Do you keep your little critters inside on Halloween? What about the big ones (horses, cows, sheep etc.) Do you keep them locked up? Or just keep a close eye on them?
I always make sure all the animals are in on Halloween and used to lock my horse in as well.
Poor little Hunter dog is not to happy with the fireworks outside right now.... whereas Hawky is curious but totally unconcerned. LuLu is curious as well but Bitty and Halle are hiding away. What about your pets?
(note: Sorry for the horrible lighting, it was the only way to prevent a bad lag....the fact that it also took about ten pounds off of my cheeks was purely accidental! lol Seriously!)
I think I must be sick. Or deranged. Or at the very least totally out of tune with reality. There is simply no other explanation for why, after seven years of repeating the same cycle over and over again I cant get it through my thick skull not that there is....
No money to be made in horses....
except...
....there I go.
I cant let go of this idea that I want to buy and sell horses for profit. The problem with this idea is that every time I have sit down and equate the costs involved in such a venture I end up with...well... no profit... especially if I take in to account such things as vet, farrier, taxes, gas, hauling, board, advertising, and such. Never to be deterred by logic, I've devised all sorts of strategies to avoid the reality that there is much, much easier and more reliable ways to make money in the world than to buy the ever fragile, undependable and unpredictable horse and sell it to the ever undependable, unpredictable and fickle horseman.
I've come up with all sorts of schemes and strategies, the most feasible of which has been to focus on the baby boomer reriders... these honest, unassuming and funlovin' folks are some of the only in the equine industry that dont seem to mind spending a good dollar to get what they want...which is generally very pretty, midsized, colored, mildly aged and dead broke quarter horse geldings. I know of a few brokers who specialize in such horses and they seem too, as best as I can tell, make some money at it.... however... there, with the work broker, I stumble in to a stereotype that most wish to avoid....
Of course my intention would be to gain a reputation of integrity, honest dealing and of standing behind the horses I sell..which would of course be nothing but good minded, sound, and reliable horses. Did I mention that I am totally out of tune with reality right? Good. Because we all know that no one, and I mean no one can escape the wrath of The Crazy Folk.... Yes, these godforsaken people exist in every industry but it seems that the horse world is particularly good at turning out the craziest of the crazies- especially when it comes to buying and selling horses...And of course, Murphy's Law, the Crazies are a gossiping breed, easily aggravated, highly sensitive to any slight- imagined or not- and bent on sparing the world from ever doing business with anyone who falls in their disfavor. In other words... I think it is improbable, if not impossible to maintain a flawless reputation in the horse industry not matter how determinedly one may try.... but I digress.
I just wish that there were some way to make a living out of horses.
Surely some must do it? You know, actually make money... out of... breeding, training, and reselling horses! ... is it possible when you are not independently wealthy to begin with? Are these people making a living or merely supplementing their income? Paying their habit? or are they too dropping dollars in to the vast and seemingly bottomless abyss which is the cost of keeping horses.
So why, if I have such a pessimistic view of the industry, do I have a half dozen horses in my favorites right now that I'd buy simply because I think they are worth more than their asking price, if marketed correctly? Because, I have not let logic, reason or reality temper my dream that one day, some how, some way, it will be possible to make a living with horses.
Click the video below to have this post narrated... it is my new experiment! (And no, there is nothing wrong with your video... I only recorded my voice...I didnt think you'd apprecaite seeing my bathrobe, messy hair, laundry piled up in the corner or chapped lips.)
Well, I'm going to try something different here.... you see, I am a multi tasker, as we women generally are. It is, perhaps, an evolutionary byproduct of raising children, of the generations of women who efficiently and seemingly effortlessly went about the daily tasks of maintaining a household with a baby one hip, a toddler under foot and umpteen children run about the house set on mayhem or killing themselves in some manner or another. I dont know about you but I can stir a pot, close a cupboard door, talk on the phone, and swat a cat off the kitchen counter without conscious thought...where as most men...well... you know.
I tend to be the same way on the computer... right now I have five different "pages" up- my hotmail, this blog and a google page with a search for Jonathan Field clinic info, and my messanger. During the course of writing this post I'll jump from one to the other on countless occasions...which probably accounts for the scattered nature of my posts... While I love to stop by to visit my fellow blogger's and read all about the lives, times, horses and opinions of these fabulous people's lives, I sometimes find that I just dont have the attention to devote to reading a long post, no matter how interesting....sometimes I wish that I could hit a button and have it read to me!
