Lessons to be learned

Here is our photo that won a third place in the "Savvy times" photo contest last year.

Madeira is nearly ready to play like before her injury. I’m still not riding, although there is no reason why I couldn't start slowly, but as you all know I’m always just a little more careful than I really need to. She also will not be jumping for at least another 6 months, but she has come a long way and is doing very well. See it for yourself from the little video clip “Mikko playing with Madeira.”

Mikko is my brother who is visiting us from Finland. He knows very little about horses and has never played with one before. But they both (him and Madeira) were good sports and Madeira played along although this is quite elementary stuff for her by now and at times she looks a bit bored.
Check it out! (And remember, after you click on the video clip, scroll back up to the top, since the clip will show at the very top of the blog.)

So it has been a long road to recovery with Madeira, but one that has really paid off in building our relationship. We all know how important it is to just hang out with our horses, without doing anything, or asking anything of them. “Horses love the art of doing nothing.” (Linda Kohanov.) But I never realized HOW MUCH this time spent doing nothing would deepen Madeira’s trust towards me. See, I used to think that when you want a horse to perform a certain way, you have to work, and work at it. But now I really understand that it IS NOT about the task. It is about TRUST!
All those times that we sat on the grass while our horses grazed, and Joe, Virpi and I complained to each other, that there we were just launching, getting nothing done, as we all felt that we were suppose to be working on our levels tasks. We didn’t realize, that we were achieving something much more valuable. Our horse’s trust.
This was just one of the light bulbs that have gone on in my head in the recent years. Here is the whole story.
Two summers ago, when I was starting my second level of “Parelli Natural Horsemanship” and one of the tasks was to play the seven games with a “flag,” (which simply means to tie a plastic bag to the end of a carrotstick,) I used to get incredibly frustrated, because Madeira would absolutely freak out about the plastic bag. Well, although by that point her freaking out was more like “phase one” freaking, instead of the wild rearing beast, that she used to be. She rather turned away going into sort of a locked up state, “introverted,” where she could escape my intentions with the big bad horse eating plastic bag. And I worked, and worked, and worked at it. Approach and retreat. Approach, more retreat. And although I realized, that she was not actually afraid of the bag itself, but the ruffling sound, that it made, it seemed that by the end of the summer we had not advanced in this task at all. Each time the “flag” game out, we were right back to square one. I eventually gave up, in frustration, because IT DIDN'T WORK!
And the winter came along. Rain, cold and wind. Seemed like the mud covered everything. How it got from our boots to our faces, I have no idea, but we didn’t exactly feel like playing. All winter long we huddled within the over sized hoods of our rain coats that covered us all the way down to the top of our rain boots. We coiled up the leadropes, so they wouldn’t drag in the mud, and walked to the nearest fresh patch of green, that grew faster than our horses could eat it.
At the dawn of the spring as the ground dried up we kept to our leisurely routine, only now we could sit down on the grass while the horses grazed.
Then one day in the early summer we decided, that it was time to start playing. And when I pulled out the “flag” Madeira was a completely different horse. It was as if a switch had been turned off in her head and it no longer blinked “danger.”
I was dumbfounded! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I could touch her with the ruffling bag all over her body, pull it over her head, and she never even flinched. Just stood there calm and confident, trusting, that I was not going to hurt her. Amazing feeling!
It was one of those crucial times that I realized, that it didn’t matter if I was using the correct tools and techniques, if I hadn’t won her trust first! I had to take the time to prove to her, that I was trustworthy.
I could see how easy it would have been to give up stating, that this Parelli stuff didn’t really work, and slip right back to the old traditional way of handling and riding horses. (At least we could have saved ourselves from being ridiculed by the “normal” people.)
Thank God I never gave up! Now I’m in a place where I care more what my horse thinks about me, than what other people do. And I know that my horse will thank me forever.

Destiny and Sneaker

I didn't get to the ranch until later on Saturday morning after spending Friday night at the bookstore. It was the "Grand Hollows Ball" in honor of the release of the last "Harry Potter" book. The book went on sale at the stroke of midnight and thanks to my husband going there at 9am that morning to get me a number to stand in line, I was one of the first in line and walked out with my new "Harry Potter and the deathly hollows" just quarter after midnight. Then of course I stayed up reading it for another hour.

Anyway, I've been talking about turning Sneaker and Destiny out together for awhile thinking surely they would get along since they are neighbours and often when I turn Sneaker out Destiny calls and calls after her. So FINALLY yesterday I decided to try it out and sure enough, they were GREAT! They seem very compatible, comfortable with each other and relaxed.

Baby Layla visits the ouside world

Two weeks ago was the first time I put a halter on the baby (since she is getting a bit big for the rope harness and the pony halter is now little less too big) She is amazingly smart. She has learned very quickly to give to pressure instead of pushing against it and after playing with her the right way it wasn't any problem leading her with the halter for the first time. So for the past couple weeks we have been taking walks with momma and baby on lead around the ranch. Baby is very curious about the "outside" world, but it is a little scary too. We walked up the driveway towards the back gate where Cruiser and Fire from the boarder pasture came to say hi. Everyone loves the baby! And she knows it. She trots by with her little curly tail in the air saying look at me I'm so pretty! And she is. (Reminds me of someone... Madeira.)

