Last Sunday was the first day of autumn. The mornings are now dark and cold when I leave for work. The leaves are falling and turning the ground into all shades of brown. Bright orange pumpkin patches have appeared on the empty lots in every little town. Dayssi, India and I visited one last week, and both the girls got to choose a pumpkin to take home.
We had our first rain last weekend too. It was welcomed with open arms to tie down the dust at the ranch for at least a day.
These two photos were taken a few weeks ago with me still in a skirt, feels like it's been forever since summer. Madeira and I have been doing some relaxing walks and rides on the trail and she is really doing well. It's been good to be back home for the last couple of weeks, all enthusiastic and inspired by the savvy conference. We have since been working on our Parelli level two riding tasks too (our on -line and liberty part have been ready for quite a while) and are about ready to take our test. Hoping the weather would still hold for next weekend and I could find someone to film it, to be send to the Parelli headquarters for an evaluation. I'm rather confident, that Madeira and I are there.
I have done some extra babysitting at nights and weekends and saved up enough to finally order my third level pack. I can't wait to start studying it. there is so much knowledge I just can't wait to pack my head with.

Beverly has offered Virpi to do her first level with Cruiser, since Steal is quite out of order. So She and Cruiser are playing now every weekend. Cruiser is a bit of a challenge. He is a very left brain introverted horse. But it seems like the two of them are getting along quite well.
Cruiser really didn't see the point to get up on the tire before he saw the carrot. Hmmm... how interesting.








Baby wanted on the tire too after seeing the big horses do it. I actually never asked her to get on. She totally offered it, and I took it. She is quite a devious little diva. I wish her and momma would get out more often, or could live in a bigger area. Seems, that now I'm the only one taking them out, and I only get there on the weekends. They should be weaned soon. Baby is now six and a half months, and she is totally running the "house hold." momma has practically lost the leadership in the stall while baby is pushing her around, and baby really hates it when I make her yield to pressure. She is innately a right brain extrovert and oh boy do I have experience with those sorts of horses. So she is quite fun for me, not even a little bit challenging, she is exactly like little Madeira, the way madeira used to be, only tiny, and I know all her tricks.

I put Travieso into the large arena today and he had fun running around silly and whinnying.

The vet came last weekend (in the rain) for our regular vaccinations and a check up. Both Madeira and Travieso were very brave and well behaved. I'm so proud of them. Yesterday I dewormed both, and they were so good at letting me squirt that icky stuff into their mouths, that I felt horribly bad after and just spoiled them with goodies.

Travieso's enormous boo-boo is nearly a memory now. There will most likely always be a scar to remind us of the scare, but he is happy and healthy and ready to rock.

Savvy Savvy!

Last week Virpi and I flew to the Parelli Natural Horsemanship center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for the annual Savvy conference. Pagosa Springs (elevation 7079) is a small town (population 1607) known of it's natural mineral hot springs. It is a spiritual place with a rich history beginning with the Anasazi Indians and later the Utes, Navajos and Apaches. It was believed that the hot springs had curative powers. The native Americans called it Pagosah, "Healing Waters," (from an Ute word meaning healing) and the great Spring became a sacred place of peace and healing.

If you'd like to read more about it go to http://www.pagosahotsprings.com/

I called the Parelli headquarters for a permission to post photos.

The Parelli ranch is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever been to. You can feel the spirit of God and mother nature all around you as you walk up to the "big top," covered arena overlooking the sloping green pastures, the most beautiful view framed by the often snow caped Rocky mountains. It's fantastic to meet and talk to people that are on the same page with you as far as horsemanship. You see happy faces everywhere, all pulled together by the same invisible strings, the love for our horses, that was so strong it humbled us down to understand, that it was our selfish human point of views, that needed to chance, not the horse. You could not detect any frustration on the faces of the savvy team playing with their horses, even when things didn't go quite as planned. only the knowing smile of understanding, that things in life hardly ever go exactly as planned, and the knowledge of how to re-adjust and fix the situation.

It was a pleasure to watch and learn from all the people there. they have so much savvy and all of their horses seem so happy and peaceful.

(above)"Zeus" Pat's new friesian.

(Left)Carol Coppinger (5 star instructor)and her horse Ranger in Spanish walk

"Allure" Linda's beautiful left brain extrovert in action (right)

Linda Parelli in harmony with "Remmer"

Walter Zettl, one of the most accomplished masters of classical dressage, whom Linda takes dressage lessons from Says: “My first impression upon arriving at the Parelli ranch was the deep love, understanding and respect Pat and Linda have for their horses." (click the link to read more about Walter.)

