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A special thank you to Erin Burnside of Elkins High
School and all the riders that came to the benefit trail ride for SWAP. As her
Senior project Erin raised over $400. for SWAP. Kudos Erin. If we had 100 kids
do this as their senior project or even just as a fund raiser, they could pay to
feed all our horses for a year!! Please consider us kids when you are doing your
volunteer projects for school or if you want to do a fund raiser this summer.
One kid with the desire to help can make a huge difference, just like Erin did.
Bravo for a job well done!!
Congratulations
to our Executor for her selection and award for the International Who's Who of
Professional and Business Women for 2006/2007. Kudos!!
Yehaa, Kudos again to our Executor for her selection to
receive the National Leadership Award by the Republican Party.
Click here to put
a horse into our adoption program
Click here to
see what we have learned over the years and with thousands of horses.
If you can't adopt, think about a gift to one or
all of our horses: supplies, tack, dewormers, a donation, fly spray, or a new
halter. Click here to be a sponsor to
one of our horses
Great Goals for 2008:
1. Spend
an hour a day with your horses, not just feeding, training and turning out, but
real quality time doing something that is enjoyable for the both of you.
Grooming or hand walking is a great way to bond with your horse and good for
both you and the horse.
2. Get
your loved ones more involved in your horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we
see horses coming back to us. Don't just share the work, share the fun too and find
something they really enjoy doing with horses.
3. Learn
a new discipline, go to a clinic, a horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one
of our clinics or watch a training video. If you are an adopter you can check
out books and video's from SWAP's Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or Bring your adoption horse
here and we will help you. The better you are, the more fun you will have.
4. Make a
plan for your horse after you are gone or if you have a major injury, let your
will executor know your plans. Make a plan for emergencies or financial bumps
along the way for your horse. Have a plan if you or your horse gets injured,
even for the tough times of year like winter (or summer down south). Ask friends, family and neighbors
to be part of your plan. Most people can not resist someone when they are asking
for help for the welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in better shape to
prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your horses. Eat 1-1-1
(one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one glass of red wine
daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit and get 2 sources
of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day, get a whole
house water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of apple cider
vinegar every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease can not
grow in an alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat. Get a
good air cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the fresh
air and sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat food,
processed foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial sweeteners,
soda and don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients and know
exactly what is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy organic, buy
ocean caught fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk, not packed or
processed. Eat only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats) bake/broil or steam
everything. Use your microwave for only heating water, it kills the nutrition
value in food. Get 8 hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce commuting by car
pooling, tight schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or read the news only
once a day or better yet once a week, stay clear of
negative people
and those very negative chat rooms and bulletin boards). Stop Complaining and be
Thankful for what we each have. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight
training every day and it will make you strong, lean, look great and you'll get
wonderful complements from friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work
will be easier and more enjoyable.
6. Read
at least one book on training your horse and one on care each year, if for nothing
else but just inspiration. SWAP has a great
library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of mailing
it. Click here to
see our Library
7. Get
carrots/apples every time you go to the store, your horses will love you for it and
always come running when you call. Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots
are sweet enough. Get rid of the sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse
once and for all.
8.
Realize that if you are having a problem with your horse, more likely than not,
the problem is you. Learn more, practice more, ask in a different way, be
patient, change their environment or daily schedule to better suit them. Taking
better care of a horse always brings out the best in that horse. Good
feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the elements, lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to
just be a horse, time with their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a
good start. The biggest part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse.
If you are struggling, then you need to learn more and get better.
9. Ride
at least once a week, regardless of weather. Use this time as your down time for
healing, your therapy, your time to relieve stress and the pressures of daily
life. Even if you don't ride, go sit and read a book in the pasture with the
horses or sit in the barn and listen to them munch on dinner, away from the
crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace and quiet, enjoy hearing happy
horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
10. Spend
time leisurely grooming your horse once a week. Rubber curries are shine makers.
You will have a beautiful horse and a very loyal friend who will do anything for
you.
11. Come and spend a week at SWAP HQ,
volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your life
plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help
an animal in need, whether fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out
to check on our horses in their homes or helps us approve adopters in their
area. Find horses in need and help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter
auction, get it fat and trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and
volunteer for your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good
things you do will come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a
talent they can offer and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good
home, you have changed their life forever.
12.
Know that every goal is obtainable and it starts with a single step.
Take that first step today!! No matter what it is or how big, YOU CAN DO IT!!
Every goal that is written down will come true (really!). Every famous person,
every great or notable scientist, author, trainer/rider, parent or friend
started out as just a thought, just a goal. Remember to take one step today to
reach your goals.
13. Start
every day with thinking about, what is the most important thing I can do
today to change my life and make it better. Do that one thing and in 30 days
your life will be totally different. Can you imagine what your life would be
like if you did that for 60, 90 or even 365 days a year. The opportunities are
endless.
14. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That should be every horse owners
number one goal) do a
long slow warm up (cold muscle is easy to injure, a warm one is nearly
impossible to injure). The very best cool down is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out.
Yes, get off the horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good
time for you to bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a
hot walker, do something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the
best rehab for over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy
and swimming your horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to
become more conditioned before going into any training program... that usually
means 3 months of at least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for bones to become strong
enough to jump or do any strenuous training program. Don't start any upper level
work, jumping or extensive training until the horse is fit and at least between
age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10 months (especially if the
horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped or worked in the last
year).
15. Appreciate what you have and be thankful.
Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank those
people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more that
will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look
around and enjoy those things.
16. Get used to using favorite mantra's and visualizations
every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can do this, I will do
this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I deserve the best' or
'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back' and take two minutes
every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep to visualize the life
you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts become things, what you see
is what you get, if you expect the best, the best will happen, change your
self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your life will change for the
better..
17. Each person is put on this earth for a reason, each of
us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find, finding is a journey
... in the journey and the search you'll find your life purpose. If you died in
your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done that you need to do or
want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt bridges to fix? People
you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you fulfilled your purpose in
your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make this better? Who do
I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was I put on this earth? What
is my purpose?
18. Be an inspiration to your family, co workers and
friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get discouraged,
most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a nudge. Instead of
being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration. You do believe
they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is negative, then you
be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to say it and believe
it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or causes more failure,
achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in a negative cycle,
break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk, achieve something
small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of achievement.
