Blog Winners--Finally Announced....

YEAH. Sorry 'bout that. I did, however notify the winners on the specified day!! Congrats to Pru over at BigRedHorse on winning the horsehoe of her choice, she has chosen red and black which are her and Olly's eventing colors. Winner #2 was Kristen who owns Laz over at SweetHorsesBreath . She now has no excuse not to clean her tack--she won the Leather CPR. I put all contestants in a bowl and pulled out the winners, so I did not even do it like I said I would, making it easier to win! I guess the prize giver can change her mind, eh? :) In case anyone is interested in which of the hay bags I would pick if I were to buy one: I really liked the Tye Dye and the Girrafe Print! They are so quirky and weird--cool! That said, they are mongo expensive in my book. But since when are these horsey hunks of love cheap? Which one would I NEVER, EVER buy? The zebra print! UGH...

Congrats, ladies. I do sell the shoes, and for my blog buds will make it very reasonable, but at this time am BACKLOGGED! I really only make them when the mood hits, and custom orders are the hardest. I always worry that they won't be liked and the shoe ends up getting three weeks of thought, and then I do it in an hour! I prefer to go with my gut, make them, and then sell them or give them to friends... That said, I've never done red and black, this will be fun.

I may be blog-o-cating for awhile, but I will post it all e-ven-tuall-y!

Jackson says "Congrats gals, now where is MY treat?"

Don't you love how you think you got a good shot, then realize something like your tack is ahem. not fully latched? argh. It was hot. And this was not taken with my phone even! I got out the darn camera! Points for that at least.... :)

The Dance We Do

Miles & Piper P. McPiperson a.k.a. The Mayor of Munchtown (18 lb. cat!!!)

This pic is almost a year old, thanks to the teenage NO PICS rule that has come down...

This blog is where I talk about my horse, and this title would have been a rather nice one to illustrate some of my more recent dressage lessons, but I think a post about my first favorite guy (the human one that came ten years before Jackson...) to be a bit more fitting. Rarely do I say much about my son Miles, mainly because I come here to talk about my horse. So. Here we are. Miles is fourteen and has grown to be as tall as me--5'9--maybe taller, and is still growing. Miles also has gingery red hair and a smattering of freckles, and some of the most gorgeous green eyes I've ever seen. I love my son to death, and would gladly die for him in any torturous way you can dream up. It really is true that when you have a baby you reach inside your chest, extract your own heart, and give it away to that little person. Everything changes and nothing will ever be the same. NOTHING. Loving my son as I do, I am SO glad I only had one.

I get every comment in the world regarding this. "Oh, You'll meet someone and have another one", is my absolute favorite! I think it floors people when I tell them honestly, "You know, some people aren't meant to be parents, they just aren't really that great at it, and I have decided not to perpetuate the species any further." The predictable looks of amazement and shock are a sight to see, let me tell you! My favorite thing is when my reply actually seems to get through to someone, and they GET what I'm trying to say. Instead of having four children (and a mental breakdown), I have decided to stop. I personally think it shows great forethought, fortitude, and genuine caring for all the little potential Mindy's that won't get fertilized and hatched! That's right folks, I'm going to take a LEAP and say it! "Parenting just AIN'T MY THANG!" I have no regrets, and I try my hardest, but if you know this about yourself, why would you keep breeding?

My son and I have been battling it out over where he is going to move now that his Dad took an intelligence job in Maryland--he returned from Iraq after 10 months in May, and subsequently retired from the Air Force. Well, not battling JUST about that, we battle about any and everything! We have been like two storm fronts meeting, and fighting for the very same air in the room. Just the other day I nicely asked him to do something, and he just said, "No." There I am, "What, how dare you?" and go to squawk at him (like the teacher in Charlie Brown) and realized I was looking UP at my little 8 lb. bundle of joy. Wha? It freaked me out pretty badly. It was so VERY weird. Teenager in the house. Time to run. I was a VERY REBELLIOUS teenager...

