tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37140279462493076042024-02-06T23:24:12.950-06:00Leah Fry - Barn Door Tagz - Horses and LifeThe life and times of a post-middle-age horse owner and her friendsLeah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.comBlogger442125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-54291387899512793652012-03-24T11:10:00.000-05:002012-03-24T11:10:56.651-05:00The Sound of Inevitability<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>"You hear that Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>It is the sound of your death. Goodbye, Mr. Anderson."</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">— Agent Smith to Neo, from the 1999 movie, <i>The Matrix</i></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The time has come to bid you all <i>adios</i> on this platform. Barn Door Tagz has more than served its original purpose and run its course. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'll be posting pictures and updates from time to time on Facebook, and I hope you'll keep up with us there. The adventures will continue.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Thank you all, especially those of you who have been with us from the beginning. </div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-72945039136560436722012-03-10T07:44:00.000-06:002012-03-10T07:44:33.261-06:00Look Who's Turning 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlh93-kBgXJ6yktND1iCRTPu57nb1A37ym_yafG-uDYvk8AcnryTnCC7tqJBLbdKgEz-zEVCOv6FCGEb8qpgI2Hr_mMRXReibVURU22hMjEK3WM-ptNccUkGaOcqtunOiD9yoFqT615hv/s1600/030912-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlh93-kBgXJ6yktND1iCRTPu57nb1A37ym_yafG-uDYvk8AcnryTnCC7tqJBLbdKgEz-zEVCOv6FCGEb8qpgI2Hr_mMRXReibVURU22hMjEK3WM-ptNccUkGaOcqtunOiD9yoFqT615hv/s400/030912-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>O Stop Looking</b><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">IPSHR Stonewall Sport Horse</div><div style="text-align: center;">Barn name Daltrey (nee Streaker)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sugarbush Harley's Classic O x Quagga's Ardent Sun (ApHC)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Born March 9, 2010</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8w4JoNs-PaKGs_aLOIPrfgF7V4jiQ4DEHkiWhQpI2L_KcVEvtV2eXuJVQrY_S1wjru115sQC00_78Pnckbzn11NYP_3mxUO3UrX7p4Z4F4PETrezHDPlrmSStkCbkKbTmQWLfbUXM__u/s1600/030912-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8w4JoNs-PaKGs_aLOIPrfgF7V4jiQ4DEHkiWhQpI2L_KcVEvtV2eXuJVQrY_S1wjru115sQC00_78Pnckbzn11NYP_3mxUO3UrX7p4Z4F4PETrezHDPlrmSStkCbkKbTmQWLfbUXM__u/s400/030912-02.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> April 2, 2010</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmcSg5bhij6WT97jjnvt1FCV0tmcNjKKlVV2N_Hk_UsPCdSOirdEOOE_dVip1wGmAWG5DJR2bcDf3iCLpA-zXLM_xV2P2bHeVMSYL1kJPucJ8DuVtlJtqJfiPdik3j4L9iW9IO0b2Hfnp/s1600/030912-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmcSg5bhij6WT97jjnvt1FCV0tmcNjKKlVV2N_Hk_UsPCdSOirdEOOE_dVip1wGmAWG5DJR2bcDf3iCLpA-zXLM_xV2P2bHeVMSYL1kJPucJ8DuVtlJtqJfiPdik3j4L9iW9IO0b2Hfnp/s400/030912-03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> July 11, 2010</div><div style="text-align: center;">I think this might have been the point where I was a goner.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPXH6CPEVO5YaCg0G8Oip9jN6yx-UQz36cSClKt9JxMgB34gy81E6OJJ6giwZMRiPh0mxsvBjZksfbXKQz19iJ4GlZAxHUoduLvvR5ludL4XAWTV5js-bFXQX3ChjhRdpi_Qtc6e8NGfa/s1600/030912-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPXH6CPEVO5YaCg0G8Oip9jN6yx-UQz36cSClKt9JxMgB34gy81E6OJJ6giwZMRiPh0mxsvBjZksfbXKQz19iJ4GlZAxHUoduLvvR5ludL4XAWTV5js-bFXQX3ChjhRdpi_Qtc6e8NGfa/s400/030912-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Definitely a goner.