was very impressive. The next criteria was price. Now, I know this shouldn't be a factor, but a few dollars saved on grain is a few more dollars towards hay, or in my case, veterinary expenses! Nutrena Triumph Complete costs $10.95 per 50lb bag, as compared with Blue Seal Sentinal Senior which costs $16.70. So, we are now feeding Nutrena grain---at least until the next time I decide I have nothing better to do than research equine feeds!

Just For Fun-Horse Terminology

Event Prospect=Big Fast Horse
Dressage Prospect=Big Slow Horse
Hack Prospect=Pretty Color
Sporting Prospect=Short Fast Horse
Camp Prospect-Fast Horse that can turn
Endurance Prospect=Fast Horse which will turn sometimes
Flashy=White Socks
Attractive=Bay
15.2=14.3
16.2=15.3
To a loving home=Expensive
To Show Home Only=Very Expensive
Needs Experienced Rider=Potentially Lethal
Elegant=Thin
In Good Condition=Foundered
Free Moving=Bolts
Quiet=Lame in both front legs
Dead Quiet=Lame in all 4 legs
Good in Traffic(Bombproof)=Lame all round,Deaf and Blind
Loves Kids=kicks and bites
Pony Type=small and Hairy
Arab type=Looks startled
TB type=Looks terrified
QH type=Fat
Warmblood type=big and hairy
Draft type=Big and exceedingly hairy
Easy to catch=very old
Must Sell=Wife left home and took kids
All offers Considered=I am in traction for 6 months
Reluctant to sell=Sale comes with a deed to the Golden Gate Bridge

Changing of the Guards

My work schedule changed for this week, so I had Monday off from work. I had planned to sleep, read, and play with the horses. I got an unexpected phone call from Mark. We talked a bit and decided it was time for Tequila and DB to go back to Shallowbrook. Vacation was over for Tequila, and it was time to find out if DB would be able to play polo again. In addition to these 2 mares, C'est Bon was going to also go along for the ride. Mark needs a beginner lesson horse, and wants to see how she works out. Trick and Eva would come back with me to MA, to get some rest & relaxation before the summer polo season.Mark was concerned that I would have to catch, wrap legs, load and trailer 3 horses, but I assurred him I could handle the job. If you have been reading my blogs, you know that things around here never go as planned.I won't go into details, but it was a LONG time between hanging up the phone, and driving out of the driveway. We safely arrived in CT. I helped Mark with a few things, horses were unloaded, they met Mudslide, and everyone seemed happy. Trick and Eva were loaded, and safely returned home. So, I didn't get any extra sleep, didn't read my book, but did get to play with horses, and visit with my son. Wow, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

Shavings Sale

Twice a year, Bay State Equine Rescuehas a Shavings Sale. They buy a tractor-trailer load of bagged shavings, sell the bags, and with the proceeds, are able to provide shavings for their rescue horses. I happen to like the brand they get, which consist of fine shavings. I don't waste as much, and it keeps my manure pile the size of a mountain. With bigger size shavings the manure pile is the size of a mountain range! This year the bags of shavings cost $5.40 each. Our local feed store Hardwick Farmers Exchange sells similar shavings for $6.10 per bag, so I would be saving .70 per bag. Multiply this by 50 bags, and the savings is $35. So, yesterday morning, I hook-up the horse trailer and head over to pick-up my bags of shavings. I arrive at the destination, shavings are loaded, and I go to get back into my truck. For some reason, I happen to look at the truck trailer connection, and realize I had forgotten to plug-in the brake/light plug. Not only had I driven the trailer without brakes and lights, but in the process of dragging on the ground, the plug had been broken, and the connections had worn down. After having a minor temper tantrum, and chastising myself, I decided to go over to Manns Trailer Sales and see, if by some miracle, they could fix/replace the plug, on a Saturday. Fortunately for me, they were able to make the repair, while I waited. They even had a TV in the waiting room, so I was able to watch the Animal Planet channel and learn all about Pekingese dogs! I bet you didn't know that these were once the dogs owned by Chinese royalty and the theft of one was punishable by death! Anyway, trailer is fixed, shavings are unloaded, and after the cost of the repair and the coffee and muffin I bought, I figured I was minus 35 cents. Well, at least it helped the rescue!