Manes flowing and tails held high...

Something was in the air the other weekend. Sneaker (white) and Little-Joe (bay) played youthfully in the arena just after they had seen momma and baby run wild. When I went to bring them back in intending to take Little-Joe first, Sneaker, who usually is very good pushed herself through the arena gate before I could close it before her, and ran to eat grass on the other side of the fence. It's a good thing she stays around and comes when called! But even better thing is that Little-Joe knows to stop behind me, because when Sneaker pushed herself through the arena gate, it swung open hitting the two barrels standing behind it, which made a horrifying, horse-eating sound that spooked Little -Joe nearly on top of me. Well, it all ended just fine, thanks to the owners teaching these horses trust and respect towards humans (two of the most important things in the horse and human relationship.) I caught Sneaker with Little-Joe in tow and they both came in quietly.

A bit of history

This is a portrait of the Godolphin Arabian by John Wootton 1731. He is said to be one of the forefathers of all horses and Madeira is in the 25th generation of his descendants. (I can totally see the resemblance.)

"Few horses have as much legend associated with them as does the Godolpin Arabian. He had a small head on a well arched and crested neck, was short-backed with tremendous quarters and a high-set tail. He had great bone, action, and a fiery temperament. He was described as a brown bay ("with reddish mottle"), about 15 hands high (one source says 14.2h.) with some white on the off hind heel. He was said to be small, but that his get usually stood taller. His constant companion was the cat, Grimalkin.

The stallion was probably one of several presented as tribute to the King of France by the Bey of Tunis. While in France he was described by Vicomte de Manty, who said his name was Shami, that he was beautifully-made although "half starved", with a headstrong temperament that made him unloved among the barn staff.

He was imported from France in 1729 by Mr. Edward Coke, a gentleman with personal connections in France, especially with the Duke of Lorraine. The Duke of Lorraine, later Emperor Francis I of Germany, also figures in the history of the Belgrade Turk. Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, brother-in-law of Edward Coke, purchased the Belgrade Turk from the Duke and brought him to England. It can be presumed that Coke acquired the Godolphin Arabian via the French court, possibly from the Duke himself.

Mr. Coke brought the Arabian to England and stood him at his recently purchased Longford Hall in Derbyshire; in Coke's stud book he is referred to as "ye Arabian." The official story of the Arabian, later known as Lord Godolphin's, begins in 1731, when he covered Mr. Coke's Roxana, (ch.f. 1718) by the Bald Galloway, who was bred by Sir William Strickland. The following spring, Roxana foaled a bay colt by the Arabian, named Lath, who was said to be "a very elegant and beautiful horse," and who was later sold to the Duke of Devonshire.

Coke died in August, 1733 at the young age of 32. In his will, he left his small group of mares and foals, including Roxana and Lath, to a personal friend and fellow horseman, Francis, the second Earl of Godolphin, son of the controversial figure, Sidney, the first Earl. His stallions, including the Arabian, Whitefoot, and Hobgoblin, were left to another friend, Roger Williams. In 1733, the Earl acquired the Arabian from Williams, which is how the horse became known as the Godolphin Arabian. He was moved to the Earl's stud near Babraham in the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, not far from the racing town of Newmarket. Lord Godolphin's mansion lay within the boundaries of the Iron Age fort known as Wandlebury Ring. The mansion was leveled in 1956, but the stables and other buildings remain on site

The Godolphin Arabian died in 1753 at an advanced age estimated to be 29 years (presuming he was a mature stallion of five or six upon his arrival in England). A solemn ceremony was performed at gravesited and he was laid to rest under a gateway at the stable. A stone slab was placed over his grave with an inscription noting who lay underneath. This gravesite is still in existence inside the archway of the stable block within the building complex inside Wandlebury Ring."

Searching back Madeira's bloodlines the earliest horse I found was "Fairfax's Morocco Barb" 1633. Imported from Morocco for Charles first in 1637.

The earliest imported stallion registered in the GSB (general stud book.)

I vacationed in Morocco with my family when I was twelve and got to ride a Barb horse.

Steal's misfortune

So on Monday the vet came for Steal and confirmed Virpi's worst worries. Steal has Laminitis.

Laminitis (AKA Fouder) is basically inflammation of the sensitive laminae which holds the coffin bone in the hoof capsule. It is caused by lack of oxygen due to decreased blood flow to the laminae. This can destroy the laminar tissue and cause the coffin bone to rotate, "drop."