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdsNS5s8e-rRuoXkkkEdrLK9oCbGn8-8Jo_9QfwZe_fDokZyq8OyWhyFJwbd_Sitpn-B9QGUC5xQ8yok23rKFOKyARMgLNc8ognFa9oTRQ3CWOHGuZkVSXhHzD5Iw8XnwEkpiM_rQVCs8/s1600/030912-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdsNS5s8e-rRuoXkkkEdrLK9oCbGn8-8Jo_9QfwZe_fDokZyq8OyWhyFJwbd_Sitpn-B9QGUC5xQ8yok23rKFOKyARMgLNc8ognFa9oTRQ3CWOHGuZkVSXhHzD5Iw8XnwEkpiM_rQVCs8/s400/030912-05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> In Mr. Fry's garage</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ_mO_mV6cFBeGlSDbfvywJ1-5Z5BS974AvtOnk5qpnY9XU1s8YkwKmFBp3usFd9q33LEEY6FCrIOko24OtjnraaU3LFUcE9Fbq28WKp0uyIP0dG8LQZu7TYMWWVMrkcylTwOcv3NRDiX/s1600/030912-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ_mO_mV6cFBeGlSDbfvywJ1-5Z5BS974AvtOnk5qpnY9XU1s8YkwKmFBp3usFd9q33LEEY6FCrIOko24OtjnraaU3LFUcE9Fbq28WKp0uyIP0dG8LQZu7TYMWWVMrkcylTwOcv3NRDiX/s400/030912-06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The day he jumped in the trailer when I was loading Jaz.</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you're going, <i>I'm</i> going.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLG2cNovIMYC8i5LAam0mlGuym64qEqoxwkgknsV9hYcrIlhQ7AdVnWUcpQI59Xd-okhhLOpiRrOzk8CTC7VegndjmAnU85HgYtiAQWTbsIo-BoeOXf03nFnCLoDqqCcHoZZeX27UDpKwT/s1600/030912-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLG2cNovIMYC8i5LAam0mlGuym64qEqoxwkgknsV9hYcrIlhQ7AdVnWUcpQI59Xd-okhhLOpiRrOzk8CTC7VegndjmAnU85HgYtiAQWTbsIo-BoeOXf03nFnCLoDqqCcHoZZeX27UDpKwT/s400/030912-07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Rolled oats, grated apples and carrots, corn oil & molasses</div><div style="text-align: center;">baked at 350 until set. The gaps around the edges are</div><div style="text-align: center;">from people sampling – pretty tasty!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-HRzHbRRThyphenhyphenJynnuXY7Fr_nB7W5qtC-29hcpTrlbH4U4BkpVtXyRDHO-jDAiJ2jRlkrYd2cdsBBZEa1dbKvVbMZrA9Hs-47Ce71xJLxX0oS7hNZL52Xqddl_XS_6elwPm2ZP9np5BEXF/s1600/030912-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-HRzHbRRThyphenhyphenJynnuXY7Fr_nB7W5qtC-29hcpTrlbH4U4BkpVtXyRDHO-jDAiJ2jRlkrYd2cdsBBZEa1dbKvVbMZrA9Hs-47Ce71xJLxX0oS7hNZL52Xqddl_XS_6elwPm2ZP9np5BEXF/s400/030912-08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Party hats</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3LvWpngXowXMkvxJzOQ3IbxYKH71InrKVXWW3S2qsEC8FCvMExaACWjSbjRGP_Psfu8c1Zc_GohvFWzWOnxmMkgSiQ77HlP51N3AR8pnL4nOqWk-utyya5IY7GBsaZ0nXVqQH64UPniQ/s1600/030912-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3LvWpngXowXMkvxJzOQ3IbxYKH71InrKVXWW3S2qsEC8FCvMExaACWjSbjRGP_Psfu8c1Zc_GohvFWzWOnxmMkgSiQ77HlP51N3AR8pnL4nOqWk-utyya5IY7GBsaZ0nXVqQH64UPniQ/s400/030912-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Great excuse to eat pizza, drink beer and wear silly hats.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nita, Heather, Rachel, Shere</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNxBDinyw63PWWSRcg6GAh0vYZf933lkxblWcAIBnoq49Rudonqtw47wWjo9sb5HyjTKNLTiFsuAnA-8YFNzUzCA0B6KNJdw8Z92qpInjmz6Not5EzjFTBzRGvwcNNeUMcjU7Vni7tDoS/s1600/030912-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNxBDinyw63PWWSRcg6GAh0vYZf933lkxblWcAIBnoq49Rudonqtw47wWjo9sb5HyjTKNLTiFsuAnA-8YFNzUzCA0B6KNJdw8Z92qpInjmz6Not5EzjFTBzRGvwcNNeUMcjU7Vni7tDoS/s400/030912-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mmmm cake</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday, sweet boy.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-47023909525689031312012-03-04T19:24:00.000-06:002012-03-04T19:24:20.913-06:00Spring Break 2012The weather is glorious. We are grateful for enough rain to bring the Boyz home, at least for a week or so. <a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heather </a>and Jae brought them Friday afternoon (March 2). Much beer and a little pizza celebrated the occasion. Needless to say, the Boyz have barely raised their heads, and have been sleepy ponies with green lips. Daltrey also gets a whole scoop of feed, Jaz gets 1/2 scoop twice a day. They eat it, but very slowly because they are so stuffed with grass.<br />