Happy Easter

Mudslide-The Newest Girl

Tattoo Search

Mark purchased another polo horse. She was in a polo lesson program in Newport, RI. Guess she was too much for the beginner students. It happens to be the same place where we bought Eva (Read "The $500 Polo Pony" 1-23-09). The first time I saw her, I thought "Arabian, how odd for a polo horse!". She has a dished face, and short back. I was surprized to see that she had a lip tattoo. Thoroughbreds are required to be lip tattooed in order to participate in an offical TB race.The tattoo consists of a letter followed by 4-5 numbers. A foreign born TB will have an asterisk followed by numbers. The letters corresponds to the horse's year of birth. 1971-1996/A-Z; 1997-2010/A-N. If the TB is 25 yrs old or older, it will only have a letter and 4 numbers. The Jockey Club is wonderful about helping with researching a lip tattoo. In the past it usually has only taken a couple hours from submission of a Tattoo ID Form to recieving the info on the horse. Sometimes pictures are required, but it is an easy process. Well, the new horse, who came with the name Saffron, had a horrible tattoo. Jenn, Mark and I all took guesses as to what it read. The letter looked like an F,P or H. This meant the year of birth could be 1976,1978, 1986, 2002 or 2004. The numbers looked like 4, 1, and 0. I submitted what little info I had, guessing the letter was an "F". Mark had been told she was 8 or 9. She definately wasn't 4 or 24! I also took a photo of the tattoo, and after a few emails back and forth with the Jockey Club, a match was found. The winner was/is F44602, and they were able to find this match with my submission of F_1_0_!! I was/am very impressed. Saffrons registered name is "West Ballerina" Born April 5, 2002 in Iowa. --insert soapbox--For those of you that think a slaughter plant in another state will not affect your horse here in MA, take note! Iowa! I also have horses from FL, TX and CA. A slaughter plant in ANY state puts ALL horses at risk.--off soapbox---Back to West Ballerina. So after all the research, we found out we have a TB from Iowa, who was an unuccessful race horse, who was from unsuccessful parents. Why oh Why do they breed these horse!! Well she was fortunate enough to find her way to Mark, is a great polo horse, very sweet, and Mark promptly changed her name to "Mudslide"!!!

First Aid

I've been thinking about a good blog topic this past week. My first idea was to bore my readers with a list of the contents in my 2 "new and improved" equine first aid kits. I just know you would love to read about different size telfa pads, and how many oral syringes I own! I won't list the contents, but will tell you about how these kits came to be. By now, if you have been reading my blog, you know that my horses are always looking for ways to deplete my credit card accounts, and keep the local equine veterinarians gainfully employed. Whenever there is a medical problem, I run around the house, barn and trailer looking for all the items needed for triage. I decided it was time to put everything that I might need in a "kit". One kit turned into two. My friend Kathryn told me I needed at least 20 placed in strategic spots around the farm!! Anyway, last Monday, as I was getting into my car to go to work, I noticed that Fancy had blood/a wound above her left eye. Its a long story about how that happened, and maybe I'll enlightened you another time. Putting it briefly-when you own horses, sh** happens! Very pleased with my emergency preparedness, I run in the house, grab some telfa pads, bowl of warm water, betadine, and furacin from the kit! Out to the stall I go, start blotting the blood on Fancy's face, and realize that its a good thing my phone and credit card are on speed dial! Thirteen stitches later (my lucky number) and my dear sweet Fancy looks like a war causality! As a result of this latest episode I have taken into consideration, Kathryn's suggestion of needing 20 Kits! On second thought, maybe not! Tom was looking for the furacin yesterday. When I told him it was in one of the "new and improved" first aid kits, he told me it was easier to find when it was on the shelf in the barn!

Feathered Guests

My friend Laura called and asked if her hens, rooster, and guinea fowl could visit for a few days. Something had been getting into her chicken yard, and had killed 5 hens. With all the birds gone, Laura hoped to catch the culprit. I figured "whats a few more birds" in the yard. We already had 5 hens. Well the "few" more birds turned out to be 25 and 4 guinea fowl. For those of you that don't know about Guinea fowl, they have ugly heads, love to eat ticks, and have got to be the noisest creatures on earth. Tom refers to them as "those damn vultures".The birds have been here about a week, and it seems Laura is not having much luck trapping the poultry connissuer at her house. Oh, well! Such is life. Never a dull moment here at Stony Bridge. At least we are getting a dozen eggs per day, and NO ticks!!

