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Post by shellyr on Jan 26, 2008 17:07:07 GMT -8
From the time I first took Salty in as a foster horse, I loved those black teddy bear eyes. I'm very thankful that Syndi found Salty in the nick of time. I had no idea the future that would have been waiting for him if she hadn't. Can't imagine the ranch without Salty around now! His antics crack me up. Typical Arab - TONS of personality!
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Post by Synthia on Jan 26, 2008 19:58:36 GMT -8
Shelly, Without you Salty and Dakota wouldn't be the team they are. I am convinced that without your foster care Salty's right knee wouldn't have started recovering...he couldn't bear weight on it when you got him and within a month you had him doing the "gimp sprint" in the pasture. You ar the reason he is still giving "lessons". I have been fortunate to have learned so much from my herd. It is amazing how t they are. Today Scooby kept Hank (the attention sponge) at the other end of the pasture while Salty had his visit, it was almost like Scooby knew it was Salty's moment and wanted to make sure nothing interferred with it. I hope that slaughter comes to an end, that all horses have safe homes, and each horse is surrounded with love...until then we just keep helping out those we can the best we can.
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Post by Synthia on Feb 10, 2008 16:10:55 GMT -8
Hi All, Nikki and mom spent 1/2 hour working on groundwork yesterday. She has been resting her right hind from an injury and is now ready to go back to work. She was such a delight..it was like she had just come back from the trainers she was such a good girl. Hank and mom took a short ride also. He was pouting around because Scooby has been getting all the attention. I don't know how mom rides him bareback-his withers look like a sharks fin ::)Hank is as solid as they come though-ride him everyday, ride him once a week, let him have a year off, and you still have the same horse (one with big appytude). It is nice to have one that you know exactly what he is going to do. Scooby and mom have been doing groundwork every evening. We are working on a cue for him to watch his feet. He is trying really hard, but when he gets frustrated he lets out a little bunny hop with his rear-end, he needs to take bucking lessons from Freedom-maybe blind guys can't buck. He kept kicking the orange cones like he couldn't see them, but could find one well enough to poop on it Mom went for a short ride on Scooby and he did really well. She dropped the end of her mecate and he stopped and waited until mom picked it up and then off he went when cued. She thought it might be a fluke so tried it several other times while they were riding and he hid the same thing. Sure makes it really nice for mom to maneuver her old fat rear off of him bareback. I was a riot yesterday. I stood by watching mom work with Scooby and every time Scooby bumped a cone I would mutter-mom thinks I was calling Scooby a dumb ass (actually what I was really saying couldn't be repeated ). Then to add insult to injury I took myself trotting around the cones-missing every single one, giving Scooby the fisheye the whole time. Freedom watched mom work with all his pasture buddies today, he seemed to enjoy the fact that we were working and he wasn't. As soon as mom went near him with a halter, she was going to brush mud off the old fart, he ran into his paddock and started nickering for his dinner (a whole two hours early)-he figured if he acted like he was starving he would escape having to do any groundwork Lady decided that she wasn't ready to be done with her lesson the other morning. When the trainer put her away she tried to jump the gate and follow him She hit the top board (which was at 5 feet) with her front hooves and kind of bounced off. She is just fine, the board is broke though. She likes jumping stuff, maybe she will make a little hunt pony. The trainer is going to work with her on jumping little 1 foot scurries, just to give her something to do. Little turd better realize she isn't as big as she thinks she is. That is the news from Grumpy Old Horse Ranch, where not all the horses are old and Freedom is the only one who is grumpy. Love Salty The Wonder Horse
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Post by Synthia on Feb 18, 2008 11:53:10 GMT -8
Harley saw the chiropractor today. His poll was out on the right side, giving him a headache, so it got fixed. The rest of him, if you overlook his pigeon toes, was lined up the way it should be. He was very good. Here are pictures taken by Dakota- Checking out Harley's feet and legs, yes his toes are a bit long, we have the farrier coming out (his last appointment was canceled due to weather) Checking out his back-and yes he is muddy...we clean him up, he rolls in the mud-I am at a loss until the mud is gone Checking his head and lining up his poll: This guy sounds like Baxter Black when he talks...he has a gentle way with horses and Harley just loved him. Harley has perked up a bit already, must be nice not to be hurting. Randy gave us each a demonstration of what an adjustment would feel like-Dakota was a bit worried about it hurting his horses. This month Harley has seen a masseuse, the vet has been out and x-rayed his feet again and checked his shoulders. He is moving the best he ever has, so something is working. We are just waiting on WSU and an MRI to tell us a bit more. Freedom saw the chiropractor also, the old fart put on quite a show for him. Once Randy started working on him he settled right down. Hie had several vertebrae out of alignment, so Randy adjusted them. Freedom didn't even jump, in fact he acted like maybe he had had this done before. He is confined to his "bed" for the next 24 hours to give the adjustment time to hold.
