17th birthday!

not 17 carrots, only 2.5

anticipation

oh boy, carrots on grass, pretty great!

Happy 17th birthday to Major! Still going strong, and being mightily annoyed by his hat.

the carrots almost make the hat worth it

are there any more down here?

This year his present is carrots.  He didn't need anything else, and they're his favorites anyway (or apples, or treats, he really can't decide!). He thought there should be 17 of them, sorry to disappoint you buddy.

what's that? oh, just a bike.

can you pose and not have a weird angle and giant head?

no, i'm done with posing, nap time now.

Every year I keep thinking he will "grow up" and behave um, more adult, slower maybe? But then he doesn't, and I think I'm glad, it is just his nature, not his age.

Justice: you look dumb in that hat. Major: Well, you look dumb in your fly mask!

Here is to another year of silliness, exploring and adventures!

as long as there is grass too…

organize it

The vet clinic had rightly fully cancelled our stables vaccine clinic, which was scheduled right in the middle of March. They needed to assess protocols, evaluate what was important, etc. I was a bit worried because mosquitos are already out in force, but they know best and humans come first! They rescheduled with some tight parameters: only the barn owner would get and hold horses, most people did not need to be there.

Except for tricky Major. My delicate flower needs to be watched all day, as every single year he has had a reaction. They are milder now that we have a better protocol, but I still like to keep an eye on him.

So Major went first, I tied him and left the area, the vet (my favorite one!) walked up and gave Major what he needed this year, very minimal! And no IV banamine. For a few years that had really helped…but then it gave him ulcers. The vet laughed at that memory, how difficult can you be Major?! He did a quick assessment on Major and noted his weight was about 1050 (that is what not riding gets us!). (Note: if you do a few simple things with this clinic including dental, basic health exam, vaccines and fecal test, you get the colic protection plan, worth $5000, and other benefits.)

The vet stepped away, I untied Major and put him back in his pasture to finish breakfast. Now I had about six hours to kill, and needed to stay out of the way of the barn and vet. What to do…it would have been more fun to sit in the wood chair under the oak tree and just listen to the horses chew their breakfasts (I did that for a bit) but then I started my yearly chore: clean my trailer.

Major judging all my his stuff

Now the trailer has not gone anywhere for a month (nor it is planning too), but a year of grime had definitely built up inside. How does that much dust make it into even the corner behind piles of buckets? Of yeah, because horses and everything about them (ride camps, staging areas, tack) is dusty!

I started by just emptying most of the stuff out, having a keep pile, toss pile and donate pile. I was a bit more ruthless than in previous years, because if I haven’t used that green beta halter-bridle that I bought at the tack sale ten years ago maybe I don’t need it! A few other things resembled that: a thin girth Major doesn’t like, four soaking boots (they can live at home), a glue gun for a product that isn’t made anymore…

much neater, the floor is not gray dust!

I went to check on Major, he was done eating breakfast, but I took him out to eat some grass, good for the digestion I say. I kept an eagle eye on him, which he was mostly annoyed at, but he seemed ok, temp normal.

I'm fine mom, don't bother me, I'm eating

So back to work, and it took quite a while to wipe out all the dust (and cobwebs, and flyspecks!), and I finally re-organized my larger shelves: blankets/coolers, tarps/rope/safety, fly masks/towels. My smaller shelves are trailer needs (high-ties/ropes), and bathing stuff (sponges/soaps).

and found Major's birthday hat, soon to be used!

oh so organized…for now…

Went to check on Major again, oh great, now he’s laying down. Worried, but it was just a morning nap, whew! I finished my trailer chores, glad to have gotten that accomplished, and headed home. I checked on Major again that night (a bit stiff) and the next day (subdued and a little stiff, but eating grass and normal temp). Though I feel bad because some banamine might have made him feel bit better, I don’t think the ulcers are worth it in this case (mild reaction).

on the left, portable battery fan, been great this winter to keep mold away!

So we’re all dressed up with no where to go, but that’s ok. When we do finally travel somewhere it’ll be great!

seriously, I'm fine, can't you just let me eat without staring?

d.i.y.: beaded horseshoe

I’d been working on cleaning the house, organizing closets, doing my regular work, and was getting burned out. I needed a craft!

