Playing

I have been 'playing' with Chance. His biting was becoming a BIG problem.
I thought it was taken care of with the work we did, setting boundries and not letting him in until he behaved. It only lasted a few days and then he was back to trying to nip me everytime he got the opportunity. He isn't being aggresive or nasty, he is trying to play with me like he would a pasture mate, trying to get my attention. Instead of trying the old stuff again I decided to play with him. We had a great time, I asked him to run off to the right and he would take off like a cannon ball bucking and jumping. When I asked him to stop he would quickly turn in to me and ask "what do you want me to do now?????" So I sent him to the left and off he would go again. YEEE HAAW!!! He followed every instruction with so much enthusiasm and excitement, I could almost hear him laughing as much as I was. And when I asked him to be quiet and still or slowly follow me he was right there, willing to do whatever I asked to the best of his ability. I was careful to mix it up for him, asking for what he knows and then throwing in some new stuff here and there. I even rode him bareback again with the rope halter. He was so patient, standing ready for me to get on. I stood on a muck bucket to get on and even when my foot slipped and I lost my balance he just waited, braceing himself so I could hold on to him to keep from falling.

Yes, he did try and nip me most of the time we played. I got good at blocking but other than that decided to ignore it and see if it would stop. I really think he has been bored out of his mind and is like a little boy looking for attention. And it worked. Then next day I found a much more settled horse, content and happy. He hasn't tried to nip me in 2 days. It is so nice to finally see the horse that was so deep inside himself, so shut down. He still has trouble holding his feet up, but I know that he is holding them up for as long as he can. We will keep working on it and he will eventually learn that he can give up his feet and feel safe.

Starting the new year

It has been a slow start to the new year, not feeling well, behind on paperwork and baking
biscuits. But I'm okay with that. Lately Chance and CC have been fighting over the fence between the stalls. I started out with a simple line dividing the paddocks, no electricity because
of the round bale feeder. Since this new game they are playing, I have gone from the line to
the brown tape, New Years Eve morning I woke up to both ponies in Chance's stall. Poor Chance was at the gate looking for a way to escape. So, up went a board nailed across with the brown tape above it. Still no electricity. Today I woke up to the board broken in half, but everyone was where they belonged. So now there is a much larger wooden fence-like wall up with electricity on Chance's side. I wonder how long this will stay up????

After putting up the wall I hopped on Chance for the 1st time since November at Libby's clinic. His behavior has been much better since I worked with him and he seemed to enjoy the
ride as much as me. I threw on his rope halter and jumped on bareback. The footing is not
very good, not icy in the paddock but not very good so we just walked around. I let him decide where to go first and then it was my turn. He even had a little spook when the wind kicked up and blew the snowmobile trailer off the hitch and it moved a couple of feet across the ice. I was very proud of how he handled that! I jumped when it happened! We were really together and I think he just knew not to fall apart because I was there. In a second it was over and I asked him to walk on. We had a nice short ride, I am emphasizing the nice part...not short.

A Spoiled Horse

While I have been working on teaching Chance to trust people, stay awake (not shut down) I have turned him into a spoiled horse. I have confused him with all my hugs and kisses, no boundries. I have let him get as close to me as he wants, wanting him to feel loved. I have to admit that I like it too. He can be very lovable, but I learned my lesson today when he bit me.
I was opening up the feed room door when he walked up behind me and bit me on the hip. I can't say I was very happy but I have no one to blame but myself. So as of today there is a bubble around me and he is not allowed in. I decided how big the bubble is and stood there waving my arms and mittens around like an air traffic controller. When he tried to come in he bumped into my waving arms and mittens. When he stood at a respectable distance I went to him and loved him like crazy. We worked on this for about an hour in the dark and it was very cold. Of course if I had made this a rule from the start I would not have had to freeze my butt off doing this. He just continues to be a great teacher!