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Post by Synthia on Feb 18, 2008 17:09:42 GMT -8
I got to go riding this afternoon. The pink helmet is a gift from my son, a bit bright for me but he thinks it will help Scooby see me. I have a couple of brags today. I shattered my left knee years ago in a powerlifting competition, I have never been able to mount on my own since. I have been working hard to get it stronger, but even stronger it couldn't do the job without a ladder when I wanted to mount Hank-today I was able to use a two step mounting block!!!It is the first time in 20 years that I was able to mount on my own. I also discovered that I can ride a saddle with a smaller seat, which is good because as you can see in the pictures the skirts on my saddle are too long for Scooby (this saddle was made for Hank). It was a wonderful day, Scooby is the best-I am so glad Tina found him! This is the face he made while getting brushed: Here we are out for a ride Here is Freedom pouting in his "playpen" because he can't get out and play until tomorrow. Here is Harley sporting his new hairdo my niece gave him this afternoon. Here is Salty just hanging out today Hank was laying low all afternoon, hoping to avoid having to work Bryce went out and gave Nikki a good brushing, she was loving the attention It is so nice to be able to go out and mess with her without having to halter her, she loves attention now
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Post by Synthia on Feb 22, 2008 18:46:57 GMT -8
I heard back from WSU, Harley has flexor cortex lesions and there isn't anything they can do to help him. So now it is off to learn about something new. If anyone has experience with this condition I would appreciate any information you can give me. Thanks
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Post by Eileen M on Feb 23, 2008 15:38:16 GMT -8
Syn, I have extensive experience with Jack's navicular, since he was diagnosed 10 years ago. We Xrayed, and saw what we saw. (Lucky me got to wear the apron, as I was not having any more children!) We opted for the bute/isox treatment, with pads and corrective shoeing from our trusted farrier(who still takes care of Dix & DMM), in direct consultation with the vet. Jack got silicone implants . We had to play with the dosage of the isox, but about 3 months later (isox isn't cheap), he was riding sound. He stayed sound 2 years, then crashed. Vet had left the state. Consulatation with farrier... Jack was done. No more riding. OK. Tears, ofcourse, but he's chilling. Horse isn't going any where. He's been maintained with trims, and left to be a horse with no riding for all this time. He is sound now. Old Ba$tard is stealing his best bud's grain, running around like a fool, and acting like he's 5, instead of 28. (I want to strangle him sometimes !!!) I watch him go, and I think "dressage". He now needs a job. He's getting one. He'll be walk jogging a bit this spring, just to give him something to think about. I would say that the barefoot gave him the best respite, and allowed him to heal, as much as possible for his ancient assed self. I am becoming a big fan of "natural feet". If you have the time... try your best,and explore options. My 2 cents.
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Post by Synthia on Feb 23, 2008 16:33:26 GMT -8
Thanks Eileen, Time is what I have the most of. My understanding is that the main concern at this point is the "shattering" of the navicular bone, if that happens he will go down and not get up again... Our trimmer looked at him again today, we can keep Harley as comfortable as he currently is and that is perfectly fine for the world's most beautiful pasture ornament. I plan on doing a bunch of research and talking to evryone who can help me find out more...I also plan on looking until I find the answer I want to hear LOL
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Post by Synthia on Mar 3, 2008 18:33:08 GMT -8
Lady has been going out on the trails every weekend, she loves getting ponied. This weekend she learned about country roads. She wasn't upset by anything, not even the horse eating mailboxes. On Wednesday her trainer is planning on taking her to a roping competition he is competing in. He wants to see how she does in crowds, noise, and chaos. He has it set up so she gets some arena time with him, his roping horse, and a group of twelve cows to see how she does with that. She throws a wall-eyed fit if he rides or loads a horse up to go any where and she can't go. She needs to be a little 4-H horse
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Post by Synthia on Mar 16, 2008 15:35:50 GMT -8
Here is Scooby puttering around today He lost his mask last night, Bryce was getting another one while I took a ride. I had really just planned on fitting the new saddle, but couldn't resist taking a spin. Scooby is really good even in a halter.