Which is part and parcel of why I've decided to offer a video-blog (is that a term?) of some of my posts. I really had hoped that I when I finally purchased a new horse I could start posting some short video posts of our adventures together but at this point that is not in the cards and so I figured, why not just get started by reading my some of post aloud! That way you other chronic-multi-taskers are free to go browse horse sale ads or make the bed... or whatever while listening to my oh-so-sexy (ha ha) narrate my often rambling and sometimes ranting posts.
And if nothing else, it will entertain me for a while...after all, I can only feed my Hawkydog so many carrots...although I have to say that yesterday's carrot intake resulted in some rather festive Halloween colored... well... you know.
Why on earth I find the video of my Hawkydog eating a carrot so amusing, I just cant say. But I do. And so I had to share. Only please excuse my incessant cooing and embarrassingly ooygooy love talk- he does.
My Mother seems to think that I'm crazy for posting this...as she does not find it even remotely entertaining...to which I say "Too bad, so sad" (one of Mom's favorite expressions... or maybe her favorite is "You think just 'cause there is a cloud in the sky it's going to rain."... or maybe "God doesnt punish with a stick."... or "what do you expect from a pig but a grunt." (that one was actually my Granny's fav)... but actually, I'm pretty sure my Mom's is..."Chelsi! Dont you be gettin' lippy with me!"... Yup, I'd say that's it.
Anyways, on with the highly entertaining video of Hawky eating a carrot.
My sister sent me this in an e-mail today... it is supposedly an ad posted on the dating or "relationship" site "Plenty of Fish"...
Would you date him?
****
-"I'm looking for a divorced woman whose ex-husband left all of his power tools behind. I'm partial to power saws and nail guns. Technician tools will also be considered. Also interested in old classic cars still in your garage. Chev owners get an automatic response.
Did you click on 'next' yet?
No?
Ok, so what time are you picking me up?
I kid.
Yes, I have a dog. No, she doesn't own me. She just seems to pop up everywhere.
Why is there so much hate for Barbie? I read so many profiles saying "I aint no Barbie doll, so if that's what you want...move along" WTF would I want to date a 12" plastic doll with horse hair? I guess I should mention that I'm neither G.I Joe nor Stretch Armstrong.
As a lover, I'm about as impressive as a magician on the radio.
If you read this far, hopefully you realize my profile is as misleading as the dude telling you he likes long walks on the beach at sunset. I'll write a serious one someday when I can come up with the right words to wanting someone normal and honest.
First Date Go somewhere quiet where other people are enjoying a quiet evening out. Then you can get hammered on draft beer and dig into the spinach dip with your bare hands, wipe it all over your shirt and then knock the bowl on the floor. Once you've yelled at the waitress and almost fallen on your ass because you can't stand up, we can get the whole bar staring at us because you're the loudest person there..Oh, and then don't forget to throw the bill at me so you can go outside and puke on yourself.
~Wait a second, I already did that. Let's do something else. "
Thank you to everyone who has left me a little "get well" note. I am still not 100% but am fixing on getting better really soon. One of the side effects of being sick is a serious boost in the amount of time I spend in front of the TV. I've watched A LOT of Friends episodes and am currently marveling at the amazing footage seen on Planet Earth. All of this time spent mindlessly watching reruns has left my brain unoccupied enough that I've started to take notice of some rather odd TV trivia....
So far I've discovered that...
1. House isnt such a great doctor. Do you notice how he always gets the diagnosis wrong the first, second or fifth time? I know they have to make the mysterious medical problem stretch for an hour episode but the whole concept of him being a brilliant diagnostic doctor (putting aside the whole sociopathic drug addicted narcist issue) seems a little far fetched if you ask me.
2. The men on Friends gained thirty pounds for every ten that the women lost. Notice that Rachel and Monica just get skinnier and skinner as the seasons go on while Chandler and Joey gain a marked amount of weight without any reference being made to it within the show or even in the media? Even though many references, jokes and "flashback" episodes are made with reference to Monica during her fat years? Oh! The injustice.
3. Mario Betali is the unbeatable Iron Chef. Why some poor pitiful little Chef would choose to go up against him is beyond me. That chubby orange-haired, croc wearing bastard cant be beat.
