Pedicure Day!

Libby-Lou got the works this week! I braved the wet weather to go out and vaccinate her on Wednesday. I'll have the vet out in the next month or so to give her Rabies, WNV, and her annual check up. I work at a vet clinic for small animals, but my boss has horses. She ordered vacc. for all of her horses and ordered an extra for Libby, so I decided I might as well spread them out so her system doesn't get overloaded. That should reduce the risk of reactions and soreness hopefully.

Then today she got her hooves trimmed. Libby likes her farrier! She's so cute...after he finished he sat down to chat just out of her reach. She stood there at the end of her lead line staring at him talking and after a few minutes started pawing for attention! I've never seen her paw before! When he scooted a few inches closer to her she stopped. Funny horse :) I like the farrier, he's really good with the horses. He's super patient and forgiving. He takes the time to explain what he's doing and why he's doing it and is experienced with trimming barefoot horses. And if Libby says she's happy I believe her:)

It's been just over a year now that Libby's been with me! So I made some celebratory horse cookies this week. It is really difficult to find recipes for horses that are low sugar. I try to keep the sugar/starch/carbs to a minimum in her diet since she's a draft, so I figured I'd try to do the same with her treats. I ended up using wheat bran, flaxseed meal, applesauce, and apples with and without corn oil. The batch without corn oil I just set out to dry up and harden. The other batch I baked for a while in the oven. She gobbled both batches up...so I guess I can't say they were a failure. They didn't turn out quite as I had hoped though. I did find a website with some treats that I liked a lot http://www.skodeshorsetreats.com/. I think I'm going to order some this week:) And 'cause I'm feeling nostalgic, here's me and the Libbmeister on her very first day with me, right after her Mom #1 dropped her off!

Fun in a Western Saddle

Today was a good day :) I outfitted Libby in Rebecca's western saddle with full quarter horse bars which seemed to fit her. Can I tell you what a cute little western pony she makes? Ok, I probably couldn't pick two words less accurate than "little" and "pony" to describe Libby...but you know what I mean. Unfortunately I can't show you how adorable she was since I forgot my camera. You'll just have to take my word for it. I only regret that the saddle pad was blue and not pink :)

We headed out going uphill through a horse pasture. Both Libby and Tule had a moment of "Do we have to??" But Rebecca and I managed to convince them that they did. I can't believe I haven't taken advantage of these trails more. The property that we are on is about 300 acres if I remember correctly, and there are some breathtaking overlooks. The long range views are stunning, and at one point you actually see the Biltmore Estate in the distance.

Libby did great. We've not done much more than some light arena work, so she's not terribly fit for hour long trail rides. She was a trooper though. Tule led the whole way to help keep Libby...uh...motivated shall we say? She trotted her way up most of the hills, and we warped into a canter at one point! And warp speed is totally what it felt like! I envy those drafts who have huge strides and effortless upward transitions. It's a bit of a struggle with Libby. But OMG, once we got going it felt like I was riding a freakin' freight train!

Suffice it to say, what with the warmer weather, the winter coat, and an hour of up and down hills, she was a sweaty mess when we got back! So I gave a curry to get rid of any itchies she might have and then we headed over to the hay field for some lunch for the starving mare and to let the sunshine dry her out. It was sunny and almost the prefect temperature, just a hint of chill on the air. So I soaked up the sunshine and chatted with Rebecca who was hand grazing Tule as well. Ahhh.... It's so nice to be at a barn with good people and a minimal drama.

Anyway, just so this isn't totally boring, here is Libby in her new rope halter which I am inordinately proud to say that I handmade MYSELF!!

The Cast of Characters

I've done it...I've created a blog. Rebecca inspired me. I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep this one going too. I think my premiere blog is going to be largely pictoral. Because 1) it's late and I'm tired, 2) pictures are fun, and 3) I think all my animals are really cute and I like to show them off :)

So, first (in order of size, from largest to smallest) I present Libby, The sweetest mare that ever was. She's an 8 yr old Percheron. We try not to do anything too serious or strenous, some casual low level dressage stuff, some trail riding, and a whole lotta grooming :)

Next are the T-Dogs, Tela and Tehya. Tela Stick Dog actually started out with Kyle, the Best Boy in the World. She's a GSD mix who came from a big Chicago shelter. Tehya the Diva Dog is a Boxer mix who was pretty much kicked out of her home in hopes that she'd wander off and find another one.

Then there are the kitties, Shadow and Mac. Shadow is a Black Smoke DSH who adopted us after roaming the neighborhood for a few weeks. Mac found me in a motel parking lot where I was staying during a horse show. They have some issues, but I love them :)

Last, but not least, is Gimli Son of Gloin, my crown tail Betta. Unfortunately he is a little camera shy. He looks a lot like this guy though...