19. We all file a flight plan every single day for our
life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying, the winds, the
gravitational pull will change your flight plan and take you off course, so you
must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make your
destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps in
your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal and
figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan is
find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be...
it is obtainable.
20. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it is sometimes)
to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at least one bite
of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short to not enjoy it
thoroughly.
21. We learn the most and do our best work when we have
fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried, scared or
frustrated, when we anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is then that
you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant ideas come
to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless or
hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
22. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to try and
wasted energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with you at any
given time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50% becomes a lot of
people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not hurting anyone and
you believe you are doing the right thing, then go ahead and do it. If you are
wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually the harder thing to do, the
toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely the right thing to do.
Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or says about you, do
something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least have them sitting
on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she has guts". One
person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
This should
probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.
1. There
are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least
15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only
reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you
4. A smile
from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every
night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean
the world to someone.
7. You are
special and unique.
8. Someone
that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you
make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10 When you
think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11 Always
remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Good
friends are like stars.......
You don't
always see them, But you know they are always there.
"Whenever
God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another,
I would
rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole
truck load when I'm gone.
Always in hope and admiration, Celeita
| | 
Happy
Endings 2001
Hello, Celeita,
I just wanted to update you on Koda Bey. He is the most amazing
horse you could ever wish for. I just came in from giving him his midnight
carrot snack :) He has such a cute personality. When you walk over to the fence,
he is always the first one to come over and search for his breakfast carrot, or
nicker. I have been riding him every day, he is a bit spooky on the trails. He
recently got a minor girth rub, (I am putting Corona and Wonder Dust on it,
along with washing it) so I have been lunging him more than I would usually so
he will get a sufficient ammount of exercise every day. (He gets Sunday off). I
have tried to ride him bareback, but his wither is just too large, and we are
hoping within the next few months of a lot off good feed and care he will
develope new muscules in that area. He gets fed twice a day, and eats 3 pounds
in the morning and evening. Consisting of 14 % Sweet Feed, Pellets, and Alf-Alfa
Pellets. I think I have spoiled him a bit. He is already used to a wash down
everyday, and a lot of carrots and apple treats. Our TB gelding, Happy, really
loves Koda, but Koda is still playing hard to get with everyone but Foxy
(They're grazing partners). The alpha mare Jade has very little tolerance for
him when Happy goes over to sniff him. This evening Happy was following him
around, and he and Koda had a squealing face off, but in the end poor Happy got
ignored agian. Ever since Koda has gotten here - he has pretty much been my
favorite out of all four of our horses. He is just the most beautiful horse, I
can see exactly why he was a halter champion. He trys so hard to please and do
everything that is asked of him, he is truely a dream, and to me he was worth
every penny of his adoption. Every night he stands by the woods and trees, I
think he enjoys the peaceful crickets and night birds. He is facinated by the
frogs in the pond aswell. Koda really loves his grass. The instant he leaped out
of the trailer the first thing he went for was a big clump of grass. He isn't
ravenously hungry as he was when he first came, and he seems to be very well
sated on the grass. His ribs are almost all filled in already, and his chest
seems a little more bulked up. He has revived my interest in the Arabian horses,
and I am now looking at various stallions that in the future I will breed my
mare to. She is currently at my mother's house, but will soon be living here
with me. Thank you so much for allowing us to adopt Koda, he is certainly a
wonder of a horse, and such a magnificent mover. I will keep you updated on both
Koda and Fox in the next few weeks.
Sincerely,
Olivia Carpenter
Hi Chris and Celeita:
Just wanted to drop a note to tell you that Abby's doing well. She a great
girl. Everyone at the barn is amazed that she's an adoption horse. She is
so pretty and so sweet. The barn owner, Barbara, loves her. She lets her 5
and 6 year old kids lead Abby in and out of the pasture because Abby is so
well-behaved and safe.
We're working on our riding. Abby is a bit above my abilities but I'm
taking lessons on her and things are getting better and better. Wanted to
let you know that she's not a spook but she is lazy and spooking is her way
of trying to end work. I can tell that Abby has definitely called the shots
in the past as to when she thought enough was enough. She and I have come
to an understanding. I don't ask more of her than she can give but we
aren't finished with work until I say we're done. Now that she understands
that, she's become much easier to ride and to work with on the lunge line.
Anyway, to any potential adopters who are afraid to adopt a horse, tell them
not to worry. Abby was exactly what you made her out to be and whether you
adopt a horse you've never seen or you buy one that you've ridden, there is
always an adjustment period and you just have to be patient and work through
it. These are horses, not machines. They have to get to know you and trust
you. Their lives and well-being are in your hands.
On that note, I rode Abby yesterday and she was good as gold for me. She
didn't try any of her tricks at all. Then I let a friend hop on her who is
a much more experienced rider than me and I was selfishly pleased to note
that Abby is now definitely my horse. She didn't like having someone else
on her back and she made it known. Maybe I'm a bit sentimental, but I
really think she's so good for me now 'cause she knows me and cares for me
the way that I care for her.
I wish I could help you out financially but I donate as much as I can spare
to the TRF to go toward the care of my TB gelding. But if this helps to
adopt out any horses, then I feel that I've been able to help a little bit.
Thanks for all you do for the horses and thanks for Abby. I'll send some
pictures when I get a chance. She's a little butterball.
Warm wishes,
Lil Kleingardner
Celita,
I wanted to let you know that Brioso left for his new, wonderful home this
morning. Frank picked him up--what a nice man! Just wanted to officially
thank you for all of your hard work in the adoption program. I am also
looking at donating some blankets. Is there someone up there that can repair
buckles, straps, etc.?
Thanks again
Meg Vanderbilt
I wanted to personally thank you
for introducing me to Marissa St. Clair. She flew down on Sunday and fell in
love with Brioso. We had a great morning getting to know each other. She was
ready to take him on the plane with her back to Maryland. I cried tears of
saddness, but mostly tears of joy thinking of his new home. Thank you for all
of the work you have done to help him.