Laminitis is most commonly caused by high sugar intake eg rich grasses or grains that cause the stomach wall to release endotoxins which ultimately cause the blood vessel contraction. But it can also be caused by acute infections, problems after foaling, or a large intake of cold water before properly cooling down a horse after exercise (where such endotoxins can be released), excessive weight bearing, or a localised hoof abscess.

Steal became lame first on June 9Th. Of course the exact day that we were away in Sacramento at the Horse Expo. Beverly, who was looking after our "babies"found him barely able to walk and called Virpi immediately.

The farrier came the following week and assuming it was an abscess he packed the R.F. hoof with Ichtamol and put a shoe and a pad on. And for balance he shod the L.F. too. We gave him bute for a few days and he seemed better. And then last week as we stopped giving him bute, he was much worse.

Virpi had a natural hoof care specialist, whom I use to trim Madeira, come and pull those shoes, (didn't seem like shoes had been a good idea in the first place) but Steal was not getting better.

So the vet whom Virpi had been talking to in a phone for the past couple of weeks, said it would be a good idea to x-ray.

There is no rotation of the coffin bone yet (thank God)according to Steal's x-rays, and we must hope that with lots of rest, the right medication and change of diet he will recover.

The cause of steal's laminitis is not certain. It may have started with an abscess which could have weakened the laminar attachment, although we really never found the abscess, (but it doesn't mean there wasn't one.) It could be the alfalfa. We had just gotten a new load of what seemed like very rich and hot, leafy stuff right before it all started. And of course Steal is a bit overweight, which is a good base for laminitis, and we have been grazing a lot lately.

I have to add, that I saw Candy, the little pony laying down in her stall just a few weeks ago and as I went in to check her I found, that she was suffering from a case of laminitis.

Candy has had laminitis before, and after Raul switched her from alfalfa to oat hey she is feeling better.

So it seems that Madeira and Steal are going to spent the summer in a stall afterall. We stopped weaning Madeira back into alfalfa, her diet will remain mainly grass hay, and I will keep getting my money's worth as I pay Raul to exercise Madeira daily.

Well... with a big sigh, that's all for today.

Trouble with Travieso

Here is Travieso enjoying his daily wash. (Snapped the photo from a perfect angle to not show the enormous, ugly wound.)

On Saturday I let him out into the arena as Raul has been doing during the week. He immediately lay down and seemed to show some classic signs of colic. So I checked for gut sounds, temperature and gum colour, which all seemed fair for his current condition. I made a warm bran mash and he barely sniffed it. I got really worried. As he lay down I sat next to his head and massaged his head and ears hitting all the acupressure points I knew of that may help for colic. He really enjoyed it. Seemed he fell asleep. And then suddenly his eyes went white and he started kicking and twitching as if he was having a seizure. It freaked me out! It lasted for no more than 5 seconds and as I was ready to run for help he just got up and followed me. It was mind boggling. Had he just had a seizure? Or did I put him to sleep and he had a horsey dream about running on the beach? He lay down again and I sat down with him and continued to massage. After about twenty minutes he got up and seemed to feel better. He wanted his bran, ate it all and was perfectly normal.

I don't know what to make out of that.

On Sunday he was in good spirits, or as good as he can be in his condition. But I noticed as I turned him out into the arena that he was eating sand. Not just licking it little bit, but taking bites of it with his teeth and munching mouth fulls. Raul mentioned seeing him do that last week.

This could possibly have caused a problem in the intestine, although sand colic is far more serious than and impaction and I'm not sure any acupressure would help for it, but if sand had anything to do with Travieso's Saturday episode I sure hope the Phsyllium I mixed into his bran will do it's trick and push out the sand.

I'm e-mailing photos and updates for his vet weekly to monitor his healing progress. We really like this vet, he has been an excellent help.

Patriotic horses!

Happy 4Th of July To all!

We had fun watching the parade in Half moon Bay, lots of familiar faces in there. Me, a brand new citizen proudly waving an American flag.

And of course we had our own little celebration with Steal and Madeira afterwards. They were good sports with their hats and scarfs.

Steal is still lame. What a timing. Now that Madeira would be almost ready to go out into the pasture Steal is laid up. And we certainly cannot separate them. So more stall time for both. I think they are more or less used to their stalls and don't mind as long as they can be right next to each other. But we would rather have them out in the pasture so they could move around and act like real horses as opposed to some sort of caged up zoo animals.

Here they are all patriotic and proud to be American!

One busy weekend

We left everything for the last minute again and were totally scrambling to prepare for the nearing 4th of July parade in Half Moon Bay.
And then on Sunday Morning Steal turned up lame!
Oh well, our 4th of July plans quickly changed from a hustle bustle early morning to be IN the parade to a sleep in, relaxing sit down coffee shop breakfast before going to WATCH the parade. We really don't mind. There is always next year.
Our trimmer guy came just this morning to check Steals foot and give a treatment plan. Steal is going to be fine.

We took a short walk on the trail with Madeira and then visited baby Layla who was turned out in the small arena. Here is Madeira greeting Layla, who looks like Madeira's little "mini-me."