Tragedy, Triumph and Whatever

Towards the end of September, DH's Mom asked if I wanted to go offsite.....and I said yes!  She invited R. and Harmony to join us.  I was excited.  The day arrived and it couldn't have been more beautiful.  In fact, it was unseasonably warm.  It's a lot of work getting ready to go offsite!  Hay, tack, water.  I was sweating before we even got in the truck! 

All three horses loaded up fine, with Gem first because he's the biggest.   It was when they unloaded that I sort of ...well... panicked.  I was in a strange place with my horse!  Holy crap!  Deep breaths...  Although it was her first time offsite with Harmony, R. was cool as a cucumber.  Because her daughter Mary competes all the time with Ringer, R. knew what the routine was for loading, unloading, tacking up, etc. etc.  I felt completely inept, but DH's Mom was very patient with me.  I stood on a rock to mount and off we went.  


 It was awesome.  Gem was fine with everything and was relaxed and snuffling as we walked through the lush greenery.  This forest has gullies and little streams, some with bridges.  Gem and I rocked going up and down the steep gullies, but we didn't do the bridges.  He wasn't fussy and I didn't want to push it.  When we left after 2 hours, I was elated.   I went twice more to the park with DH's Mom before she put her trailer in storage - just the two of us - and Gem and I did the bridges on those rides.  :-)

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In early October, I noticed that my Silky Terrier was limping.  I checked is paw and decided that it was because his nails were long.  He was due to see the groomer, but I wanted to make sure the limp was gone first.  The limp lingered.  After a few days of it not getting better, I took him to the vet.  The examination did not yield much, but he was sent home with an anti-inflammatory.  The limp seemed to be getting worse, so I took him back a week later for an x-ray.  The results showed that he had a tumour on the bone under his shoulder.  The usual treatment was complete amputation, followed by chemo and radiation.  My Silky was not a candidate for such aggressive treatment because of his age (14) and his past pancreatic issues.  I managed his pain and carried him everywhere so that there was no danger of his leg breaking.   He still asked to go out (I carried him in and out of the house) and ate like a trooper, he still barked at the door bell and when he greeted me when I got home, his tail wagging.   However, I could actually feel the tumour growing and pushing out his shoulder; his pain medication were upped a couple of times.  As usual, he seemed content with the situation as long as it meant being with me.  One morning in early December, I looked at him....I mean REALLY looked at him... when he didn't know I was checking him out.  If he had known I was checking him out, he was have put on a brave happy front because that's what dogs do.  I could tell he was very "tired".   It was time.  I had the vet come to my home and as I held him in my arms as the process was initiated, I couldn't help but think of Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain.  My Silky Terrier was ready.  The transition was done on his big pillow with his life-long buddy, my 16-year old Cairn Terrier, and me beside him.  It was peaceful.  He was such a sweet, gentle soul.  I miss him every day. 

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My middle sister continues to drag out the closing of my mother's estate.  It's well over a year since my mother passed away, and because she has not been forthcoming with any information after repeated requests, I fear that she is covering for some bad behaviour on her part:  we could be looking at many more months before the estate is finalized.  It's a sordid story, one that smacks of elder abuse by middle sister, financial cover up and one that I would never have thought would have been about my family.   After loosing my parents and now having to deal with lawyers on a regular basis, my physical and mental health have been negatively impacted.  This winter was a real challenge.  I am not riding as much as I would like to; getting motivated to get to the barn has been difficult.  I am terribly out of shape.    

While work has been a refuge for me, the business plans over the next 18 months will increase my workload tremendously.   Instead of being a refuge, works is now starting to add to the stress in my life.  I may not have much control over the situation with my mother's estate, but I do have control over other aspects of my life.  I am going to retire!!   