In organizing my shed I randomly found about 10 horseshoes I’d collected over the years. Four were from my first horse, the rest were random finds. Though Major may be barefoot, I’ve nothing against this traditional horse accessory, and figured to make the most of it! I looked at a couple ideas online, but most were too gaudy for me. Then I did what I usually do: wing it.

gather all the stuff (and more!)

get the worse of the rust/dirt off (leave some for character if you like that!)

First, gather all the stuff, though this is a pretty basic project. Horseshoes, wire, beads of any sort, sandpaper/steel wool to clean up the shoes (if they are as dirty as the ones I had!). Not pictured: I did use a nail and hammer to push out the leftover bits of nail rusted into the holes, you want the horseshoe nail holes available when beading!

beads and estimated placement

The next part of fun: figure out the beads you want to use. My sophisticated bead layout device (plastic food storage top) was very handy, about the shape of a horseshoe and easy to see to many I needed (FYI: I did overestimate).

sometimes easier to take the wire to the beads (rather than try to pick up tiny, tiny beads!)

begin wrapping by inserting wire through horseshoe nail hole

continue by weaving up and down and back till filled

The wire I found worked best was some 28 gauge craft wire. There are few pictures of my process (since I only have two hands, sorry!), but I’d wire some beads, enough for between 2 holes (about 3/4 inch), then go down one hole and up the next, wire some beads, repeat, sometimes backtracking to fill a gap. The back of the horseshoe has wires twisting around and about (and no beads), but when complete I wrapped them and trimmed the wire, making sure the wire end was not going to stab someone. You could also wrap wire around the shoe, but it was too much for me, I preferred the simple look.

completed (just add hanger!)

I did like my addition of some letter beads. I could only spell things for letters I already had, which was limited, but I think they worked. I added a rusted chain hanger for some and a ribbon hanger for another. Those connect to the excess wire in the back of the shoe.

the four horsemen horseshoes of the apocalypse

This was fun, cute project, that I’d love to share! In the summer (hopefully) when stay-at-home gets lifted and I feel like going out, I’d love to mail these off to anyone who wants them (I’ll also be donating to the organization I belong to that has a horsey raffle). I hope this simple little project inspires someone to create!

brave, luck, bold and trust

monday moment: vintage

While organizing my feed storage space, I re-found this old wallboard panel in the garage. When remodeling my house we cut this out and saved it, because how epic is this bucking horse and cowboy paper?

vintage wallpaper

I love the details: bucking horse, roping a calf, wrestling a steer, some branding marks, riding the bronco, even a fancy sheriff star.

love this bronco detail

This was behind 70s paneling, in a closet, behind an installed dresser. That part of my house was built in the late 1930s, but this looks more like 50s maybe? I’d like to meet the kid who had this in their room…

my favorite detail

limited

I'm not riding much, but I am riding a bit. I hate that I was worried about writing that (as I’ve seen some serious judging online), but if is offends someone then I’m sorry, everyone has to do what they see as OK, with suitable precautions. In my case I still have to go in to work about twice a week (the other days I work from home). On those days after work, I go see Major (he is conveniently between work and home) and fit in a quick ride sometimes too.

empty landscape

Luckily my stable is set up so I go through one outside gate to get to Major (that me and one other absentee boarder use), then I tack up at my trailer (that no one else goes near). I have seen one cyclist on a parallel trail, two rider friends off in the distance, and a few people walking on the county lane. All parks are open in my county, just not parking lots, so they’re used by those with local knowledge of the trails.

deer trail to balancing rock

rocks sand sky

Spring has certainly sprung and the grass and everything is green and luscious. It also means the lake is rising, and will lose that trail for the season soon. But I’ve been staying close to home in the forest, and mostly just exploring: following deer trails, taking trails unused for awhile, stopping for pretty views. I explored a deer trail the other day that led to a very cool rocky formation, complete with balancing rock, and the trail beckoned for more exploring. But I was done for that day, and will save that for another time.