4. There are some really f-ed up creatures out there in the great wild yonder. Pardon my french but anyone who's watched the number of nature documentaries I have in the past two weeks can back me up on this fact. Animals, insects, birds and giant lizards, oh my!
... how about this freaky creature named an Aye-Aye...
.... or this primate who looks a little like my Uncle Chester (I dont have an Uncle Chester but I'm sure someone does.)
That thing is called a Tarsier.
Though you have to admit, this Dumbo Octopus takes the cake.
He's TV's wannabe version of Robert Pattinson. Who are they kidding with this knock off Vampire Diaries? I mean, he's a fine looking boy and all but let's face it, he aint no RPattz... no matter what kind of Pea Coat you put him in. Nor is he any Edward Cullen for that matter. Speaking of which...anyone care to see this new New Moon trailer?
6. Mike Rowe is kinda hot. Considering that this guy spends the majority of his on-air time with his hands in all sorts of nasty, dirty, disgusting...well...stuff... he's surprisingly attractive. I was bored enough one night to google his name and discover that, ladies, he is single! He also talked his way into a professional opera gig and as a host on a Home Shopping Channel. Give him a hot shower, good loofah sponge and a bottle of Purel and he'd make my "freeby" list (that would be from the Friends episode about how some couples have list of celebrities that they are allowed to sleep with without getting in trouble from their significant other. Ross had his list laminated.) Something tells me that DB isnt going to go for the whole list idea. Oh! But Mike Rowe went to the Babcock Ranch and A.I.ed some mares! You better believe I have a clip!!!
You can always count on me, Chelsi over at Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind, for a little pop culture trivia mixed in with your footage of a good lookin' man holding an artificial vagina.
Well, that's all I have for now. I let you know if I come up with any other interesting tidbits.
Well, it was confirmed today that I do have H1N1... I refuse to call it Swine Flu as I am not a pig! (and no that is not open for debate!) I am feeling a lot better but still have trouble catching my breathe and so was sent up to the hospital today for x-rays as my doctor thinks I may have pneumonia. (and no, I did not spell that correctly the first time.)
In other news, I suck at math. Just a little FYI... Mathematicians are from Mars, Artists are from Venus. I am practising for a test I may take next week (to see how stupid I've become since high school) and so am reviewing my math skills... I didnt have much 10 years ago and it doesn't seem I've gained any over time... however, for what it's worth, my answers are written out in very neat numbers, lined perfectly in columns and balanced over the space of the page...
My question is this... when... WHEN will I ever need to divide fractions? In the ten years since high school I have never once thought to myself "Dang! I'm sure glad I learned how to calculate the distance between myself and that tree by finding the value of X times by Y squared!" (or however I'd go about figuring that out.... I told you I suck!)... the only point in math is to be able to help your kids with homework and I dont plan on having kids, so there *sticks tongue out*....
A few years ago I spent a weekend watching a reining competition and noting the bloodlines I liked, common mistakes of rookies and doing my best to score the patterns. I also noticed the usual assortment of colors, fake manes and tails, glittery show clothing and all that blingbling but after a while it all started to blend together... sure every so often a really eye catching palomino or buckskin would step in to the arena and stand out from the rest.... or a grulla, black or paint would pop out and say "look at me" but after a while it would take a special individual to pique my interest. In fact, there was just one such horse who walked in to the arena that night and made such an impression that I still remember him to this day....he truly was a stand out as his color just popped right out from everything around him... he was a color rarely seen in the show pen...he was a cremello.
From that day on I've had a special fondness for cremellos and perlinos. Sure I love them because of their double dilute gene (meaning no matter what color they are crossed on they will always produce a buckskin, palomino, smokey black....)
(Half Arabian Buckskin colt by Hollywood White)
....but I've come to appreciate their unique and mythical charm.
(Hollywood White)
Some people really dont like the look of cremellos and I understand why...sometimes and in some light they can be pretty freaky with their pink skin and blue eyes...(some breeders also think that they are more prone towards skin cancers and blindness. They also can have trouble with sunburns.) But I especially like the way that cream colored coat stood out against the browns of the dirt arena... or maybe I'm still dreaming of the "white unicorn" of my childhood. Either way, I'd love for my next horse to be a cremello (and yes, I just might have a specific one in mind.)
Do you like the look of a cremello?
(Hollywood White)
In this post are pictures of one of my favorite stallions Hollywood White who stands at Forgotten Lane Farm. He is an own son of Hollywood Jac 86 and a World Champion reining horse. He was primarily used as a sire for half Arabian reining horses...