The Story of Sage

This morning when I opened Sage's stall door, she bolted past me, ran out of the barn, and headed for the road. Fortunately, she stopped before actually going in the road. Yesterday, when it was time to put everyone out in the paddock, Sage got impatient, reared, and managed to get one of her front legs caught on her stall door. The only way I could think of, to quickly free-her-up, was to unlatch the door, even though I knew it would mean having to repair the door. The door came crashing down, ripping off the hinges, and Sage took-off out of the barn. When things like this happen with Sage, my initial response is anger. I have to stop and remember that she has very poor eye-sight and her hearing is bad. She is not being naughty, she is just panicking because she thinks she will be separated from her herd. Herd equals safety, even though no one in her "herd" has ever bonded to Sage. Poor old Sage!!! Sage has been at Stony Bridge Farm for 5 years. She belongs to a college friend of Marks'. Sage was Lindseys first pony. Lindsey outgrew Sage,but Sage remained with Lindsey. Paying board for Sage, and tuition for college was getting increasingly more difficult. One day when Lindsey was visiting, I overheard her telling Mark about her dilemma. I said "Bring Sage here. Whats one more poor old soul!" When Sage arrived, I waited with anticipation to see the cute new pony. What a surprise! She was the homeliest equine I had ever seen. Head too big for her 12 hand high body, long shaggy coat, and the strangest coloring--sort of roan, but not quite. Well, little Sage is still the homeliest equine on earth, and a pain-in-the-rear end, but many a child has enjoyed getting pony rides at Stony Bridge Farm.

Outside My Window

Its the end of February 2010. We had rain and snow all week. It seems like everyone has had enough of this weather, and is getting Spring fever. I try not to get too hopeful, as this is New England. About this time of year I start to think about, and get excited about, the upcoming riding season. My desk/computer is next to a window that looks out at our riding ring, and it is such a tease, calling me to get on a horse and ride! I day-dream about upcoming horse shows, trail rides, gymkhanas, polo matches, and just being outside all day "playing with horses". Every year I tell myself that this will be the year that I ride more often, and try something new. This year I have decided to try playing polo.Last weekend Tom and I participated in the Sweethearts Tournament at Shallowbrook. There were 8 teams of 4. It was very low-key, only walk/trot. Our teammates had never ridden until the night before the game. We didn't make it into the finals, but had a blast. After the game was a fabulous dinner, and awards. We will definately sign-up for next years tournament. Maybe, by then I'll be able to hit the ball!!

For Sale

Beginner safe, brown and white pinto gelding (I think!) 6 hands high. Easy keeper. Goes barefoot. Age unknown. Shipping not available. Purchased from Pier One Imports for $85. Asking $35

Little Miss Nosey

Clothes Horse

Tequila is back home for a couple months of "rest and relaxation". Mark must have packed her suitcase quickly, because she arrived with only a halter, and 2 very thin sheets! She doesn't get very warm and fuzzy in the cold weather, so being the "good mother" that I am, I just HAD to buy her a new winter blanket. My blanket buying process is as follows: First, measure horse for size. She is a size 74. Then, decide how much money I want to spend which is usually not enough! Next, choose a color. Finally, add the few extra things I prefer in a blanket. I happen to like the clasp-type chest buckles and a european-style neck. The brands I like are Weatherbeeta, Tuff Rider, and McAlister. The first place I always check-out is eBay. Our farm "colors" are green and brown, I want to spent no more than $60 (that has to include shipping), and the blanket has to be waterproof, and warm. I type all these criteria into the computer, and, surprize, surprize, come up with nothing. I then make the 1/2hour trip to the closest tack shop. There I confirm my previous finding that I will need to get a 3rd job to buy one there! I always hope they'll have a "Super Discount Sale". Next, I check Craigs List, and then I'm back on the computer. Typing in my criteria, and several variations, the search result finally come up with SmartPak Equine. Now I hate to sound silly, but I refuse to buy anything from them, no matter what the price. They have the AQHA as one of their promoters, and the AQHA is the largest financial and political backer of horse slaughter. Just a plug, but last year, over 130,000 american horses were shipped to Mexico and Canada. The #1 breed is the QH.
Well, back to my story. Several hours later over the course of a couple of days, I end up buying Tequila's blanket at StateLine Tack. Its size 75, has a regular neckline, chest buckles, and the color is Hollyberry. At least it's warm--300 grams of filling, a WeatherBeeta, waterproof, fits her very well, and, including shipping, was $59.99! Its matches her chesnut color very well--so well, I think I'll buy new blankets for everyone!!