My Husband will continue to be semi-retired, working through the winter and golfing in the summer.  It is a set up that works for him.  I want to surround myself with activities that give me joy and self-satisfaction.  I have a beautiful garden that needs some TLC.  I also have a couple of places that I would like to volunteer at (therapeutic horse riding program, chronic care home).  I would actually like to read my Book Club books at a leisurely pace instead of cramming it into the last week before the meeting.  I picked up some canvases and paint and will try my hand at trying to create "art".   And, more importantly, I would like to spend more time at the barn and riding, which was my retirement plan all along.  :-) 

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In January we had our first few days of snow.  The horses get frisky after the first snow.  It reminds me of when I was little and I would wake up to that first really big snowfall and couldn't wait to get out there and play.  I love riding in the snow and eagerly hit the trails with DH's Mom.  The snow was quite deep in some areas, but the herd had already laid some trails for us.  Gem and DH were frisky!  I actually positioned myself behind DH's Mom to keep Gem at a slower pace.  DH would break into a prance every now and then, with Gem right up his butt egging him on.  As we came to a clearing in the bush near the orchard, I could feel Gem wanting to GO.  As I wrestled with him to keep him in check, he reached out and bit DH on the butt!  DH started to prance out of the way.  Gem and I were still wrestling when he decided to put an end to it.  He kicked out his hind legs twice very high, catapulting me on to his neck.  I recovered enough on the second kick to be able to push myself off to the side instead of flipping over his neck.  I landed in soft snow and other than the pain in my thigh from hitting the horn as I flew off and a sprained finger, it was the best fall I have every had.  :-)  Gem stood there and looked at me.  DH's Mom was able to get hold of his reins.   

Just as I was dusting myself off, LA and a student came riding up to us.  LA offered to give me a leg up, which Gem stood patiently for initially, but lost patience when my obvious lack of upper body strength to haul my now generous body into the saddle became embarrassing to him.  He quietly started to walk off, with me hanging on to the horn trying to will him to stop.  No such luck.  He trotted back to the main gate, leaving me to walk back through the orchard and across two fields in snow up to mid-calf.  The more I walked, the warmer I became.  I started undoing clothing, removing scarves, gloves.  Do you know how hard it is to breath when you have a sports bra on!?  By the time I got to the gate, I was sweating, my face was red and I sounded like some sort of wild version Darth Vader, huffing and puffing.  A barn worker was holding Gem when I arrived.  I put my clothing back on, got back on him and jogged/walked him around the turnout area.   Some might think that I got back on him to teach him that he can't get away with dumping me.  However, I was grateful that I was able to sit on him while I caught my breath before the walk to the barn.  :-)

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While at the barn yesterday, a fellow rider asked me how big Gem was.  I taped him again to check his weight and he's a fluffy 1365 lbs and he still stands a smidge over 16.1hh.  It seems like yesterday that I was terrified of being that high off the ground.  :-)  Well, it was confirmation that both Gem and I have to work on our girth size.... the plan is to slim down together.  :-)

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Admittedly, I have been in a funk.  But sometimes out of the funk darkness comes a bright light.  People that I haven't connected with in a long time or friends that I haven't seen in a while have contacted me out of the blue.  These gestures lift my spirits.  There always good stories and memories.  Delightful!   Some of my father's good friends invited me to the Naval Officers Mess for drinks just before Christmas.  And, a couple of months ago I had dinner with the son of friends of my parents.  I had not see Kent in 50 years!!  It was great fun.  :-)

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There is a new boarder at the barn.  I met Shannon a few years back when I was taking lessons.  Her lesson was right before mine and being of the same age, we started talking.  She rode a lot as a young adult and then stopped for 25 years.  Lessons were her way of getting her confidence back.  We had the same retirement goal (riding horses).   I stopped lessons, so I didn't see her again until recently.  She just bought a horse!  A lovely Arabian/QH cross and is starting to get into shape so that they can compete in endurance!  Wow.  She's retired now and has the time.  She rides 3 times a week.  She took her mare out on the trails for the first time this weekend by herself.   She is confident and focused and enjoying her horse.  She mirrors my hopes for Gem and I (well, with the exception of the endurance thing), and I am getting excited about it.  

Trust

Warning!  Some graphic photos!!

Back in January, I had my vet look at a lump on Gem's chest.  It was located on the fatty area of his breast.  I noticed it last September and actually thought he had been stung by a wasp.  My vet looked at it and recommended that it be removed and a biopsy done just to close the loop, but his first impression was that it was nothing serious.   I trust my vet.  I booked the surgery for the end of April.   All went well.

Beautiful, even stitches.....