Hi All,
Tucker got to work with Kenny Harlow (The Virginia Horse Whisperer) last
weekend. We've had a few little handling issues...nothing serious, but
just more easily dealt with in a good training session....I felt would be
best handled by a professional. (Who doesn't have bad knees like I do...)
Tucker had a good round penning session, and settled right in for some
ground manners work. He learned to stand patiently for the shoer and how
to move off whip signals without panicking. (He had told my animal
communicator that he had been whipped by a man and terribly frightened.
This, I suspect happened when he was a baby before he was donated to
Crossed Sabers. Have to wonder if it had to do with his leg surgery and
all the bandaging, etc. he had to undergo as a foal.) It took minimal
time and effort for Kenny to have him standing there like a puppy,
perfectly still and obedient.
Kenny was impressed enough to suggest he could probably just saddle him
up and ride right off, but I told him I wanted Tucker to grow up a bit
more before that. I am trying to get into a clinic in the Spring so he
can be one of Kenny's "unbroke" horses. The techniques he uses really do
give the horse a solid foundation on the concepts of being ridden safely.
By then, I will have fully trained Tucker in ground driving so he will
turn, stop and work correctly on the bit. Getting on to ride then will
just be one more little step in the training process. (Hope we all don't
need a step ladder though. He's already topping 16.1 and I doubt he's
done growing.)
He is a sweetheart, all huggy and cute. He is also very smart. My oldest
horse, PJ, thinks he, Toby, and Tucker are a "great gang," and he really
enjoys their time together. It sure is fun watching them play, cavort,
frolic, and just generally have a good time.
I'm sending two pictures. The marks on the boy are a result of playing so
much, and purely cosmetic. I'm not thrilled with the full body shot, so I
need to work on getting some better ones.
Take care,
Jean D.
Theyre coming fast and furious
now...LOL the updates.
Please...forgive me for multi sending again...its that typing something over
and over again that Im avoiding...
so to all my horsey friends...and Addys "mommy"
Weve been exploring the local trails. Being of sound mind and wanting to
stay sound in body...we did our prior and proper preparation. The first time
we headed out he went on the 12' line and natural halter. We got down to
this one house that had blow up plastic style bags that were goblins,
witches and ghosts. He was like oh no...thats really scary. We played some
games and he went by. We just had a nice walk then hand graze. Then headed
home. Weve been riding out back there ever since. Ive even ridden him with
just the bareback pad and natural hackmore. We confronted our first kiddy
driven sand dune buggy back there in our 'bare' tack. He did great. He still
remembers the halloween decorations...and we still play some games to get
past it...but he gets better each time.
Ive been contacting the neighbors and getting some riding space in the now
cropless fields. We have to time it with the hunting season(s). I think the
one guy is going to be great...he has like 75 acres across the street. Nice
paths from the tractors around the rim and through some sections. Back
behind where we board is all creeks, woods, sandy areas and residential. The
neighbors are all cool with riders going through.
The big news. This past sunday (10/20) we went to a clinic in Willards.
Theres a beauitful brand new indoor arena up there. Theres a jump course and
proper size dressage ring. This guy Jorge Chevanes (sp?) has trained
Andalusians and is into the round pen aspect of natural training. He was
only charging $65 for a 2 1/2 hour clinic. I figured it was worth that to me
to find out how Addy would do in a more active multiple horse situation.
Were thinking about doing the Nassawodox trail ride Nov 8th (I think)..
about 100 riders....do woods...fields...and beach. I also figured I was at
least on par with this guy. Im sure hes better at the 'polish' than I
am...but after chatting...riding with and meeting this guy...I think I
probably have more versitility than he does. Anyway....I of course felt my
failings. Having broken this leg...my balance is a bit harder for me to
maintain at the working trot without stirrups. I feel tipped over to the
right from time to time and cant pull myself back with that bad left
leg...so he goes...sideways...want me to go sideways? Hes so funny. When I
ride in stirrups I can easily maintain everything because I can maintain the
balance. I think its something I need to work on. I dont know if I can get
it better without some repetition. The bouncing when I get unbalanced
irritates my back too...so thats still stiff today. I looked Jorge in the
eye and went look...I need to get into the stirrups now...I realize that I
need work here...but I dont want to fall off in front of spectators. LOL.
Adlige was a star. I see why he was called that. He was pretty funny. We
checked out the indoor...then got our tack on. Nancy grazed him while we did
the picture/lecture portion of the clinic. Bridled up...tightened our final
hole and went to the block. He stood like a champ to be mounted. He was so
polite and good. We went to the outdoor dressage ring. Different people
wanted different things out of the clinic. I wanted to play with passage and
passes and to see how he would do in the situation...Would my training hold
up? Off to the outdoor dressage ring. We just did some walking. Then walking
without stirrups. Then trotting without stirrups. I got through about 10
minutes before I felt like I wanted to get back in the stirrups. We did some
circling...bending work. He was soft and supple. Then everyone moved over to
one side of the arena and we did individual figure 8 movements. Addy was so
nice and soft. The horse to follow me was like a pistol over something in
the one corner. He would scoot forward...and then the rider would get
tight...then he would launch into bucking. He put her off 2x. Jorge ended up
getting on him. That went better but the horse was ....In my opinion..
shying over something and then when the rider got tense he got tense. I want
to stress that a lot of my success with Addy is in that I can stay relaxed
even when he gets tense. Jorge didnt mention anything to the girl about the
one rein halt to stop the bucking. It wasnt my clinic so I didnt mention it
at the time...but told her about it after Jorge had left. Once he got off
that horse...and sent him back to the barn...we got into leg yields. Oh
boy...what fun. Addy is sooooo awesome on yielding. You can do shoulder
in...shoulder out...full sideways...half pass 2 tracks..hes sooo fun. Some
of this I accredit to the porcupine game playing that we do. The yielding
the body no matter where I touch. I can point at which foot he needs to pick
up for the blacksmith...its so cool. I can point at his shoulder..hip...leg...whatever
and he yields. As the others struggled to get shoulder ins...we played...on
the diagnals half pass to the left...hit center... change to half pass to
the right. We could start out moving on the diagnal to the right...then just
switch our body position to finish the pass moving to the left. He was
awesome. We went to do some cantering... but he was like come on...come
on...just a few bucks.. ppplllleeease? Im like ...no bucking....We tried
again..a little light in the hind end but got himself together. I think he
just wanted to mess about. We didnt do much on the canter. Just a canter
around the rim in each direction. Hes great about picking up the proper
lead. I think my only complaint about him in the session is that when each
person was performing their own 'solo' figure 8 he would be a bit antsy. I
want him to learn to just stand...I dont want to have to maintain contact on
his mouth to get him to stand. We need to work on that....but as I explained
to the people after the clinic when we discussed the session...I was willing
to just do my hurry up and relaxes (lateral movments...one rein halts) and
not repremand or negatively reinforce. He stood like a saint to be mounted.