Flexibility

Having horses and children has taught me a very valuable thing. To be flexible and willing to make changes at a moments notice. The last couple of months have been busy, people have
been out of sorts, and Christmas is really never what I imagine it will be. Last month I listed
some goals that I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year. I don't think I have finished
one of them. Every year we go out as a family and cut a tree down at a tree farm about 2 weeks
before Christmas. This year David and I bought a little display tree at Target 2 days before Christmas. Marissa and I decorated it on Christmas Eve night. Most of the family has
been sick, some family members have been fighting. On Christmas Eve morning I woke up to
find Chance completely in the tack/grain room. How he fit I'll never know and how he didn't
get stuck is a total miracle! The room is barely big enough for 2 people to stand in, never mind
a horse! And the biggest miracle was that Chance didn't touch any grain at all despite the fact that there were 2 open bags in reach. I guess he thought it was way more entertaining to torture Phoebe (the chicken). He was eating her bed of hay as she was huddled in the corner unharmed. I'm not sure if I left it open or if he figured out how to open it. It is now latched with an extra clip.
So now it is the evening of Boxing Day. An English holiday that David's mother enjoys celebrating. We eat another huge meal and have a fun Yankee Swap. Everyone is stuffed and
sitting around chatting. I have snuck off to check my e-mail and write this. Another Christmas is over, New Years is next week. Time is flying by as usual.
I have to say it has been a wonderful year and even though things seem out of sorts and really kind of weird this Christmas I'm grateful for it all. I have wonderful friends, a great new career, my kids are growing up and getting along (doing very well in most aspects of their lives), my husband and I have been able to laugh most of the craziness off and made time for a snowmobile ride the other day, and all of the animals are healthy and happy.
Life is good and I think the only New Years resolution I will make for 2008 will be to continue
to remain flexible. Everything else will fall into place.

I need some fun

Sharing horse time

Something I have been struggling with for a while, trying to make time for my pony. I wonder if he is okay with just hanging out with his brother and being a retired pony or would he like to do more? His health is getting better, he has put on weight, looks bright eyed and happy for the 1st time in months. I have so many things to accomplish with Chance that Shadow does get left out. Chance is young and has a lot of energy. And Chance is the horse that I ride. Having Chance around has been so good for me. As much as I do worry about Shadow's health, having Chance has given be something else to focus on. Also, CC will go through the fence if I take Shadow out of his sight. That is probably the only thing that has made having the ponies together difficult. And I guess without really thinking it I have started to pull away from Shadow. He is 29 and not in great health. I didn't think he would be around when the weather got cold. I am not in anyway trying to rush the rest of his life, but I think I have been trying to prepare myself for his death. It is going to be hard, I love that pony so much, and saying goodbye to him is sometimes not even comprehensible.

I guess in trying to make more horse time I will fit in small amounts of time in for Shadow. Not enough to effect his health but hopefully enough to help his mind. And mine also, I miss playing with him.

Goals for the rest of this year

These are in no particular order. I wrote them as I thought of them.

Goal #1 - Get organized! Organize the office - plumbing/heating work and find a way to fit biscuit paperwork in here.

Goal #2 - Decorate for Christmas. I didn't do anything but the tree last year which was fine but I would like to do more this year.

Goal #3 - Clean basement garage for the car, clean and make room for biscuit packaging on the finished side.

Goal #4 - Make appts to visit the school with Derek.

Goal #5 - Make time to play with horses. Even though we are always training our horses whenever we handle them, if I call it play it won't seem like a project. Make sense? I love my
horse time and I love the projects with them but I am feeling overwhelmed with work. Chance also LOOKS younger and I get the feeling he wants to play. Something I think he hasn't had
in a long time. I will put it in the schedule starting next week. This week is for reorganizing inside.

Goal #6 - Make some fun time for me and David. We need to get away again, we went away overnight last week but it was kind of a flop and I want a do-over. We had a yucky room and waited for ever for the meal at dinner (the server forgot to bring us lots of stuff, food, drinks etc....) We kept our sense of humor, but I would like to do it again.

Goal #7 - Make my x-mas shopping list. And keep it simple this year. More homemade stuff, that is actually more work, but way more enjoyable. Enjoy Christmas this year!

Goal #8 - Get started!