(Half Arabian reiner by Hollywood White)
but has recently been bred on more AQHA mares. He also caries the dun gene! Check out his video to see what I mean about that cremello/perlino color standing out in the show ring
It has been a tough week. I'm still sick but (with the help of an unhealthy dose of codeine) I managed to get a decent nights sleep last night and despite a codeine headache and lingering cough I'm definitely on the mend. The jury is still out on whether I had H1N1 (the test takes a week) but I am also being treated for bronchitis or some secondary infection. Oddly enough the same week I became sick there were reports all over the news that H1N1 has been hitting healthy women under the age of 30 unusually hard and that many have ended up in the hospital. As I said, I'm not sure I have H1N1 but I did end up going to the hospital the night before last because I simply could not catch my breathe and my cough was so persistent that I was retching. I haven't been that sick in a really, really long time.... The fevers, constant body ache, and sore throat have been brutal.
It seems a lot of people have been hit with a cold and flu right now. I know four people who are sick, one who has actually been diagnosed with H1N1. I'm wondering how many of you out there have friends and family who are sick and if they are associating their illness with H1N1 or have been confirmed with having it?
I am sick. And miserable. And grumpy. I have a fever, hot and cold flashes and range between curling up in a ball under five blankets and sitting up (as I am now) sweltering hot. Just a little FYI...
Another FYI....
The day before yesterday I was sitting on the sofa watching TV with Hawkydog at my feet when I caught an odd movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked down and was confused for a moment, unsure what it was I was seeing. Hawk's whole body was rocking back and forth, back and forth, his neck and head were swiveling like a snakes and his eyes were darting side to side. He looked very disoriented. It only lasted about thirty seconds but it was absolutely terrifying. I immediately got on the phone with the vet and explained what had just happened and thankfully they were able to slip me in between appointments at the end of the day. The vet checked his ears, eyes, gums, and bum and everything appeared normal. He said that what he had was a seizure and that it is most likely the onset of epilepsy (which usually appears between 5-6...Hawk turned six Sept 18th). Epilepsy is not a life threatening disease and can be treated but is hard to diagnose and so we took blood and checked that there was nothing else wrong. The blood came back yesterday and everything was all clear, thank goodness. We are still doing some more tests but for now it is a relief to know that Hawky is generally in good health....I wish I could say the same....
However, I was reminded this afternoon how fragile life can be and how thankful I am that I merely have a flu and that all my loved ones are alive and well. Today marks the anniversary of the tragic accident that took my cousin Cole's life. Sweet, funny, good hearted, unique and charming, he was such a special man with a wonderful spirit. My heart goes out to my Auntie, Uncle and his brother, time doesnt heal all.
I also have to say that my heart is with my brother tonight as he was first on scene to a major car accident in which one 19-year-old boy lost his life. I know he is struggling to come to terms with the haunting images of the horrific injuries and the trauma of watching a man die under his hand.
Lastly, I'll close on a positive note by wishing all my Canadian friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Watching a top dressage horse perform is like watching poetry in motion; the movement, power and grace exhibited is truly breathtaking, deeply moving and awe inspiring....
I know very little about what it takes to make a dressage horse perform at this level, if the training practises used are humane or if what is being asked of the horse is fair. When I see a horse perform like the one below, some small detached part of my brain wonders if what I am watching is beauty or brutality....
I've been "off" riding for nearly a year now and would like to get back into the swing of things but cant decide which would be better....
If I have $400 a month to dedicate to my "horse budget" is it better to spend those dollars on:
10 one hour lessons a month at $40 a lesson.
Or
Free lease a horse and have unlimited use for the cost of the $400 a month board.
Usually I'd say that lessons is the best way to go but...
When you have been off for as long as I have I don't need to be spending as much time working on how I am riding so much as redeveloping my riding muscles, coordination, balance, feel, etc. ...which I think comes from hours spent in the saddle.
Last year I took lessons when I wasnt really riding fit and I found it really frustrating! I knew where my legs were suppose to be but I didnt have the strength or coordination to keep them there.
If I do lessons I'd only riding eight-10 hours a month instead of up to seven hours a week.
There are other aspects of leasing a horse (other than the hours) that make it a more appealing option than lessons alone, like getting to ride with friends, riding at my convenience, spending time at the barn and forming a bond with "my" horse.