Waited for me to get my stirrups adjusted. He went to a strange place and
did everything asked of him with enthusiasm. He didnt spook...he loaded like
a level one horse by just being pointed at the trailer....twice. Im going to
pretend like that didnt happen. Im going to work on it...Im aware that its
there...it just needs work. Overall....another great experience. For him and
me.
I think hes also really starting to enjoy trail rides. We go places and do
things. When we ride out in the hackmore...we have our favorite lush green
spot that we stop at to graze for 15 or 20 mins. I figure if he just spent 1
1/2 hours doing what I want to do ...I can spare that to let him do some of
what he might want to do. He seems to appreciate it. Weve been riding 2 or
3x a week. Other days we just play around in the field. Hes gotten to the
point that he knows my car (its kinda creepy because my dog is like that
too)...as soon as he sees me pull up he matches my pace to and into the
barn. My buddy. My mother was like...you were showing off a bit ....I was
like mom... you dont even know how much more I could have shown off. I could
have done all that in the natural hackmore. I was good...I rode in a
saddle...I rode in a bridle. I could have done the pad and hackmore. I made
sure everyone in the clinic understood that I spent 3 months on the ground
with this horse prior to stepping a foot over his back.
Ill keep you all posted. Im heading up to Fair Hill this coming weekend. I
think I might go to the Washington international on fri or sat...then go up
to Fair Hill. Lisa is competing the team for the triple crown...Becky...my
old roomate from Mrs T's wants me to meet her up there on Sunday for the
marathon. I guess they have to use that area of fair hill for the 3 day on
saturday...so they have the marathon while the 3dayers are doing their show
jumping. I guess cones must be on monday. I dont know how all that works.
Theyre doing the endurance there too. All at once. That would be a planners
nightmare. LOL. Yikes.
All is well.
Chris & Addy
Celeita,
Butch will be picking up GG and Trippin some time Thurs morning.
As soon it stops raining we can start tearing down the old barn (more like a
shed) and grading for the barn. Hopefully after the 1st of the year I will
be set up to foster or adopt a few more.
I wanted to run a few things by you to see what you think. VI college is
having a horse show at the VA horse center in Lexington Feb 27-Mar 2. We can
get a 10x12 vendor booth for retail, information, or publicity purposes. I
will pay the vendor fee if you think this is something that will generate
some interest in the program. Last year they had over 500 horses competing
from 10 states. I think that the VA state director lives in or near
Lexington and may be able to find out more info before we decide.
Another thing I was thinking of doing is sponsoring a horse show for the Fun
Fest next summer. They had one every year until this past year (don't know
what happened to the sponsor). The show was part of the local show circuit
with points awarded to the winners toward year end awards. I know that the
Therapeutic Riding Center hosts a charity show so I don't know why we
couldn't with the proceeds going to CSS. They get people to sponsor the
different classes. You could come down for the weekend to host the show and
we could show what some of the adoption horses can do and have an
information booth set up with info on adopting.
Just let me know what you think and we can go from there.
Karen
Bristol, TN
Celeita,
GG and Trippin were fine this morning. I'm using a 10% protein/10% fat
textured feed for most of the Tb's. It seems to keep the weight on them
better with 3-6 lbs per feeding instead of 6-9 lbs per feeding of a feed
with less fat. I use a protein supplement for those that need extra protein.
I also use alfalfa cubes and a mixed grass hay. GG likes the cubes, she and
Baron were on them before according to their paperwork. Baron begs for them
like they are candy. Trippin isn't sure the cubes are food. He just crumbled
it up in the pan and went back to his hay. I can't believe all the stuff
that came with him. Did his owner get out of horses?
We will be working on the old barn some more tomorrow. We are cleaning out 2
stalls and fixing them up and cleaning out a feed storage area. Artie didn't
realize he had accumulated so much stuff. He found some halters and leads
that he gave me; some looked brand new. We are going to leave the other side
of the barn open (approx 20x30) so we can get 4-6 horses in there if the
weather gets really bad before the new barn is up. It usually doesn't snow
here before Jan but we have had some light snow in Dec. It will be in the
60's this weekend. We plan to let GG and Trippin get aquatinted with the
others while we are working.
I'll keep you updated on how things are going.
Karen
gotta read this, its hilarious! Diasy, bless her
heart was one of our oldest companion horses that we have had in the
program, all the young geldings loved her here, made me want to be a horse.
She was at least 25, had ring bone, had one eye, had a club foot. I mean
anything you could ever have go wrong was wrong with this poor girl. This is
one of the few horses that when it came here I said, "I know she will here
forever" but it was always such a hoot. The young studly TB geldings would
follow her around like puppy dogs. She is just like an old woman though,
according to Karen, she wants to eat at a certain time, wants to go out at a
certain time and lay under her favorite tree and wants to come in at a
certain time and by george you better be there. Trippin just arrived at
Karen's and I guess he has the hots for Diasy, too. Here's Daisy's reaction
to Trippin. :)
Celeita,
We let GG and Trippin out with the group last Sat afternoon. We took them in
the bottom gate because none of the herd was nearby. They wandered around a
little and then started up the hill. One by one horses started to appear on
top of the hill. It reminded me of an old western movie when the Indians
would appear on a hill above the wagon train. Trippin kept on charging up
the hill, GG turned around and came back to us. Bandit (he is top dog) came
down to meet Trippin; they did some squealing and then the other geldings
came down, even Hootie. The mares ignored him for the most part. GG decided
it was okay to go up when nothing happened to Trippin. Missy came to meet
her followed several of the other top ranking mares. More squealing and then
they all ran off. Trippin and GG were on the outskirts of the herd Sat
night. Sunday morning we thought we had lost Trippin. We finally found him
down by the creek with Daisy. She came over to us a fast as Daisy can run
and gave me the "eye." It was if she was saying "do something about this
guy, he won't leave me alone." Several days later he was hanging out with
Two Wap. He likes older women I guess. GG hasn't found a friend yet but the
others don't pick on her or try to run her off. Sometimes it takes a while.