So yes, the decision has been made by my son to go to Maryland and live with his father. We have always manage to co-parent somewhat; I have known his dad since we were both fifteen. I have also decided that after following his dad to three different states in order to keep Miles' world intact, he is now old enough to be without me. I sure hope I'm old enough to be without him! I'll go to Florida I hope, and we can start accumulating our frequent flyer points. Oh. And that is an act of love. I don't really like to fly.... Too bad I can't scuba dive or ride to go see him. Hmmm. I'll have to look into some sponsors for those two ideas... :)

So, the point of this early morning meandering is Miles. And how I think he is the BEST writer. He wrote me the following poem, and I think it's pretty cool. His other writing's are great, but this is a momma favorite. FOLKS! My son can write better than me!!! Oh yeah. Most people can... Well, anyway, enjoy.

Where I'm From

I am from nature, from Portal and Half Life.

I am from a one story house Filled with books and trinkets.

I am from the oak tree who is strong like my Father, and

The Daisy, soft like my Mother. When combined

Making me a leaf. I am from running and wrestling

And Bright neon Red hair, from Glenn and Mindy.

I am from laughing often and extreme stubborness.

From a penny saved is a penny earned,

And lead a horse with a carrot and stick.

I am from Christianity and laid back worship.

I am from Ireland, and sushi and Payee.

I am Miles, and this is where I'm from.

103rd? Blog Post Giveaway!

Well, I knew my 100th blog post was drawing near, but I have decided to be different. I am presenting a 103rd blog post giveaway for your amusement, amazement, and delight. OK. You're right. I forgot to count. Ohh welll. The prize, or shall I say prize(s) are as follows. 1st prize: One of my homeade beaded horseshoes (made by moi) for the first lucky contestent. Details on how to win to be found below! Please let me know color preferences which I will do my best to honor and get right. If you have a shoe from your own horse, or a horse that has touched your life, past or present that you want me to use, I can do that for you too. Also let me know if you want a used or new shoe. Used will be more rugged and well--used! :) Below are a few examples, but every shoe comes out SO differently! My trainer has the blue one, (my all time favorite!) and our fellow blogger over at Wet Reins is in possession of the other two.  Other friends have a few, and I even have one hanging out in my laundry room! Luckily everyone seems to like them. I wasn't sure my friends weren't just pretending, but I took a chance and gave my favorite baby blue shoe (mine and Jackson's colors) to my trainer for Christmas. She called me later in the day in delight. I STILL have the message on my phone it was so cute! Instead of ever mentioning the REALLY cool bag from a great artist/photographer I had bought for her, she couldn't stop talking about where to hang her shoe, and where did I get such a neat thing? The next week, when I told her I had made it, she was even more delighted. Vindication for sure! Prize #2: This will be a random drawing, and unlike the shoe not based on the feedback you give me at all! But I still want some mail and comments! I.E. if you have never, ever even read my blog you should still enter, because your tack and leather products are cryin' for you to WIN this..............................................................................

8 oz. container of Leather CPR Cleaner and Conditioner! Love this stuff, and this one even comes with a sponge! Let us not forget! Leather CPR is ENDORSED by The Queen of Clean! :) Strikes me like an as seen on TV type of thing, but I actually OWN a Queen of Clean book, and it has helped me clean things I thought I would never salvage or see clean! So, how do you win? Pretty simple. I am posting two questions with issues I am currently having with my horse that I need some advice on. If you show me a well thought out answer, you will be entered into the Prize #1 and #2 drawings. If these are things you have no idea about, then tell me something about horse care you think I may not know. Chances are: I may not. If you can't answer a horse care question,  WAIT! You can be entered for Prize #2! Just read on, it's really easy. OK. Here are my questions. Question #1: I need hoof boots. Specifically, rear hoof boots that won't come off easily. Bruising to my boy's hinds in the wet winter weather= three abcessess! So, it's hoof boots or shoes (nooooo) to prevent bruising on all of our crazy rock. I plan on purchasing two pairs of boots, but hinds are way harder to keep on, so I need to really find some good boots from someone who has experience in this area. And no. My farrier isn't a lot of help. He shoes over 80% of his horses (I'm in Texas!)....help! Although barefoot is not the norm anywhere I guess! ADVISE AWAY if you have any answers. Question #2: I am planning on moving my horse to Gainesville, Florida in the foreseeable future if life goes according to plan. Huh. Right! Anyway, I need as much information as you may know about long hauls. It is a sixteen hour trip, not that bad, but again, the most I know is that I need to buy some shipping boots and hat, have a health certificate, current vaccine and pyroplasmosis test and Coggins papers in order, and  find a company that will actually stop every four hours. He's an easy loader, no problems, but he isn't the greatest drinker which I suppose is my greatest worry.  He won't drink the entire trip I am sure, and maybe if I slide the driver a hefty tip they would do a sweet slurry? What about GastroGuarding him for nerves? Again, advise if you are long-distance transport savvy! Lastly, in order to be entered for the #2 prize at the very least (and you will be entered just for playing:), tell me which of these absolutely AWESOME hay bags I would NEVER buy. EVER, EVER, EVER!? Which one is my absolute favorite? (I have two....). It's not that hard, really! Look at my blog and my post styles, the answer will hit you..(maybe? :) Get it wrong, or not, just give it a shot.