The 2nd morning after surgery, barn staff arrived to discover that Gem and Noah were loose in the barn and had been eating, pooping and pulling stuff off the racks during the night.  They were also shocked to see that the top door of Gem's stall was still locked!!!  The bottom door, however, was wide open.  What the heck?!   Yep, Gem limbo-ed under the top door to escape...and then he let his buddy, Noah out.  As far as they can figure, the very tall visiting horse in the stall next to Gem's, reached over and unlocked the bottom door bolt.  Sigh. You cannot trust Gem when it comes to containment.

Of course, he pulled out all of his stitches during his escape leaving a huge, gaping hole.   So, I hosed it (couldn't be restitched because it had been open too long), flushed it with iodine and then coated it with honey.  Eventually, I stopped hosing it but continued with the honey for a few weeks.  It was a very deep wound and has taken a long time to heal, but it has healed from the inside out with no complications.  Yay!   Thank you honey!  I do appreciate that he's robust and a good healer.

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Our bridge was like this one.

This horse does not like the noodles!

By early June, Gem's wound was nicely scabbed over and I was able to join some friends on a trail ride.  I love that I can trust him to be sane after a long absence from riding.  He lived up to his name and we had an awesome ride, staying out about 1.5 hours.  On the way back, we walked by the obstacle course.   A long "tippy" bridge caught my eye, a leftover from the clinic earlier in the week.  DH's Mom started to tell me to let Gem walk up and sniff it and allow him to ease into stepping on it, etc., etc.   Pffft!  Gem and I walked up to it and just walked across.  Even when it tipped forward, he didn't hesitate.  We turned around and went back over it again just to prove it wasn't a fluke.  :-)   Then we walked through the hanging noodles.....DH's Mom was, well....impressed.  :-)  I know that I can trust Gem to have the confidence needed when it comes to things out of the ordinary.

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In July, DH's Mom asked if I would go offsite with her and ride a local trail (what?!).  Apparently, TS and SS are not interested in going offsite this year.  I declined; riding in 30C weather has no appeal to me, but said that I would go later in the year.  I did however, agree to allow Gem to go offsite with another rider.  MC rides a Clydesdale, but the owner (she leases) would not allow the horse off the property.  I volunteered Gem as her mount so she could go with DH's Mom.  I looked at this as an opportunity for Gem to experience another location without risk to myself.  :-)  MC is a more experienced rider than I, more physically fit and confident.  I showed her his tack and then wished her a good ride.  I trusted her to take care of Gem and she did.  He actually loaded and unloaded with ease and rocked it when they were on the trails.  The only time he refused to walk on was when they came to a big puddle.....strange...  But they did not force him because this ride was for getting both horses familiar with the trails.  MC couldn't say enough good things about Gem.  :-)

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One of my goals this summer was to get comfortable riding on my own.  I don't want to be dependent on others.  I have been out on Gem "by myself", but usually within sight of others.  There is still a safety net, so to speak, when you can see other riders.  We needed to get out there alone.   I tried!   There were a number of times that I did not make arrangements with my riding buddies to meet up so that Gem and I could go it solo.  The best made plans....sigh.  People I hadn't seen in weeks seemed to jump out of the woodwork when I arrived, asking if they could join me on the trails....of course they could... :-)  Eventually, the day came when Gem and I were alone.  There was no one, with the exception of LA's mother, at the barn.   I was excited...this is it!....not a nervous bone in my body!  What the heck?!   No issues with mounting; stepped right up and on.  Off we went.  Well, sort of.  Gem started off fine, but once he realized it was just him and I, he walked vvvverrry sloooowly and kept looking behind us, searching for our usually riding companions.   I could almost hear him say, "Wait a sec...where are the others??"   :-)  He eventually came around, after a lot of encouragement, and we walked around the open fields (I wasn't quite ready to go into the orchard or forest).  One thing about riding on your own is that it's quiet....really quiet...  So I chatted a lot with Gem, just to make sure that the critters could hear us and nobody got spooked.  Strangely, I think he sort of liked my chatter. Note to self:  Find Gem's bell necklace.   My heart really swelled as we headed back to the barn and I had a big smile on my face.  I think our partnership was truly sealed with that ride.  I trusted him and he trusted me.  I felt that we could do anything after that ride.   What a wonderful feeling....

Finding Love...again....