We plan to get her and Baron together in the early spring. We are going to
build a run-in and fence about 2 acres for Baron, GG and Moon. Moon doesn't
have a close buddy either so may she and GG will bond. More later.
Karen
Hi Celeita,
Sorry it has taken me so long to
email you. Just wanted to drop a line to say Rocky is a wonderful horse.
He is all and more that you said he was. We learned from the vet. and the
farrier that he had been pinfired (I hope I spelled it right). They
explained what it is and that with allot of rest he would be around quite a
few years but would need to have a " Flex-all" I think that's the spelling,
during the cold days and winter. He is adjusting well and is so attached to
Midnight it is difficult to separate the two for any amount of time. He and
her took about one hr. I suppose to get acquainted. Nothing harsh but just
a quite stand still don't move attitude on her part before she would finally
let him move around. The next day though he was boss and that's how it has
been since. It's interesting to watch them and how the horse rules apply.
Thank you very much for him. We will take care and love him much. My
husband did not like hearing what kind of life he may have had due to the
pinfiring on his front legs and one back leg but to tell you he was here
now, and Rocky would be able have the horse life that he so richly deserves,
no schedules of any kind just being a horse and doing horsey things. In
other words he really is impressed with Rocky. Asking him to explain his
thoughts about Rocky and his reply was " The muscles he shows when trotting
through the field is something to behold. He is a stunning horse indeed".
This is not a person he has spent time around horses and his comment about
Rocky made me feel good. Some of the farmers around us has been by and
their comments were nice too.. " I'll bet he was something to see in his
prime racing days because he sure is pretty". The vet said he was beautiful
and was a pleasure to be around. Again, thank you very much. He has
brought so much pleasure to our hearts. I hope Rocky will feel the same.
P.S. Is it okay to contact the
owners for his registration papers? We were wondering also when he came to
your farm and where is was before hand.
Hi all,
Glad to hear the good news about the mortgage. We have our own mini-farm! Our
new address will Oxford, Ohio. The closing is set for the end of this month.
We have some fencing to finish and a little work to do on the barn before we
can move PG and Hawk to their new home. They will have horsey neighbors. There
are some pretty black and white paints next door. We will have 5 acres for the
2 horses. In the Spring, my friend will be bringing her 21 year old Arabian
from West Virginia to board with us. We are thinking about getting a miniature
horse, but no other large animals. Our plans are to build an arena in the
Spring so Allison has a nice place to ride Gem and I have a place to work with
Hawk.
Gem is having some stiffness in her back leg since the colder weather has set
in. She is still running, but does not like me to pick up her leg when I pick
her hoof. She also does not want to put weight on it. The vet gave me some
Bute for her and she is doing better today. It was warmer today, so I don't
know if her recovery is a result of Bute or the better weather. I am going to
e-mail her former owners and ask if she has ever had this reaction to the cold
before. I think she may need some joint supplements. We are not riding her
right now, but she is still getting excercise running around with the young
horses. I
I will let you know when the move is complete. I will send pictures.
Thanks,
Michelle Henley
Dear Celetia,
I just wanted to write you a short note to let you
know how Harry is doing. He arrived last Wednesday afternoon, and has settled
in nicely. He is not at all nervous, as I was worried he would be since his
new home is a busy boarding stable. I guess all the peace and quiet in West
Virginia was unnerving him, as he now stands quietly in the cross ties, and
looks really bored most of the time. I trimmed his mane and bridle path, and
he looks very handsome. I am having a good time letting everyone guess what
kind of horse he is. Most think a warmblood of
some kind. He is docile and kind, and has totally sold me on the
standardbred horse.
Thanks again for Harry, and all the STB material
you sent with him. He is definitely a keeper!
Sincerely
Pam Walsh
Hey
Stan, thanks for your support. So glad you still like that boy. Hope your
having fun on him this summer! Celeita
Celita,
You
have no idea <smile>... I really have to write up what the last year's been
like...
I
spent from November thru March doing nothing but groundwork, gettting our
relationship established and getting him to trust me. I know that Jo (Beyers,
who donated him to SWAP) treated him well, but it's also clear that the people
before her did NOT treat him well <sigh>.
Then I gave him to Bob Jeffreys (the trainer/clinician who runs the barn where
I board, who went through one of the first John Lyons
Certification Programs many years ago with Charles Wilhelm and Kenny Harlow
among others, and who is an excellent trainer and clinican in his own right - www.bobjeffreys.com) for
a couple of weeks of round pen and advanced ground work that I knew were
beyond what I knew how to do properly. Bob took a lot more of the fear out of
him (he says that it's the most rewarding thing he gets to do as a trainer
<smile>), and then his protege and my riding instructor, Suzanne, Shepart,
put some rides on him to get him set and comfortable in the snaffle and to
get him walking! Then I rode him and worked on him just walking and started
on transitions up and down... and then the end of June, I took a four day
foundation clinic with him, where we worked on giving to the bit, lateral
work, backing up, and taking out the hip, among other variations on a
theme...
I Also took a Centered Riding clinic from Susan Harris over
Mother's Day on Major, in an indoor arena, and he handled it (along with being
trailered over there and back) very nicely.
But there were a few bumps along the bumpy road... in early April, just after
Suzanne had started riding him, he started coughing a little, then a little
more, mostly when I was grooming him and he was shedding like crazy. I
figured that he was reacting to the hair blowing in his face... I know it was
giving me trouble, so why not him! Then one Sunday morning, after about two
weeks of coughing, I was at Church when I got a call from Suzanne just after
services had ended, she'd been giving him a ride, and he was coughing, and
when she'd finished, she noticed that he'd been bleeding (fresh blood) a
little from the nose. She asked if she should call out the Vet, and I said,
"Please!", and headed right out to the barn (was headed there anyway later).
