The Three Musketeers Disband I believe they actually disbanded some time ago. I’ve just held on to the hope they’d get together on horseback again. Once upon a time, in the magical world of horses, there were three sisters, very close in age and living not too far from eachother. As kids […]
Dreams Fade to Reality Read More »
“Aah… you’re doing better” said the horse. “That’s good. Time helps such things.” Yes. the pain is lessening. My first time back to the barn was really rough though. When I saw your nameplate, taken off your stall and put on the tack trunk, the loss hit me all over again. I’m sorry, I
‘Hay, Welcome back’ said the horse. ‘Where’ve ya been?’ Aw, you know how it is, life gets in the way. It’s so overwhelming at times. ‘No, I don’t know how that is. You humans spend so much energy with busy-work and worrying… you don’t take time to LIVE.’ You’re right of course. You’ve always
Saying Goodbye….Again Read More »
It never gets easier My first direct experience with death came at an early age when my kitten was hit by a car. Back in those days cats were indoor/outdoor pets, today I’d never think of letting my cat outside. Heartbroken, I cried for days and pleaded with God to give her back to me.
If it’s not too personal let me ask… Have you ever French Kissed…. a HORSE?! Equine Affaire 2023, Ohio: Julie Goodnight tells spectators not to kiss on their horses faces… that’s not the way horses show affection, and you run the risk of being bitten. The only incident I’ve encountered while nuzzling my horse’s muzzle
Do You Know THE Sure Sign of Spring? •The Cadbury Bunny? no •April Showers? no •Crocuses Budding? no •The 1st Robin? no •Bees a Buzzing?
aah… April 1st! Spring has sprung, the air is fresh… and tricksters come out to celebrate the day. As a kid I looked forward to April Fool’s Day, planning jokes and other mischief. But now I wonder why we have a day dedicated to celebrating Fools. After all, people of this persuasion are pretty plentiful,
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It’s been called “The Hardest Act of Love you’ll ever carry out, and the toughest decision you’ll ever make.” Of Greek origin, the word Euthanasia literally means ‘a good death.’ This week I had the good fortune to come upon the ‘End-of-Life Decisions’ Seminar produced by the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. This topic has been
’Tis that time of year again don’t you know… Today is St Patrick’s Day! And what better way to celebrate than with horses? Yes, you read that right. Horses and St Patrick’s Day go together like green beer and regrettable decisions. The Irish have always had a thing for horses. Maybe it’s because they both
They seem to have a ‘Day’ for just about everything…Wednesday was International Women’s Day, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.” Women are problem solvers In honor of women solving problems by the choices they make I’m sharing excerpts from a story on Horse Network about a woman who
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Do you know March 1st was National Horse Protection Day? Unfortunately horses, both domestic and wild, have been subjected to neglect and abuse for decades. In American horses have always signified freedom. It’s tragic, the symbol for freedom is not free itself! In 1971 the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act federally protected horses and burros
Thoughts on Aging The bruise is fading nicely, a yellow-green shadow of its former glory, and thanks to quantities of ibuprofen so are the aches and stiffness. Surprisingly at my age you don’t recover as quickly as you once did! This incident brought to mind a quote I heard years ago (author unknown) and always loved
Well, I did it AGAIN Or rather, it happened again….. When you fall off your horse it’s one thing. You’ve got an excuse. After all you’re dealing with a thousand-plus pound animal with a mind of its own, and misunderstandings happen. When you fall while just walking around the grounds that’s quite another matter. To
Of Dry Lots or Grass Birthdays….. funny as our outlook on birthdays changes as we age, from excited anticipation to dread, denial then just accepting the inevitable as one has to comes to terms with the ticking clock and the ravages old age can bring, no matter how slow. I can attest to this – I hit
Do Elderly Horses Need Grass? Read More »
Happy Birthday Pins! 34 years ago I could never have pictured my life as it is now. Yes, I’d always loved horses but growing up with few opportunities to ride, the thought of owing a horse was not on my radar. But still I never give up The Dream – I never sold the saddle