This is the wall I constantly run up against.... Taking lessons and owning/leasing eats up more money than I am willing (or able) to spend. But neither alone satiates my wants/needs as a rider and horse lover.
I'm a big believer that the only way to get a horse truly broke is through a lot of miles and wet saddle pads. I also believe that a lot of wet saddle pads does not make a broke horse. The answer lies somewhere in the middle, in combining both long hours under saddle and the correct application of practical knowledge.
Logic dictates that the same can be said for the rider. How many trainers do you know who spent ten years taking lessons and then decided to become a professional trainer? I don't know of one. All the trainers I know apprenticed... which means that they put in the hours and hours of riding while learning and practising the practical knowledge as they went along.
I know people who have hours and hours in the saddle but cant ride well at all and those who have been taking lessons for years but fall off if their horse so much as farts! (Not really but you get my point...neither are very good horsemen.)
I realize that there are other options...some kind of middle ground but, it you had to pick one or the other, which do you think would benefit my riding the most:
10 hours a month of instructed riding in an arena?
20+ hours a month of uninstructed riding in various locations/situations?
A bunch of booby traps *smirk* (I always smirk when I hear the word "booby trap"... Yes, I am immature. Booby!)?
Well...
I see...
Oh, I see!
Nothing but a big, flat, beautiful, tantalizing, scintillating...
...piece of turf just begging to be torn up by some shod, fleet limbed, 1200 pound animal...
Oh yah, I want to RIDE IT BABY!!!
I cant look at a golf course without thinking, "Dang! I'd love to go for a nice long gallop on that piece of turf!"
Kind of like what I feel when I look at this....
Would you look at that!
That soft sand...
That big, flat and wide open space...
That beautiful natural riding arena is my Back 40!
*pout*
And guess what?
No horses allowed.
City rules.
I hate the city.
<
div>And those damn golf course owners who build big beautiful pieces of turf and then say "No Horses!"
Who do they think they are anyways?
If I were Bill Gates I'd build a golf course that banned golfers!! Yah! That's right. I'd build a big, green, perfect golf course and it would only be open to horses! Except wouldn't have sand traps...or water hazards....and it would have a barn, and a sand arena...and hot water hoses and a mechanical cow
div>
....I guess it wouldn't be much of a golf course at all.
But you get my point.
Have all of you seen Robin Williams on golf?
It is freakin' hilarious... but warning it's also FULL of profanities.
It's been a year since I let Shaunti go. I say "let him go" with some conviction...or at least with a lot more than I had at the time. With a year to reflect, and year to separate my emotion from the reality of the choice I made, it is much easier to look back and see that my sweet ol'man, my Shaunti, was ready to go. I still have doubts, I still feel a sharp pang in my heart when I think of him...my stomach still twists with a guilt that is deaf to reason; an indecision, and an insecurity deaf to the validation of friends and family...
The thought of him still hurts enough that I cant write this without shedding a few tears. Both he, and the responsibilty of him, was mine alone. It was my decision to put down a relatively healthy animal for the sake of his own emotional welfare and the safety of those around him. And as such, it is on my conscience that his death rests. There are those who knew him that disagreed with my decision. Their doubts fed, and continue to feed my own. But the opinion of those whom I trust, the advice of the best horsemen I know was unanimously in support of the decision I finally made. I must make some peace with my decision...at some point.
It's been a year since I said goodbye to a gelding who stole my heart.
For those of you who missed it, a week or so ago I did a post (link here) about the odd (ok...just plain weird) little bloggerdome questions that pop in to my head during the course of the day. Things like, "Do you feed your dog in the morning, evening, afternoon or free feed?" (see this weeks poll question). Well, this one would be hard to post in a poll so I'll just put it here.
It's kinda personal in a weird kind of way.
Here it goes:
When you finish showering, do you step out of the shower dripping wet and then use a towel or do you use a towel while still standing in the shower?
Ok... weird right? But it goes further. When you dry off, do you do a thorough job of it, or do you just do a general pat down (and then maybe a little more later on?)
Do you use one towel for your hair and one towel for your body or the same for both?
I know these questions seem odd but it is precisely the kind of thing people rarely think about....those little deeply ingrained habits that we subconsciously do the exact same way every single day without a thought.
.... or this primate who looks a little like my Uncle Chester (I 
That thing is called a 
He's 
(Hollywood White)