Well, after a comedy of errors including the barn owner's wife taking his
temprature and getting it wrong (you do have to shake the thermometer down
before using it <it's funny now, looking back on it>), the Vet came and gave
him a quick exam, determined that the blood was just a broken blood vessel,
and not anything to worry about, but then said that he had "Emphysema" that
had progressed to 5 on a scale of 1-10 and wouldn't get any better!
Well, he paniced me (my grandfather died of emphysema)... so I did a lot of
reading... found out that it was COPD, and that it could be managed. The
more I read and talked to people who'd had COPD horses, the more I calmed
down. So we put him outside, and we wet his hay, and gave him an
antihistamine, and he got better. And I called Jo Beyers and asked if there
was any history of this, and she said he'd had one coughing fit a few years
ago, and that it was in the woods when the pollen was so thick you could see
it! Nothing after that. So given that and some more digging, I became
convinced that he had an allergy attack... and after talking to others who
knew the Vet better, found out that he would always give the owner the worst
possible view of things... his way of managing expectations <sigh>... So
we're switching Vets, and being careful, and he's been fine ever since.
We'll be very careful next spring and expect an allergic reaction and be ready
for it. I'm also going to put him on MSM (read up on it and can't find a
single negative thing on it anywhere!) to help prevent breathing from becoming
an issue again (and it also looks like it may work as a preventative for
athritis and such which he may be subject to, given that old injury on his
hind leg). He's also on Weight Builder since while he's not a hard keeper,
he's not an easy one either... so this keeps him where he should be weight
wise without making him any hotter. I'm also going to try him on a probiotic
to see if he's an easier keeper when he's digesting better <hopeful grin>.
Oh, and I put together a Gaited Horse Clinic with Liz Graves presenting in
September in Harrisburg, PA (central location to all those interested who came
together online via gaitedhorses.net from OH, VA, NC, MD, NJ, NY, and PA
<geographic grin>) so that now that his foundation is being built I can learn
a bit more about his gait and how to help him develop a good running walk
instead of the pacey one he has now.
We have a lot of work to do, but we have a real foundation to build on now...
Bob (the barn owner/trainer/clinician I mentioned earlier) was concerned when
I got Major. He didn't tell me till later, but he was worried that he was too
much horse for me at that point. After some time, and the four months I stuck
to doing ground work and relationship building that we needed to do, when I'd
rather have been riding, he told me of his original concerns, and said that
almost everyone he's seen who start out with too much horse wound up with a
Harley (or an ATV) instead of a horse a year later. But that he thought I
just might be the second one he'd seen who'd be the exception that proved the
rule. He's since said that he's pretty sure I'll be the second exception
<proud smile>... He and Suzanne (his protege and my riding instructor) told
me after the Foundation Clinic a week and a half ago that he's no longer too
much horse for me, that he's lost much of his fear, and that I've grown into
him. It was a high compliment, coming from them <proud smile>...
Oh, and every now and then I give Jo Beyers a call, just to keep her up to
date on how he's doing. She appreciates it, and I like talking to someone
else who thinks as much of Major as I do <smile>.
So yes, you could say that I "still like that
boy" <big smile>... Gotta go now... going out to the barn <bigger
smile>...
Anyway, take care, and good luck with the fund
raiser, you're off to a good start, and I'll let you know what else I can
raise as soon as I can
{and Thank YOU!}
Hi, my name is Reba, and I have a
special friend named Kaleigh.
Kaleigh is six years old, and says I'm "the prettiest big blonde
pony" she's ever seen. Kaleigh is only big as a minute, and is
missing two front teeth. She gives me treats, brushes my mane, and
sometimes takes me for trail rides in the woods.
I live on a 20 acre farm in northeast Ohio with Kaleigh's Grandma and
Grandpa. Kaleigh visits a lot, but most of the time I just hang out
with the other horses. And that's fun too. See, I'm getting on in
age, and my joints are a little stiffer than they used to be. Before
I came here, I had a job in a kids camp, That was OK, but it got to
where I just couldn't keep up with all the work they needed me to do,
every single day. I started getting cranky and misbehaved a lot. When
I heard my previous owner say it was time to retire me I was
thrilled. But when they said I was going to be donated to SWAP, I had
no idea what that was. It turns out that SWAP stands for the Second
Wind Adoption Program. They took me to a huge farm called Crossed
Sabers in May 2001. I was pretty scared at first but they worked with
me and taught me that the bad behavior was unacceptable. Finally, I
was put on their website for adoption, and that's how I found Kaleigh.
Actually, it was Kaleigh's Grandma who found me. When she spotted me
on the website, she jumped in her car and came to visit. I was in my
new home the next day! Kaleigh was there waiting for me and my second
life began. I was a little stiff and limpy because of the long ride
to Ohio so Grandma put me on arthritis medicine right away and in a
few days I was much better.
Even now, Grandma checks the Crossed Sabers website searching for
older horses that have experience with kids or have been
lesson/school horses. She says that older horses and young kids go
together like peanut butter and jelly. So far, she's been right.
Sometimes Kaleigh also plays with Snickers, who started out as one of
our Foster kids. Snickers was an old lesson horse that couldn't stay
sound for his daily grind either. His owner thought he needed a
quieter life with room to roam. She donated him to SWAP but Crossed
Sabers was full (which happens a lot, I hear), and Snickers had to be
moved. Lucky for us, Grandma had room to take him in as a foster. I
remember the first day Snickers came here. They put him out in the
newcomer pasture, all by himself, and he just stood there. It was
like he'd forgotten how to run, or maybe he just didn't know what to
do with all that room. Well, to make a long story short, Snickers is
still with us. Grandma adopted him a couple of weeks after he arrived
for Kaleigh's Mommy to ride. He hasn't been lame since he came to
live with us. His old owner was right. He just needed to have a
quieter second life and she gave it to him by donating him to SWAP.
Last week, our newcomer pasture was occupied again. His name is Giant
Boulevard. Boy, does he fit his name, at least the `Giant' part! I
get a crick in my neck just looking up at him! Boule is just a
youngster, but he limps a lot and has a knee that's really big. He's
a Foster Boy too, and Grandma says he needs some `recuperation.' I'm
not sure what that is, but I'll bet it has something to do with
eating lots of grass and not working so hard. I saw Snickers talking
to him through the fence yesterday, so I'll find out more about him
later.