"I smell gold" Says Pat when Lauren rides transitions from extended to collected trot. Lauren and River are heading for the 2008 paralympics in China. She rides so beautifully, that one could never tell she is paralysed from the waist down.

Soon to be famous Katie Drake entertained us on the breaks. Loved her songs so much I bought the CD and got it autographed by Katie.

Virpi and I with Pat Parelli

Virpi and I with Linda Parelli.

Pat cutting with Magic.

Well, we had amazing time and learned so much more, as always with the Parellis. Pat and Linda are the most wonderful people I have ever met, and they are spreading their spirit around the world.

The clouds from above.

Travieso's story

So many people have been asking about Travieso, my best friend Raul's horse, he bough in January of 2007. Well, here it is, his story finally.
For those of you that don't know, "Get it Rollin'" (which turned out to be a catchy name for my blog) is the registered name of Travieso. Nayeli nick-named him in the car on the way back from Fresno, Ca. as we were towing him home to Half Moon Bay, and he proved to be true to his new nick name "Travieso'" which is a Spanish word for mischievous.
"Get it Rollin'" is a son of the great "Chick's Beduino" one of the leading studs for racing quarter horses, who is no longer living, but whose frozen semen is still sold today for TEN THOUSAND dollars.
Travieso turned 4 years last February and already has a successful racing career behind him.
He is not only big and beautiful, but he is one of the sweetest and smartest horses we have known.



Armando used to mainly ride and exercise him.









But he is quite a lovely ride so sometimes I got on him too.







He would often lay down in his paddock and let me sit with him.




On June 11Th Travieso was showing signs of colic for which he received an injection of Banamine into the neck muscle by a ranch personnel. Banamine (flunixin meglumine)comes in an injectable form for intravenous or intramuscular use. However, as we learned from our vet later, It should only be given intramuscularly in a very extreme cases. It can also be given orally in the paste or granule forms. Banamine is in the same category of drugs as aspirin and phenylbutazone (bute). They are all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Banamine is a prescription drug. Many horse owners keep it on hand because it is an effective medication for colic. It relieves pain, and in some of the more serious cases of colic, fights some of the dangerous toxins that may be released from the intestinal system into the bloodstream. No one knows why Banamine has this anti-endotoxic effect.
The day after his banamine shot, Travieso's neck started to swell. Raul, advised by the ranch manager, hosed it with cold water and gave him bute.
The next day the swelling was worse, reaching to his chest. Raul repeated the care from the day before. Yet the day after the swelling had reached his front legs. They were like nothing short from elephant legs and he could not move more than a half an inch at a time dragging his front legs. Now he looked like one of those stuffed horses with a HUGE head and a tiny hind end. I had NEVER seen anything like that. (I don't know why, and totally regret, that we don't have any photos of this stage.) Raul called the vet. Travieso was having the worst kind of reaction to the Banamine injection. The vet pumped him full of DMSO. And for a few days he stunk so badly, I could not bare to be near him. Thank God for Raul and his ability to deal with the most horrific things. He applied a warm compress twice daily.
Slowly the swelling started to subside oozing through his skin. If you pressed on the swelled up muscle, your fingerprints would stay on it. A week after, Travieso still rather swelled up, started to feel itchy and scratched himself until his chest popped open. We called the vet immediately.
Travieso received a large dose of steroids along with antibiotics to be given daily for a week. The vet advised us to keep it clean by hosing with clean water twice daily. There was nothing more to do at that point. He couldn't be sown back together since most of the skin seemed dead and would most likely fall off anyway. I couldn't believe it. I did not think this poor horse was ever going to make it through with a open fleshy chest and neck without getting an infection and having to be put to sleep. Raul and I looked at each other not saying a word, but both thinking the same thing. Travieso's days were numbered. The first photo was taken June 23rd. Four days after it popped open. Raul kept on working hard, doing exactly as the vet had told and keeping the wound clean. And week by week it seemed to slowly be getting better.
And the healing process has been amazing!






June 29Th.













July 7Th.









July 29Th.











August 9Th.

September 1st.




Through the whole time, almost, Travieso has been lively and in good spirits with a real will to make it through this. I call him our "Super horse." I keep in touch with the vet by e-mail weekly, sending him photos, and he is coming for regular vaccines and a check up at the end of this month. We will be discussing a possible skin craft operation. I will keep up with updates here as well.
Isn't he amazing horse!