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Post by Synthia on Mar 23, 2008 10:23:57 GMT -8
Here is Nikki last weekend: I have been doing groundwork with Nikki every weekend. Today I hauled out the saddle and put it on her for the first time since November, she was a gem. Worked her on the long line with the saddle on and she actually acted bored. I lined her up to the mounting block and worked on mounting and dismounting, she was fine. My niece was out with us and volunteered to be a "test pilot", worked for me-she is young enough to still bounce and it would allow me a bit more control over Nikki if needed. She got on and we worked on the long line. Nikki was grand! I think I might try and ride her next weekend. Yes I know the tennis shoes are not the best riding shoes, but Miranda volunteered and did not have her boots. Here she is yesterday: Today was the day I was going to ride Nikki...it is my own darn fault I didn't. I took her to the area where I was going to ride a place she has never been worked in before, as the arena is still being finished, without her pasture buddies. She was fine getting there, dealt with frightening horse eating things, along the way. I worked her on the long line and then started brushing her. Her buddies were calling her and she was getting worried about the new place. I saddled her up with no problem, walked her around with no problem...well other than she wanted to be back with her friends. Shelly offered to get one of her buddies and bring them over (she was working a new rescue she has), I told her not to do that Nikki needed to learn she wouldn't die without her friends. I started working her on the long line with the saddle and Nikki decided to launch to the moon. She threw a really good bucking fit and wasn't going to stop-so I shut it down on her. One of the trainers who worked with her would shut down every bucking fit immediately, the other one would let her get it out of her system-I am not sure which is right, but I sure didn't want to deal with much of a fit. I spent the next half hour working her on the long line and shutting her down everytime she started to pitch a buck-we backed, gave our hindquarters, changed eyes. Finally she decided that walking calmly was a good idea. I worked with her a bit more and then lined her up to the mounting block...leaned on her, laid across her, and half mounted. Then we went back to long line work. I was really hoping to ride, but I am glad to see she worked through her difficulty with new places. If things go well tomorrow I will take her back over to the same spot with one of her friends and see how it goes. Just getting started Getting a bit worried Trying to get a grip on it Just after one attempt to get to the moon (Bryce was worried, so quit taking pictures while she was pitching her bucking fits) Walking it off Finally deciding that freaking out is too much work Today she got everyone of her buttons pushed and survived-tomorrow she will be even better!
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Post by Synthia on Apr 10, 2008 14:56:34 GMT -8
Hi All, Spring is here and the horses are happy. ;D Salty the Wonder Horse is busy. His knee is doing well and he is giving Dakota riding lessons at the walk. Salty loves being busy...he meets Dakota at the gate and happily heads to the arena. It is fun to watch these two, Salty busy talking while packing Dakota around and Dakota with a big watermelon grin on his face. Harley continues to be a puzzel. He has a bad day once in a while and then the next thing you know he is running and bucking around the pasture. Right now he is Scooby's "seeing eye butt" , so he has a job. Scooby is the best guy and is a joy to ride. We are working on desenstizing him to things-like water landing on him. Freedom is busy entertaining the mares in the pasture next to him...he thinks he is hot stuff! Hank went to a dressage facility for a week and has the makings of an eventer...go figure my "wash and dry" horse should be doing more than plodding around the ranch. Lady continues to grow and mature. The best news of all is Nikki!!! She has been adopted by a great guy who trains horses and competes as a roper. Nikki is going to be his riding horse. That is all the news from Grumpy Old Horse Ranch where not all the horses are old and Freedom is the only one who is grumpy (except for right now...he is frisky)
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Post by Synthia on Jul 3, 2008 18:53:37 GMT -8
Here are photos of everyone except Scooby. Scooby is at his retirement home in Ellensburg, I will be visiting on Tuesday and will get new photos of him then. Harley Darling-the world's most beuatiful pasture ornament Salty the Wonder Horse looking cool as always, he was too busy eating to get his photo done Hank the Tank-he and Bryce are working on their relationship Ginger, she is doing really well with her cushings Freedom- hard to believe he is pushing 40 he just rocks!!! The two amigos Cactus Jack Splash-he is the world's smartest appy The weather here is warm and the horses are lazy. They are all doing well That is all the news from Grumpy Old Horse Ranch where not all the horses are old and Freedom is the only one who is grumpy.
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Post by Synthia on Jul 8, 2008 20:18:10 GMT -8
Scooby is the proud daddy of a three month old paint colt. The colt was orphaned at birth and is being bottle fed. He is a rescue from a hoarder that RCER and the sheriff have kept an eye on for the past year. Scooby has found peace at the sanctuary and loves his new job playing daddy to Hildalgo He is also teaching the baby horsey manners which sometimes upsets the baby-I just love this picture! Scooby had his feet done on Saturday and did well for the ubber farrier. He has a big paddock attached to a pature that he can roam. He and the baby play. The owner of the facility is the coach for CWU's equestrian team and they will ride in the pasture with Scooby, he follows them around, he still has the smoothest gaits in town.
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