Snickers and I have happy endings to our stories and I'm sure Boule
will, too. I heard Grandpa say just the other day that they do more
looking then riding anyway and he is a looker! I've heard a lot of
scary stories about some other horses who weren't so lucky. It seems
like a lot of older or injured or misunderstood horses wind up at an
auction, and I don't want to talk about what happens to them. But
since SWAP was there, our previous owners had an alternative. Because
we were donated to the Crossed Sabers Second Wind Adoption Program,
we all got a second chance at life. There are good stories about
horses like us all across the country. But right now, SWAP NEEDS YOUR
HELP! If they're not able to collect $55,000 by September 1st,
they'll have to close the doors and turn away a lot of horses just
like me. That makes me sad, so I'm going to stop thinking about it
right now.
PLEASE HELP!
Hello,
My
name is Hurc's Big Boy, also affectionately know as Pony Pony by all those
who know me. I am a Mustang/Appaloosa cross gelding. I came to
Crossed sabers in the Spring of 1997. I came from a place in Ohio from a
woman that was really scared of me. Why, I don't know, but some people and
animals just never hit it off. So she sent me there hoping for me to find a
good home. Well, in the late summer of 97, this girl came to the stable and
was looking for a horse, A big horse, I'm just a little guy, but I am tough.
So she looked and looked all over the barn and Celeita suggested me. She
looked at me and was not really impressed with me, but I knew that I would
be good for her, she and I would be good together. They took me out of the
stall and she looked at me further and then they put me back. I didn't know
what to think. The girl left and said that she would be back another day,
she lived a couple of hours away. My heart was sad because I felt that she
didn't want me. But much to my surprise, the girl came back a couple of days
later and rode me. I had not been ridden for a while and I was spunky but
not harmful. She said that she would like to have me, yeah! Finally, someone
that wanted me.....me little old me. I was the happiest horse in the barn, I
had found a home.....This is where my story really begins.
I went to Kim
Collins. She had been around horse for a while and she loved to have fun, So
I knew that I was the best horse for her. Low and behold so did Celeita too.
When I got Pony Pony in the late summer of 1997, I had not clue what I was
really getting, but I had not clue that I was getting a very trusted and
loyal companion. You see, I was told that Pony Pony didn't like where he was
and that he was a fire breathing dragon and had everyone afraid of him.
Well, let me tell you, this guy is a push over with me and everyone that we
have been around. He is the ultimate baby sitter for ANYONE. I have cattle
penned and barreled him, poles, small jumps, riding in traffic to ponying
scared and anxious horses past their fears of whatever. He ever does search
and rescue. But you can turn right around and put the most novice person,
child or adult and he knows it and will not do one wrong thing. Pony and I
have a very special bond that you don't find anywhere. He is the most loyal
animal I have ever had. He is out in a large field with his other CSS pals,
Galano and Chavez, but he still likes the girls because he was geld late in
life, like the age of 14, so he still talks, but that's all. I trust this
guy with my life and my hats off to Crossed Sabers Stables and the
Second Wind Adoption Program for helping me find a friend for life. May God
Bless us all, Everyone great and small.
Kim and Pony
:>)
Celeita: Thought you and your
team would like some recent photos of Jesse.
He is doing just fine and I hate being away from him when I have to work!
Hi Celeita:
Hope all is well with y'all & all the horses are happy & healthy.
Just wanted to give you a quick update on how Panache is doing. He had a nice
long rest while I was in Canada for 10 days - no poulticing, no icing, no
soaking! Just before I left I had another vet check him out - poor Panache was
once again flexed & trotted, prodded & poked. The vet (Dr. Graden) agreed with
Dr. Rey that Panache was sore in the hind end. In fact Panache seemed quite
sound in the front & only slightly lame behind - and in the back left only!
After some more checking, Dr. Graden found an old deep abcess in the hind left
foot which we treated with soaking and packing. Two days later, I had back
shoes put on him for protection & support.
I got back from Canada & couldn't wait to get out to the farm to see my boys.
Thankfully, they had not forgotten me - in fact seemed happy to see me.
Panache has called hello to me when I get to the farm ever since he first
arrived. And he certainly knows his name. He comes right up to the gate &
waits for me. What a doll! Anyway, I took Panache into the round pen for a
little exercise & he let me know right away he was feeling pretty good! After
a few steps trotting, he started blowing & snorting, tossing his head and
trotting a beautiful extended trot. This quickly moved into a canter which he
has never volunteered before. The most he would do if asked would be 2 or 3
short canter strides then back to trot or walk. Not this time! He kicked his
heels up & away he went. It's a good thing we were in the round pen & he was
on a lunge line! And thankfully he was very respectful of my space.
When really looking for it, I could detect a slight lameness in the back left
foot at the trot so he is resting again for now. However, he has improved
tremendously in the last month. The injections have definitely helped him plus
I have him on new supplements; the bad thrush is slowly clearing up; the new
support shoes all around and finding that old abcess - Poor guy - with all
these things going on no wonder he was lame! I'll keep you posted as things
get better as I am confident they will. I plan to take him back to Dr. Rey in
a week or two for a follow-up & to get his opinion on his progress. I'll
e-mail again then.
Thanks for all you do .........Gwen
Celeita,
Amira foaled Monday morning between 6:00 & 8:00 a.m. We missed it. She was
hanging her head out her door at 6 waiting on breakfast. It had been a very
long week checking on her through out the night so Julie went back to bed
until 8. We didn't think she would foal after day break. She sure fooled us.
When Julie went back out at 8, there he was peeping around Amira.
He is a bay colt with 3 white socks. He has VERY long legs. I've attached a
few pics of him and of Bru and the filly she adopted.
Karen Harlan
Bristol, TN
Hi Celetia (think I spelled your
name wrong...sorry!!). Whiskey is doing fine, this email is not about him. In
fact, we got to meet his old mom about a month ago, she was in Columbus on
business and stopped to see him. She said he seemed very happy, Whiskey and
Patsy were so happy to be reunited!! The reason I am writing...
I know you sometime place dogs and cats. I have a friend who is in a bind. She
has a dog that she needs to find a good home for. She has basically been left
homeless (very sad story that I won't get into). Her dogs are her children.