Well, the weather here has been brutal.  I don't want to brag, but we have been experiencing an average high of -15C (-3F) with lots of snow the last few weeks.  Yay!!....not.  Does that stop me from going to the barn??  No!  It may be too cold to ride, but it's not too cold to groom and give my boy some lovin'.   Dressing for this weather is not my best look, however, and getting in and out of the car can be a challenge.  I had so many layers on last weekend (-25C with windchill), that I was struggling to bend over to get my brushes out of my case.  :-)  Walking back to my car, the wind made my eyeballs hurt.  Whaaaa!

LA has had the older horses brought in from the herd.  They are housed at night and turned out in the front paddock during the day.  That way she knows that they are actually getting food....it seems that in this cold weather, horses get grumpy about getting food to ensure they can maintain their body heat and the older guys get pushed away from the hay. 

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A couple of years ago, I posted about R., John and Mary and a horse named Ringer.  As Valentine's Day approaches, I thought I would give an update on the love story.

 

This is what Harmony looks like.

Over the last couple of years, LA has been retiring some of the older school horses.  They will live out the rest of their days chowing down on delicious hay and grain and enjoying a life of leisure.  This means that she has to have replacements and in the summer of 2013, LA purchased a beautiful bay mare, Harmony, as a replacement lesson horse.  She had lots of training and had a nice demeanour.  But, it didn't work out.  Harmony was sweet, but once you put an inexperienced rider on her, she just wanted to prance and couldn't be trusted out on the trails with beginner riders.  The herd didn't particularly like her and were constantly running her off from the hay pile.  When we were out on the trails, we would frequently see her standing alone, next to the herd, but not part of it.  She was not wintering well.  She started to drop weight, she looked sad and worried.

Meanwhile, Mary couldn't spend enough time with Ringer!  Their bond has become tight.  I have watched Mary's skills as a rider go way, way above and beyond since she teamed up with Ringer and she now goes to just about every obstacle, gaming and barrel competition there is locally....and cleans up ribbon-wise.  Mary is fearless on Ringer.  While Mary continued on with her lessons on Ringer, R. would do little jobs around the barn to keep busy, which included grooming the older horses.  LA had brought lonely Harmony in from the fields to one of the turnout pens to ensure she would get food.  She was going to sell her and wanted her healthy and looking her best.  R. started grooming her. 

Harmony was a mess.  She had bite marks all over her and was suffering with a bit of rain rot.  Her eyes and coat were dull.  She was a bit wary of R. initially.  R. took it slow.  Their sessions got longer and longer.  R. enjoyed fussing over Harmony and Harmony was enjoying the attention.  Over time, Harmony and R. became very close.  Harmony got excited when she saw R.   Her eyes softened, she seemed perkier and a little more involved with her surroundings.  She was eating.  Her coat gleamed and her mane was long and shiny.

LA couldn't find a buyer for Harmony.  She was a nice looking horse, had good bloodlines, was not malicious and was well trained.  But, she was 20 years old; her competition days were long gone and she was too old to breed.   A hard choice was going to have to be made.  No one wanted to take on a senior horse, it seemed.  Well....except R., that is.  :-) 

R. and Harmony have been a couple since the summer of 2014, and neither could be happier.   Never in a million years did R. think she would have her own horse.  When she and John talked about buying Harmony, John came down to see her with R. and he fell in love with her, too.  Ah, love.  R. has been taking regular lessons and their bond continues to grow.  R. did some research and found the original owner of Harmony, located in another province.  Harmony was used for competition, sold at 10 years of age when the owner got another competition horse and then was used as a brood mare by the new owner.  The original owner was delighted to hear from R. and told her all sorts of stories and sent pictures.  Not sure what circumstances led her to LA's place to be a school horse; life is strange sometimes.

Last summer, R. and I were riding in the front paddock.  Mary and her friends had set up the barrels; they needed to practice for a games competition.  Harmony was very interested in what was going on.  Up to that point, R. was still trying to get her sea legs and to figure Harmony out.  For a lark, R. asked Mary to take Harmony through the routine at a trot, just to get her used to the barrels, so that R. could see how she would react and perhaps have some fun with her.   Up Mary got on Harmony and settled herself in the saddle.  Mary barely had to cue Harmony.  Trot?  That's for sissies!  Harmony took off like her tail was on fire!  Her turns around the barrels were tight and well balanced, and coming home she was flat out.  And just to finish it off, she did a little sliding stop.  WTH?!!  We all had our mouths hanging open to our chests!   She was amazing....who knew!?  Harmony was raring to go again, which Mary did.  Again, she performed 110%.  She looked....happy???  She may be heading into her senior years, but she's still got it!!