The ABCs of Keeping a Horse Always Be Change-able: Have a Plan B… Plan C… Plan… As I drove to the barn, Plan A was to take Pins for a walk outside in the crisp, fresh winter air then in for a quick groom and a ride. That was the Plan anyway. BUT the ground
Have you heard of “JMan”? He died not long age after celebrating his 40th birthday at Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary in Grand Ledge, Mich. They said he was 138 years old in human years, but how did they calculate it?. I’ve seen different formulas to calculate a horse’s age on the web and it urns
Native American Horses I know people who love it but have never watched even one episode of the series ‘Yellowstone.’ So when I came across a recent article on the web I was curious. It talked about an episode where a horse is buried alongside a person ‘in accordance with Indigenous tradition.’ When I was
I Wonder… Here in Western New York, Winter has officially arrived. Our recent ‘Snownado’ left no doubt. Also called the ‘Blizzard of the Century,’ it brought up to 50 inches of snow, 6 foot drifts, canceled flights and a football game, downed power lines and unfortunately brought death. As people worked outside clearing snow in
I’ve never been much on New Year’s resolutions: made with good intentions but often soon forgotten. But it seems right to hold good thoughts as we enter another year. I’ve borrowed this from Amber Lydic’s The Art of Equine Alchemy. “Close your eyes and image yourself in a relationship… Within this relationship you have no
What is Christmas to You? Christmas nears, and for some Christmas Time conjures visions of Sugar-Plums or…but wait, what IS a Sugar Plum? I’d always pictured Sugar Plums as cute little girls in pastel color tutus dancing to the Nutcracker Suite. But no – SpecialityProduce.com says the Sugar plum is large oblong-shaped, purplish-blue skinned fruit with a
Christmas Myths & Other Trivia I hate to burst your bubble but here are several common misconceptions about Christmas beliefs/traditions: The song ‘Over The River And Through The Wood’ is NOT a Christmas song. The original title of the 1844 poem by Lydia Maria Child is “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day” and the
Christmas Myths 2022 Read More »
Keeping a Horse Can Be a Waiting Game As I drove to the barn recently on a cold, damp, rainy, miserable morning I wondered if the vet would arrive on time. And if not, I wondered how long I would have to wait in the damp barn on this cold, rainy, miserable morning. Stopping at
Of Tics & Ticks Of course you’re aware that there are many words in the English language that sound the same but are spelled differently and have very different meanings. I wonder if the same is true in other languages. Being monolingual, I don’t have a clue…. But that’s neither here nor there. Take for
A Tough Time of the Year This is always a tough time of the year for me – the transition from fall’s waning to winter’s approaching, to oops not here just yet let’s have a little more fall, to yep NOW it’s winter! Fluctuating winter temperatures when you live in the City far from your
The Holidays officially start – Thanksgiving! The American Thanksgiving Day is commonly thought to originate in 1621 when the Plymouth colonists celebrated the harvest – a matter of life or starvation – with a feast, thankful that they had survived. Pretty heavy stuff back then. These days how ow many of us are truly thankful? We
To ALL Who Served Photo credit: Kimerlee Curyl Photography Today we celebrate Veterans Day Created on June 1, 1954 to honor former military members and thank them for their service, but did you know (according to a 2019 poll *) 49% of veterans actually don’t like to be thanked, feeling uneasy with the expression “Thank
A Word on Horse Treats It seems appropriate just days after Halloween, one of the candiest times of the year, to think about horse treats. There are a lot of options: home grown (apples & carrots), home made (there are lots of recipes online), store bought or of course ‘people’ treats like peppermint candies. I recently
It was on October 28 two hundred forty-six years ago today…. A Hessian soldier, fighting during the Battle of White Planes, was decapitated when a cannonball shattered his head. No surprise that the remains of his head could not be retrieved when his comrades came to carry his body off the battlefield. The Hessian
On Inexperience Yes, unfortunately I’ve had my share, probably more than my share, of ‘unscheduled dismounts’ over the years, most attributed to my inexperience and/or lack of awareness of where my horse’s mind was. No excuse for lack of awareness but when it comes to horses, I don’t consider inexperience necessarily a bad thing. Coming
‘Unscheduled Dismounts’ Read More »