She has 4 dogs total, but is unable to keep the one because of his size. I was
wondering if you guys could possibly help place him. She is so afraid to find a
home for him herself, afraid he will get into the wrong hands.
Thanks, Celetia, I hope you can help!!
Michele Kopiec
Subject: BlackJack (bought 12/01
as Bold Ruler) 1998 black STB Gelding
Since I don't have a scanner yet, I can't email you recent pictures of this
wonderful guy. We've ascertained that he's NOT Bold Ruler, the horse everyone
thought he was, but he is about the calmest, sweetest, most willing horse I've
ever ridden. I simply adore him. According to Anne at the USTA, the real
Bold Ruler is still racing and has a freeze brand. BJ has no freeze brand and
his lip tattoo has me totally confused - it looks like S or Z 5785 - but the
last digits are on the pink/black mottled skin and very difficult to make
out. Anne has run the various combinations but has come up empty. I need a
professional opinion from a person with a seasoned eye to look at his tattoo
before it fades and blurs....
He's grown another inch since he arrived here in December (he's now 16.2 1/2),
and he's put on about 100 pounds. Since his feet are kinda small for his size
and the LR hoof is kind of clubby, I don't want him to get any heavier, but
he's gained enough weight that you can't see his ribs anyhow! He has an old
bow on the right fore, having been pin fired for it at some time in his past.
Didn't find the white dots til after he shed his winter coat! His LR club
foot grows faster on the inside than on the outside, so the farrier trims him
once a month. He moves just fine and doesn't seem to have any aches or pains.
The
summer weather here in central OH has been horrid for the most part- humid and
oppressively hot. (Read: minimal riding/training) One day our cool, lovely
green spring just disappeared and summer arrived with 70%-90% humidity and
90-degree temps. YUCK! We did get a few days break last week though, but it
was short-lived! We already have green bees and redheads out the yingyang
this year, and it's not even horsefly season yet! Not to mention the
flies...they act like they are related to the Africanized killer bees - major
aggressive. I've placed my second order for flyspray already. Fortunately
for BJ, he and my TWH gelding go out at night, so all they have to contend
with is the skeeters. All the horses here have their WNile shots, 5-way,
rabies, WEE/EEE/, etc.
According to our vet, at one time BJ had a major accident - a heavy blow to
the left front of his mouth (maybe ran into a pole?). He is missing 2 lower
teeth, and one there has been knocked kind of sideways. Facing him and
looking at his front teeth, the line runs from (viewer's) top left to lower
right. The vet comes out every other month to even them out somewhat so he
can chew. It must help, 'cause he's gained those 100 pounds! It also seems
that he is supersensitive about his lower lip on that side. I can only
imagine how that accident must have hurt. ;+( . He will let me touch and
mess with his lips, but the vet has to tranq him to work on his mouth.
Please understand, I'm NOT complaining at all. I love this boy and thank God
every day that I have a job that lets me afford to keep him. BJ is just
beautiful on the outside, but it's his kind, friendly personality that gets
him treats and other owners' admiration.
He's coming along just great on the trails; no problems at all (other than
stretching my leg up to get it into the stirrup- he is TAAALL!) He is willing
to try anything and seldom resists doing something new. If he can't figure
out what I'm asking him to do, he does the "Black Beauty head-wag thing" and
just stands there. (remember the movie at the open-air sale where Joe finds
Beauty after all those years?) When he does that, BJ makes it so easy to tell
that I need to find another way to ask him .....talk about training the
trainer!!
On
the trail, he likes to lead, but will quietly follow another horse or three if
I ask. He tends to tailgate, but his legs are SO long - he easily outwalks
every other horse in the barn, even the TBs. I've been teaching him to trot
under saddle by using ground poles. Though his natural gait is a pace, he
trots easily at liberty, and canters like a dream, but under saddle he seems
to get confused now and then. It's not him, it's the rider (moi)! He has a
smooth trot, when I can get him to trot.... <G> Too bad at our barn we cannot
bring in outside trainers (the owner's son trains WP horses, so even an "english"
trainer is verboten.
I
have gobs of film I've shot, but I haven't gotten round to getting it
developed! I won't guarantee the quality of the photos.....my calling most
definitely is NOT photography!
This is all for now; I just wanted you to know that no matter who BJ really
is, he really is MY horse and I love him. Our barn manager says I love him
and Roxy and Sonny Boy more than I love my hubby.....can't imagine why he'd
say that ! :+D
Joann Van Horn (says thanks for a great horse - I love him) and BlackJack
(says thanks for a great home and somebody to LOVE me)
Hi,
I wanted to let you know how Shadow (Vanity, Gray Arab) and Gem (PG,
Standardbred) are doing. Gem is doing great. I rode her yesterday and had a lot
of fun. My daughter, Allison, is intimidated by her size. So, as soon as I get
my farm (which is getting closer), I will need to adopt another horse that is
smaller so Allison can get her confidence back. Anyway, last Sunday I noticed
that Shadow (Vanity) was having coordination problems. I told Sharon Bennett
(her adopter) and she stayed up most of the night checking on Shadow. In the
morning she called the vet. They diagnosed her with West Nile Virus. We were all
very upset. Because we caught it early and the vet gave her a lot of
anti-inflammatory drugs, she has fully recovered. Some other horses in our area
have not been as lucky. She is back to running in the field. Last week, she
could barely keep standing. It was very scary. Sharon said Shadow will
definitely get the vaccine next season. She has seen how it protected Gem (PG)
and my other horse Hawk. I just wanted to let you guys know that we had a happy
ending.
Thanks,
Michelle Henley
So for all my horsey friends...that
I think might be interested.
Ive been working with Adlige on his training. We just have to polish off a few
things ...12' away trailer loading...better yo yo in the saddle...little yo yo
on the ground...little more in saddle squeeze. His sideways..single track and 2
track are awesome...he's willing to do it over (sidepass over objects) some fun
stuff...barrell...branches...etc. We'll soon graduate our level 1. What a dude.
We're doing a little prior and proper preparation for level 2 as well. Hes very
smart and willing...so attentive.
Ok...Ive also been working on the twitchy mounting thing on the left side at the
base of his neck. Ive found that he did fine as long as I scratched that area
until it didnt twitch. I just desensitized it prior to mounting. About 3 weeks
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