Harmony's future may have been iffy at one point, but her circumstances couldn't have bounced back any better.  She must have done something right in another life to have a human like R. as she heads into the senior part of her life.  R. absolutely loves Harmony and will always do what's best for her.  She will fuss and brush her, make sure she gets the proper supplements and vet care and ride her with respect.  Harmony is almost unrecognizable from a year ago.  She is muscled, shiny and alert.  She is beautiful.  She is not out with the herd; she has her own turnout area next to Gem's and is brought in at night.  She is much happier.

So, now Mary has Ringer, R. has Harmony and.....guess what?   Yes!!  John bought himself a 6-year old, stunning black and white paint mare!  She's delightful and handsome Gem has his eye on her.  :-)   John has been taking lessons, too!  R. has indicated that when Harmony is ready to be fully retired, John and her will share his horse and of course Ringer will be available for R. as Mary heads off to university.  A great arrangement for the future.  I think it's cool that horses have been the sort of glue for this family.   The family that rides together, stays together???  :-)    

Happy Valentine's Day!!

And just like that.....

......everything changed.    

On November 18/14, my mother was hospitalized on doctor's orders.  After scans and a biopsy (which she was awake for and never flinched!!), it was determined that she had terminal stomach and lung cancer.  She told me that she was fine with the diagnosis and was looking forward to being with Dad.  She was adamant that she just wanted to be made comfortable, no fuss.  Her wish was granted and her three daughters kept her company every day and into the evening gabbing, watching TV, discussing current events, doing crosswords with her and playing trivia....many days it was like a kitchen party.  On the last day, November 28th, she went quietly and with dignity and on her own terms.

My mother was born in Farrukahbad, India in 1935, during the British Raj.  Her father was from Scotland and was on the British Police Force in India.  He married a local Anglo-Indian and the union produced 6 beautiful children, my mother being the youngest.  She did not have a lot of fond memories of India.  She lived in a compound with other British families and true to the time period and culture, her parents were more concerned with their own needs; my mother was closer to her "Aya" than her mother.  She and her siblings were all sent off to convent boarding school as soon as they turned 5 and wouldn't see their parents again until Christmas break and then summer.  Sometimes, if her parents had travel or events planned, the children would not go home during the breaks.  It was a

Ava Gardner 1940's

lonely childhood.  My grandfather passed away from heat stroke during a riot, held perhaps during the time leading up to India's independence.  My grandmother stayed in India and eventually  married another Brit who took the three youngest sisters and my grandmother to Portsmouth, England around 1948; my mother's brothers and older sister had already left home at that point.  Times were tough.  Coming from an existence that included servants and a cook to living in a cramped apartment was a huge adjustment.  After finishing her education, my mother worked in an office.  Eventually, she became a bookkeeper's apprentice, but it was at her second job in the evening, serving and clearing tables at the Naval Officers Club with her two older sisters, that she met my father.  He became smitten with the young lady that looked like Ava Gardner.  Eight months later, they married and Dad put Mom on a liner by herself to Halifax, N.S., where she arrived on December 15/55.   I came on the scene a year later.

Although our relationship was complicated, my mother and I were very close.  She taught me to be independent at a time when women were not encouraged to be.  She forced me to buy a car when I was 18.  I didn't need one, in my opinion; I had a boyfriend that was driving me around and I was fine with that.  But my mother wanted me to have more freedom and to have my own credit rating with a bank through getting a car loan...she was looking out for my future and she was right.  She was very generous (she sponsored Lady's care for a year and bailed out another elderly horse bound for slaughter) and could be fierce if she saw an injustice being done.  She and I shared a passion for nature, music, books, bird watching and classic movies.  She was way ahead of her time in so many ways when it came to women's issues and I appreciated her strength and wisdom.  We always had something to talk about and I greatly miss our daily chats. This holiday, for the first time in a decade, I didn't make Christmas dinner...there will be a lot of 'firsts' this year....

Stepping over small logs.

