Bad Blogger = Good Mommy!!!!

So, I've been spending so much time with the girls that I've neglected my own blog. I'm going to recap the week now, one day at a time!

Monday, March 2, 2009

I drive out to feed breakfast, and the girls are sleeping in the middle of the pasture. Yay, nice and relaxed. I feed them outside, wait to make sure everyone is playing nice, and get going to work. When I go back out, it's grooming time!!! I'm talking to P on the phone, and as I round the corner, I see no horses. Um, huh? I pull into the driveway – no horses. Well, this ain't funny. Fence line is still up. I know they can't be gone. All the neighbors are old friends who would call if anything happens. I guess they can be behind the dirt in the nice shade. P suggests they are in their stalls, sleeping. No way, says I. Too soon. Well, mommy doesn't know her girls, because as soon as I slam the car door, they pop their heads out of the stalls. How come daddy knows them better, even if he's thousands of miles away? Sigh. At least they love their stalls.

So I grab Adiva and bring her to the concrete pad. I just loop the leadrope around the post – I don't want to tie her yet until I know how she's going to react to everything. She's an angel. Totally perfect. I even clean her feet and she's acting like she done this with me forever. I notice a scabby something in her right ear and decide to push the envelope. It looks gunky, and I don't want it to get infected. Yet messing with a new horse's ear is tricky business. I realize I need a cloth to clean it, and I am unsure if I should leave her even tho it's just a few steps. So I lead her into the tack room, back her out, wet the cloth and grab the scab and pull. Yes, she was IN the tack room and backed out like she does it every day. And no, she didn't freak out about the scab. She did pick her head up, but once the scab came off, all this nasty ick came out, and she sighed and lowered her head. Like it relieved some pressure. She let me scrub it pretty well, then came with me back into the tack room – I had forgotten the medicine. This mare is priceless! I give her some treats, and turn her back out. Anni is next, and she's just as good, other than she's quite sensitive on her sides – no currying there – and she's less good about her feet. I decide not to push things and just turn her back out. After a bunch of treats, of course!

They both decide to take a little nap by the gate, so cute as their heads start to drop. Anni decides to actually lay down, and just folds herself down. I'm quite happy, as I don't think she had laid down since she came. No dirt on her sides, no grass in her mane. Adiva either, but with her short coat, I'm not sure I could even tell. I hate to wake them, but it's dinner time. I ask them to go into their stalls, and both go right in. YAY, dinner in their stalls. What a perfect day!! I go home, higher than a kite.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The morning dawns the same as Monday, girls sleeping in the pasture. But this morning, I'm going to try to feed them in their stalls. Both come right up, Anni goes right in, Adiva goes in once the grain has been dumped. I can live with that. When I turn them out after breakfast, they go off to find the hay, and I head to work. I have two meetings after work, so I just hang with them for a bit before my first meeting, then come back to feed before the second. My sweet precious girls come right up for their feed. Oh, I'm so lucky! I have a bit of time to just watch them for a while before the next meeting, so I do. How can I not? They are wonderful!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Well, our morning routine is set. It's awesome! They come as soon as they see me, and nicker for breakfast. I's so happy! After work I have some errands, so this is the first afternoon I won't be spending with them. Sad. I get out at feeding time. Yeah, while they are a bit miffed I've been gone, they don't seem to hold it against me. I make sure to give them some extra treats, just in case. Hehe

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I can tell the girls are laying down at night – manes are a mess!!! I'm happy tho as it means they are relaxed enough to sleep. I, on the other hand, am beat. Luckily work is slow, so I leave early to grab a nap. After a nice 3 hour nap, I head to the barn. I clean the pasture as the girls help, then decide to take the girls for a walk. Anni is first today, and after she's groomed, we walk a bit around the property. She's quite good. Actually, she's just interested in grass. Then it's Adiva's turn – she's a little more 'up' and we have to have a little leading lesson, but all in all, I'm proud.

Friday, March 6, 2009

I love mornings. The girls are so peaceful. It's way more healing than I ever could have thought. I don't know how, but just seeing them, the way they respond to me, well, it helps deal with Classy. While I have way too much going on with P gone, and I'm more tired than I ever remember being, I think I'm in heaven. After work, as the girls come up to say hi, I notice that Anni's feet are a bit long. OK, I've been trying to hold off on the farrier until I knew Anni was more settled, but let's be honest, she couldn't be any more settled. So I call S, and he's like “oh, I'm free Saturday.” Um, like tomorrow? Yes please! Now I'm stoked, because I can't wait to see what he thinks of them. And how they are going to react to him. Then I notice her right rear. Both sides have split off. The flares must have gotten so long that they just snapped. I'm so glad S is coming out tomorrow.

I take the girls for walks again. Anni just wants grass. Adiva wants to smell everything. B comes by with Bocephus, and we decide that Bo needs to meet Adiva. He needs to learn horses aren't evil scary monsters. Now, keep in mind that Bo is an English Mastiff weighing at least 170 pounds. Adiva could care less, but Bo keeps barking. Then, if Adiva moves at all, he runs away. B is trying to hold Bo, but he's strong. It goes well, and Adiva starts grazing after a few minutes. He'll eventually get used to the girls.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

I have to work today, but I'm so excited about the farrier that the time flies by! I grab some lunch on my way to the barn, and wait for S to arrive. I decide to wait until right before he is due to grab the girls. This will be new for them, and I know that babies have a short attention span. ;) I don't want to stress them out, so I wait til the last minute to get the girls all set up in their stalls. They are happily munching their hay when he arrives. When I get Anni, he's watching how she moves, and we get her on the concrete where it's nice and level. He agrees her feet are long, but isn't worried about how they look. I'm not either – I know they look worse then they are most times. I do remind him of her past, but he isn't worried – just gets his tools and gets to work. Nice, slow, patient, fluid. But always moving. It was soothing to watch him work. Anni's not perfect, but she's not bad, and S says that most of her behavior is typical 3yo stuff. YAY! I can deal with baby stuff. I'm just glad that all her fussing isn't physical. All that pulling and fighting is just a temper tantrum. Silly mare. Even S said she was being silly. About halfway thru, she sighed, lowered her head and tried to nap. Mission accomplished!!!! I couldn't be more happy!!!! I have him take a look at Adiva just so he knows what her feet look like, and as I grab her out of the stall, she explodes! S laughs good naturally, and watches her intently. She's doing fine – he didn't do anything at all. Both have nice hard feet, and I don't have to worry about anything. YAY!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I have a show to run today, and the time changed, so I'm at the barn early. Really early. Like, they think it's still night. But I convince them to come in for grain, and they oblige. I am gone all day, sigh, but the girls are still munching on hay when I get there. Three cheers for feeding more hay so they have something to pick at!!! They get fed, and I clean Adiva's ear, and it's dark so I leave them alone. They are still getting used to noises in the dark, and I try to respect that by not pushing them yet. Hey, it's only been a week!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Today I want to walk them around again. Anni lets me pick up all feet, no problems at all, and calmly takes me for a walk all over. She's so happy. She's just blooming. I loffs her! Adiva is a bit more on edge. No surprise there. But she tries very hard to be good, so I give her extra time to take it all in and process it. Once she's figured it out, she's golden! When I turn her back out, she just hangs at the gate. She doesn't want to leave me. Oh, I'm so lucky.