Blog winners will be drawn on 10 July, 2010.

Good luck!

More BANG for your buck!

Jackson has blown three abcessess in the past month or so, all three in his sensitive white rear hooves. He never exhibits any pain, heat, lameness--- nothing to let me know they are lurking. He had one in 2007 about 3 months after I got him, again, same thing. They blow out right at the coronary band (the weakest spot) and then I have a hole. Or three. After talking to the farrier and the vet I am still not sure what to think as far as a supplement goes. They both pssshhahed my idea  pretty quickly. The farrier said to do it if I don't have anything else to spend my money on. Then the farrier went on to tell me how people would pay thousands to have Jackson's feet on their horses. Great.  The vet suggested shoeing his back hooves. Um. HELLO? No. Prefer NOT TO! REAR? For real?  I'll figure out how to keep rear hoof boots on first. That ougt to be more fun than I'm allowed to have! I suppose this is to be expected after the extremely wet weather we had that went ON and ON, a ride on the rock that we normally eat as a snack could have let in organisms through a crack causing infection. Said infection blew out the area of least resistance, the coronary band. The one thing the vet did recommend was soaking J's feet in an Epsom Salt and Iodine bath in warm water. (Note: IF you wear silver rings, TAKE THEM OFF BEFORE YOU TRY THIS. If  you have tan riding pants DON'T WEAR THEM the day you go to soak his little tootsies. The pants ended up being fine, silver favorite Celtic Knot, NO, not so much.) :( After the 10 min. (15 if you can) soak with above ingredients, the holes should be packed with Ichthamol which is a drawing salve. Too me it looks like something used for roadwork, and it doesn't smell much better! He suggested a three day course of this, and tomorrow will be our last. I am torn between using Grand Hoof, SmartHoof from SmartPak, or the Springtime Products which I used on my Dakota who recently passed. I am in the middle of a three day taste test with SmartPak. These are the ones in my price range at the current time. I also want rear boots, and I am defintiely not sure which ones I want yet. UGH. They seem like a pain. I amy be getting to the point of just shoeing. Not yet, but getting there. UGH. If someone actually had advice that I felt was "the advice", it would be so much easier!!!

Here is Jackson with his mane pulled and his tail banged. Even though I pulled it, I need to play with it some more tomorrow. It looks wonky. In fact, it looks like I went at it with a pair of straight scissors, which I didn't! But I bet it is WAY cooler. This is the shortest I've ever had his mane, and the shortest I have ever banged his tail! He loved the attention (and the carrots, apples, and "horse" apple oat cookies I would periodically give him.) The two flakes of hay were a win too.

                                                        BANGED TAIL!

                                                            

Oh, Jackson. Thanks for being my horse. Having you poop in the bucket as we soaked today made me feel

really special! Back for another day tomorrow--Iodine, Epsom salt and Icky Black Tar stuff. Anyone need some? This jar will expire and die before we could use it all! :)

And maybe a bath? :) And some Laser Sheen? Some cookies and hay? More pictures? And no rain please!!!!