LA rode Gem for me while I was with my mother in hospital.  She would send me reports on how "light" he was, or how amazing his lope was.  It made me feel good because it was something "normal" and positive.  When I eventually did get to see him, I was too drained to actually ride.  But I spent an hour with him, just hanging out and grooming.  He was quiet and allowed me to fuss over him; his eyes were soft.  A couple of days later, I got on him and we just walked and jogged around the arena, working on side passing (yes, his back legs were crossing!), backing up long distances in a straight line, obstacles and neck reining.  It felt good.

 A week later, the daughter of one of my dearest friends lost her husband to cancer after a 3 year battle.  She is now a widow at 42 year of age, with a 13 year old son  and a 10 year old daughter.  Laura and her daughter have visited Gem in the past and when I received an email from her the day after her husband died, asking if she and her daughter could visit with Gem, I wasn't surprised.  She had already experienced the curative effects of being around Gem.  We spent 3 hours together with Gem, grooming and riding.  He couldn't have been more of a gentleman.  Again his eye was soft and he was kind to Laura's daughter, who was delighted that she got to "ride" him.  They came sad, but left happy and smiling and that made me feel good.  There will be a lot of 'firsts' for them this year, also.....

Horses are sensitive.  If we are privileged enough to be able to spend time with them, we can see just how sensitive they really are.  There are numerous articles out there that explain how horses have a six sense.  They are so intuitive; they know when your heart beat increases and mirror it when you are riding.  When a rider lacks confidence, they get worried, too.  And, when you are feeling sad, they feel it and I guess in their own way share your pain and give you exactly what you need at that moment. I started this blog as a "diary" of my experiences with Gem.  As I flipped through some previous posts over the holidays, I realized that Gem has pushed me, comforted me, been brave, patient and even bossy...all when I needed it.  I am grateful that I have him in my life.  Although 2014 didn't end in a great way, I am looking forward to the next year....yes, there will be some 'firsts' but there will also be awesome memories, upcoming family and friends events and visits to look forward to....and a year that will hopefully include lots of time with Gem!
 

Being Social

When I first met DH, I was told to steer clear of him.   I was told that he wasn't a pleasant horse, that he bit people and was nasty with other horses.  For a gelding, DH displayed studdy behaviour and was not social with animals or humans.  What I found out was that DH was actually used as a stud before he partnered up with DH's Mom.   Because of that, he was kept in a stall away from everyone, only brought out in public when he was expected to compete or breed.   Gives you a whole different perspective on his personality when you take the time to understand his isolating circumstances prior to teaming up with DH's Mom.  Of course, it was a big culture shock for him when DH's Mom bought him and transported him to LA's. 

DH lost no time in establishing that he was the top horse when he was turned out with Gem and two other geldings in a small field.  Sort of funny to see a 14.3h paint giving 16.0h Gem the business!  It could be a bit nerve-racking getting Gem from the turnout area;  DH would try to come in between us and try to herd Gem away from me.  He was doing his job as leader.  Eventually, what I ended up doing was bringing a handful of horse treat kibble and throwing it off to the side.  While DH was busy looking for kibble, I would hook Gem and walk out of the gate.  The other geldings eventually were put out with the herd and Gem and DH remained roommates for the next 5 years. 

This past spring, DH was turned out with the herd.  He is now 16 years old and not as grumpy as he was 5 years ago.  After a bumpy start, he has settled in and has 3 girlfriends to call his own.  :-)  He is happy.   He is really socializing for the first time in his life.  I thought Gem might miss him, but it was basically a non-event for him.  Gem's turnout area is right on the main throughway for the herd to get to the watering trough, so he gets to see the comings and goings.  He is also surrounded by other turnout areas so any way he faces, he sees horses.  Sometimes nickers pass between him and members of the herd.  Gem is socializing from afar.  He's like me.....I nod to my neighbours over the fence or have a cordial chat as I am getting out of my car, but I don't encourage anyone to walk on to my property.  I like my privacy.  :-)

A few weeks ago, LA asked if it was OK to put Hank, a 15.1 QH, in with Gem.  As winter approaches, the older horses are brought into the largest turnout area near the house so they can be monitored.  If she could double up on the number of horses in the regular turnout areas, it would allow for horses to be out all day instead of rotating between morning or afternoon turnout.  We have been on trail rides with Hank and his person, and in fact, Hank's turnout was right next to Gem's so they know each other.  Made sense to me and I said go for it.