I'm done! But we just started Major.

making Major do stupid horse tricks

Also more hiking! I need the exercise (as does Major, but not as much), so often I just throw his halter and lead rope on and wander off into the forest. Sometimes I even drag the SO with me! The only bad part is the prolific poison oak, but I’m avoiding it as much as possible while still seeking out interesting trails. I’m also avoiding the big hills that Major usually carries me up, they’re a lot of work!

tailing Major behind my SO

actual proof I exist

I can also hike from my house into the state park, closed for driving to but not hiking trails. It is a quiet portion of the park, I’ve seen very few people, but some pretty spring flowers (and a late, fat, salamander!).

wild iris

california poppy

fat salamander, pretty late for the party

I hope everyone is taking care, of yourselves and your horses, in the best way possible for you at this time. I’m glad to be getting out in a limited way, and never more grateful for where I live.

Major surveying an empty lake

cleaning up

These days I have lots of blog posts and photos in my brain, getting them on “paper” is harder. But I think I’ve hit a level of “normal” in these times, so I’ll start to show you what I’ve been up to!

I’m lucky to still be working (though not as much) and certainly staying busy (because other than projects, I also count reading a book and drinking tea as busy). A complete introvert, this may be making me much worse!

how perfect this mug from my sister!

But I did CLEAN ALL THE THINGS! (OK, not my tack, I hate cleaning tack and am putting that off). First cleaning project was my feed room.

Now my “feed room” is just a corner in my 1940s garage (too small and weirdly angled for any modern car to fit), but I sadly did not take any photos of the before. Picture this: old tiny desk, once cute, now with peeling wood. Only fits three buckets (one orange, one white, one galvanized), the rest is precariously balanced on some wood boxes, lids of cans, etc. It was not very efficient.

Enter the new desktop. I loved this green desktop, bought on clearance at Ikea some time ago. Thought I’d find a use for it in my office, but went another directions (standing desk with butcher block top). Finally decided what the hell, what not use it for my feed area (I know it may not hold up great over time, but this space is only used a couple times a month, when I make Major his feed and supplement baggies for the stable, and my crappy wood desk lasted 10 years!).

love this new setup!

so organized (for now!)

Desktop + garage shelving supports = new table! Then of course everything else looked haphazard too. I scrounged all the orange buckets (just happenstance!) from the garage, so they all match now. And did buy one new galvanized can so feed is all in one type of container, instead of scattered about in random plastic bins. Then, of course, I had to label all the things! My vinyl cutter is so much fun, I made large labels for the buckets and cans too.

label all the things!

more fun labeling!

I even organized my lockers. These are from a school surplus, and had been collecting random things inside. Now four lockers are horse (hoof boots/misc tack, blankets, tack cleaning, horse health), one is other (kayak stuff) and one is actually empty!

this locker will not get much use!

After all this I realized, actually, it is a pretty good idea to make sure someone else (my SO!) could make up baggies if I was indisposed (in these times, a true worry). Wrote out all the ingredients needed and hung in a noticeable place. (True, at his stable Major gets hay and water, and truly does not NEED these baggies, but I feel better supplementing him these basics).

a little art in the space, and Major's feed list

so efficient to make all the baggies!

Now it is so pretty I want to go out there and just make baggies, but they’re easy to make and Major is set for the month. Though he would insist I did not fill them full enough!

see ya

Major is like the little kid who can't just walk somewhere, he has to run. And that includes EVERY time he enters his pasture from the bottom arena. On this day I'd been cleaning his pasture, he was eating weeds around the edges of the arena (so much more fun than eating in your own pasture, didn't you know?). The gate had been open for at least 10 minutes. Then he lifted his head, and even from a distance I saw that flicker in his eye.

Up his head came, across the arena he trotted (he always slows though the moat gate with little ditch) and he galloped up the hill! There was no extra feed under his shelter, so he just wandered the alley (between the pastures) and tried to play with everyone. Glad my horse is having a good time.

I tried this "running places" thing later, and ran to the end of my driveway. Other than worrying about falling on my face, I admit, it was pretty fun…

remedy

So, it's a little crazy out in the world, huh?! I can't even find the energy or enthusiasm to blog right now, and I know everyone is dealing with pandemics and closed workplaces and cancelled events and I am not special in that regard.

But on a lighter note, while we got no rain AT ALL in February, they're now forecasting a week of rain. And our trails are pretty and green, so if you need an easy remedy from life stress for a short time, feel free to picture yourself riding behind these ears.

my favorite curve with fern lining

buckeye, fern and poison oak, all green

Careful though, keep a hold of those reins, he's been pretty full of it.

Take care everyone.

rock trail all mossy