Sex on the Beach

Not really--but I caught your attention!
Tom and I got to see something new last week. Mark had been invited to play polo as a team member of Myopia Polo. The game was held in Newport, on Second Beach. Of course, Tom and I got lost getting there, but didn't miss Mark playing his 2 chukkers. Fortunately we did miss having to tack-up Trick and Eva. Condidering the footing, and the slant of the beach, it was an interesting game to watch. Hoofprints made holes in the sand, so the ball would get caught, and it was hard to line up the ball for shots. Halftime had to be abbreviated because "Hurry-up with those horses, The tide is coming in fast!" There was a huge audience. I think lots of people had come to the beach to get some exercise, and ended-up wandering over to watch the game. All in all, it was a fun, and fast game. Jenn was also playing arena polo nearby at Glen Farm, so we quickly loaded the horses in the trailer. Unfortunately, we missed her game against Vassar. I was glad we got to experience polo on the beach, but I doubt Mark will do it again. He was too worried about the horses hurting their legs in the sand. Oh, by the way; the other team was Newport, and they won, with a final score of 2-1.

Luxury Accommodations

We now have 2-12x12 foot stalls in our garage. It was time for Divine to be turned-out into a larger area. The vets at Tufts had recommended an area of approximately 20x20. Since this is New England,there's lots of snow and ice on the ground. We didn't want to jeopardize the healing of her knee, so decided to convert some of our large garage into her new turnout area. It was designed with a swinging gate across the middle. The gate is open during the day, which provides a large area for Divine. At night we close the gate, and have 2-12x12 stalls. Divine stays in one, and Fancy gets to sleep in the other. My sister Emmy gave us all the panels and a gate for the enclosure, so all we had to buy were the stall matts. Divine and Fancy seem to be enjoying all the space--in our barn the stalls are 10x10! Our 2 cars, and the truck still fit in the garage. We just have to be careful not to keep the engines running!

Guess What you are Doing---

You're wearing long underwear, flannel lined jeans, tee-shirt, turtleneck, sweatshirt, down vest, wool socks, your warmest boots, gloves and a hat. If you guessed watching a polo game in January, in New England, you are correct. Tom and I went to watch the final game of an arena polo tournament being held at Shallowbrook Equestrian Center. Fortunately, we always cheer for both sides. If we had to pick sides it would have been a slight dilemma, as Mark and Jenn were on opposing teams. The game was very exciting. The scores went back and forth by 1 point, with the final score being 11 to 10. Marks team made the final goal. All the horses played very well. It was the first time I had seen Eva, Tequila, and Trick since their move to Shallowbrook. They looked great, and Eva especially, was outstanding. We look forward to more polo matches this winter. Will have to be sure that the long underwear and wool socks are handy!

Dedicated Walker

Divine Brown (DB) is still on stall rest, following her knee surgery. She does get to be hand walked 15 minutes daily. It snowed yesterday and today, but that didn't hinder Tom giving DB her walk!

New Years Resolutions

I was asked today what my New Years Resolution was going to be. I haven't thought about it, seeing as in the past when I have made these promises, they are always broken by the end of the week! When I started to ponder the idea of making a resolution for this year, I came-up with many things-not just one. Some of my thoughts were: to lose weight, and exercise more(this is standard,and has never happened. I also want to ride more often, and participate in more horse related activities. I've already started some of those. I have been elected Chairperson for the Barre Riding and Driving Club Spring Fun Show. Somehow, I was also elected club spokesperson, which will involve writing articles about club activities for the newspapers and horse magazines. While I'm writing, I want to also submit more articles to the media regarding the horrors of horse slaughter, and what humane options there are for unwanted horses. I am also thinking about getting my riding instructors license. We have a big riding ring, and lots of quiet horses. It might be fun to teach some beginners about horses and riding. Then theres books to read, and reread. I hate to brag, but I have an enormous library of horse-related books. About a third, I've never read. Some other ideas for resolutions don't involve things to do, but ways to act. I want to be less judgemental of people, to think before I open my mouth, and to not over-react to so many things. So what do you, my readers, hope to accomplish in 2010? Is it horse related? Personal goals? I'll wish you luck, if you'll wish me luck!!! Happy New Year!!