Later that same day I got a call from LA:

LA:  "Well I wanted you to hear it from me and not another boarder with added drama...."

Me:  "Oh, dear...."

LA:  "It didn't work out with Hank and Gem.  It started out well, but a couple of hours later I heard screaming.  I raced over to the turnout area and Gem was beating Hank up and I had to separate them."

Me:  "Is Hank hurt??!!!"

LA:  Well, to be honest there are some pretty bad bite marks and he already has a couple of areas that are swollen due to kicks.  I don't want to chance a more severe injury and I am sure his owner doesn't either."

Me:  "OMG!!!  I feel so bad."

LA:  "Don't feel bad.  This is what horses do.  Don't take it personally."

I saw Hank a few days later, and my stomach flipped.  His neck and back had quite a number of bites that were scabbing over - he was a mess.  I suspect that due to where the bites were located, his owner was not riding him.  I felt awful.  And as much as it's horses being horses, Hank's owner did take it personally and has not spoken to me since the incident! 

Rascal looks like this guy.

Early last week, LA called to ask if it was OK to try Rascal in with Gem.  Rascal is a beautiful white-faced QH, closer to Gem's size.  Somehow this gorgeous guy ended up on a feed lot and LA rescued him.  Up until 6 weeks ago, he was a stallion; LA had him gelded when he arrived.  Perhaps there was some residual chutzpah after he was gelded that would make him a match for Gem attitude-wise?  I said go for it.

I happened to be riding in the arena on Thursday when I overheard LA talking to one of her staff about turning Rascal out in another area.  What???  So I called LA to see what was going on.  Apparently, everything was fine between the two of them for three days.  But then all hell broke loose, resulting in Gem kicking Rascal in the mouth and one of his teeth being knocked out.  Sigh.  The vet had to be called in.  Again, LA told me not to take it personally.  But it's hard!  I don't want my horse to be the one that gets a bad reputation.  I don't want him to be thought of like DH was.  I don't want people or staff to be nervous of him.  LA told me that wouldn't be the case.  DH continues to have incidents with humans (he nipped a guy on the chin), but Gem hasn't been mean to the humans around the barn so there shouldn't be a bad reputation issue.  So, Rascal is now turned out with another horse and Gem is.....alone..... again......

When Gem left the farm where he was born to go live with his new owner, he was the only horse on her property.  He was out 24/7 and was ridden occasionally.  He was more of a pet.  I believe that it was this lack of socialization with other horses over a number of years that has impacted how he behaves when it comes to roommates.  He gets rude and territorial.  I often wonder how DH ever became the boss of Gem.  Being an aggressive horse to begin with, DH must have just bamboozled Gem from the moment Gem entered the turnout area when he first arrived 5 years ago and the hierarchy was set instantly and remains to this day.   

I think both LA and I have come to the realization that Gem will probably never have a roommate again.  This will mean that he will only get a half day outside during the winter, instead of 10 hours.  Better than a kick in the pants!  Makes me sad though, but it doesn't affect him at all, which is the main thing.  

On Sunday, I was sitting on Gem, waiting for my trail riding buddy to arrive when LA, accompanied by her Aussie cattle dog, came up to chat.  Her dog commenced wagging his butt and assumed a slightly submissive stance in front of Gem.  I have seen this many times and have never been concerned.  Although initially concerned because her dog had been kicked a few times by horses, LA no longer worries when he's around Gem.  I loosened Gem's reins, enough so that he could lower his head and allow the dog to lick around his mouth and nose ever so quietly and gently.  Gem then licked the dog back a couple of times.  I smiled and I could see that LA was amused also.  You see, when Gem was with his previous owner, his only real companions were a lab and a barn cat.  LA's dog knows that Gem won't hurt him.  And, the cats at LA's make themselves comfortable on Gem's window ledge regularly (sometimes leaving a present of a dead mouse!) or walk along his stall wall, allowing him to sniff and nibble at them.  So he may not be socialized with horses, but Gem is certainly socialized with the other barn residents.  He has company when he's IN the barn, which is sort of cool. 

I am OK with the current set up.  I think that Gem is getting what he needs.  If he wasn't, he would be a lunatic.  Perhaps he just has discriminating tastes when it comes to who he wants to spend time with....I think I might have made his short list.   :-)

When An Easy Keeper Isn't

Every once and a while, I realize how much I take for granted when it comes to the care of Gem.  The things that LA does are transparent and just "happen".  Recently, she had her hay tested to see exactly what it contained (it's very good hay).  She has the hay tested regularly and then adjusts the feed to complement the hay.  She felt that she could do better when it came to the feed she was giving our horses and decided to try something different.  After deciding on a new supplier, she asked the feed rep to come in and give us a presentation on horse nutrition and answer any questions we might have about what our horses are eating.

Holy crap, horse nutrition can be complicated!  When I was looking for my forever horse, my wish list included "easy keeper".  In my mind, "easy keeper" translated into a horse that was not fussy on what he ate and didn't require any special additives.  When the Cheval Canadien was first developed in the late 1600's, they were used to clear lumber in the forests of Quebec.  They needed to be smaller than the usual draft breeds to be able to maneuver in the trees and bushes, but strong enough to pull out the lumber.  There weren't a lot of open fields on which to graze and in the winter they were turned loose to fend for themselves.  Quebec winters are harsh.  They survived by eating whatever they could find on the forest floor and tree bark.  Whatever they ate, they were able to efficiently extract every single bit of calories and nutrition and store it for long periods of time; they could survive on very little food.  Those that survived were used as breeding stock.  As the breed became more refined, the Little Iron Horse became a strong, muscular, sound horse and very "easy keeper".  Sounds pretty good, right?  Well, maybe not.....

These vintage photos are of "working horses" in Quebec.  Although not specified, in all likelihood the horses are Canadians.

  

Surviving in the wilds of Quebec is one thing.  However, when your "easy keeper" is part of today's normal animal husbandry routine, where food is plentiful and provided in nice round bales or square flakes, it can be a challenge.  Who knew?!  That trait of being able to store calories/fat for longer periods makes easy keepers prone to weight gain.  This is quite common in ponies and draft breeds.  And, weight gain can lead to other problems, like joint issues, metabolic disorders and laminitis.  Yikes!!

After the presentation, the rep volunteered to give horses a body condition rating.  Wow.  This was really interesting.  She used the Henneke body condition guidelines, which was developed back in the 1980's, in part so that there was a standard guideline for law enforcement agencies to judge horse cruelty cases.  

The horses that were examined were all Quarter Horses and one TB/QH cross, all bright-eyed, shiny and healthy (thank you, LA!).   As it turns out, the majority of the horses she looked at were around a 5-6 body score, which is good.  To be honest, I thought one of the horses would have been scored higher because her belly was big.  The rep explained that what we were looking at was a "hay belly", where fermentation has occurred.  This could be caused by poor quality hay (not the case), not enough protein in the feed or perhaps this horse's digestion had slowed a bit due to her age (21).  This will be rectified with the new feed and mixing yeast in her portion.  The TB cross mare was a 4-5.  She's a barrel racer and a bit high strung.  LA will work with the owner now that show season is over to beef her up a bit for winter. 

Then we came to Gem.  :-)  She took his breed and the amount of "work" he does into consideration when she examined him.  He scored "7".  He does not have a hay belly or fatty deposits....his weight is evenly distributed.   While scoring a 7 is not bad for his breed, there are two things that we decided to do to ensure that he would never get above 7.   There was a major change to his routine back in June;  Gem no longer has a turnout roommate to compete with when it comes to the bale of hay (DH is now out with the herd).  He has the luxury of being able to eat all day, without fuss.  Going forward, LA will be rotating him between his turnout area where the bale is and the large round pen, where his intake will be flakes of hay at specific times during the day.  He will continue to get his "taste" of feed when the others get their scoops.  In addition, he will be worked a little more during the week; either LA will lunge him once a week or I will try to make it out one more evening a week.  Gem was actually much bigger when we first partnered up, so there is hope.  :-) 

There is an extreme cowboy clinic that is happening next summer and I am very interested in participating.  To be honest, I don't think either Gem or I are any where near being in condition to participate in this all day event; I believe I am also a "7" on the Henneke body condition score.  :-)   You never know....if winter weather cooperates and I am able to keep up the routine, come Spring we could be in good enough shape to do the clinic.   I have signed us up for weekly lessons over the next month to get us back into a routine.  Giddy up!!