<br />
Daltrey has a snotty nose and is coughing, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him. I've got the stethoscope and the thermometer at hand in case he takes a turn.<br />
<br />
I so love their personalities when they're here. Both are super sweet and affectionate. I walk weekdays from 5-5:30 AM up and down the (300 ft.) driveway. I look forward to having company. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2DfEfEdoXtk0KqQIWlBti8HTZldwBFG5EaxtdyHIFT03nGrW7REhwTwmbQpEZ_B8W0WPRlb4Hk5heEguO4FtIijstCog5DmwLEzf9WAeNbNhv1qAf2RuINX0NZpP2MTQARF760l13bHb/s1600/030412-01-Butts-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2DfEfEdoXtk0KqQIWlBti8HTZldwBFG5EaxtdyHIFT03nGrW7REhwTwmbQpEZ_B8W0WPRlb4Hk5heEguO4FtIijstCog5DmwLEzf9WAeNbNhv1qAf2RuINX0NZpP2MTQARF760l13bHb/s400/030412-01-Butts-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Combination spa and patience lessons Sunday morning.</div><div style="text-align: center;">You can see how windy it is by Jaz's tail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdkVoH4u5kE11QeI5eSNhyXxQlR31tj2wu4GbwxESyfW6hX9TmCiDjVDI99mu8C0PSCD0LVRpxtEs5Xfk0rW4ECbch9uFF0T64a9JRsMkNhJFXsjTPT3a03atoQ2-5siGXj-R08ge78Bx/s1600/030412-02-DHead-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdkVoH4u5kE11QeI5eSNhyXxQlR31tj2wu4GbwxESyfW6hX9TmCiDjVDI99mu8C0PSCD0LVRpxtEs5Xfk0rW4ECbch9uFF0T64a9JRsMkNhJFXsjTPT3a03atoQ2-5siGXj-R08ge78Bx/s400/030412-02-DHead-.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My beautiful, beautiful boy gets sweeter by the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Gup27eS3TfWCMDbI4ISt3kWK2zYzcNnVxzZU0D9NMTYxoZ_bBEeNNIMe8cnEo2pxWvWMcY3ytY4av6AfuzW_JBd0qZ5PvVy3GkZLSUw6We8hn4ts8dxiBkdhsQoJOgVd2bH5PTqF59G/s1600/030412-06-JHead-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Gup27eS3TfWCMDbI4ISt3kWK2zYzcNnVxzZU0D9NMTYxoZ_bBEeNNIMe8cnEo2pxWvWMcY3ytY4av6AfuzW_JBd0qZ5PvVy3GkZLSUw6We8hn4ts8dxiBkdhsQoJOgVd2bH5PTqF59G/s400/030412-06-JHead-.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My darling Jazu.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can't even tell you how precious he is.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS02DvlgtHtCzAwg553_nmCleXHBz6sV31AkhUifbKfaMcSyb1KJTnfxmmhRz0usaqcqBVD5xhnFxYEmT_0q_K7vONNYSAkxeFGzv-1lt7Y856k1mKLq9Vj02MNmpMf4BcStIu-Ff0_TFG/s1600/030412-07-JVintageSaddle-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS02DvlgtHtCzAwg553_nmCleXHBz6sV31AkhUifbKfaMcSyb1KJTnfxmmhRz0usaqcqBVD5xhnFxYEmT_0q_K7vONNYSAkxeFGzv-1lt7Y856k1mKLq9Vj02MNmpMf4BcStIu-Ff0_TFG/s400/030412-07-JVintageSaddle-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The very light that is so pleasant for us to be in</div><div style="text-align: center;">makes for lousy photos.</div><br />
I decided to try the <a href="http://barndoortagz.blogspot.com/2011/07/yard-sale-texas-style.html" target="_blank">vintage western saddle</a> on Jaz for our ride down the road. Oh. My. Gosh. Fits him beautifully. Fits my bum like it was made for me. It's a tad smaller in the seat than my barrel saddle. It would be perfect except the fenders/stirrup leathers still haven't been conditioned into submission. I'll be attacking those more earnestly. I'll also look for new stirrups to replace the metal ones. <br />
<br />
Jaz and I had a great ride. We had a few surprises – new dogs, several people on those zero-radius spinning mower thingies, a flapping piece of plastic contractor tape – but we did okay. I sat out a spook that might have unseated me at one time. And I sure wish people would have the common sense and/or common courtesy to slow down instead of blowing past us like they do. I still don't get why other people don't get it.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping the grass holds out until next weekend. I'm so enjoying having my horses at home.<br />
<br />
I hope you all had as fantastic a weekend as I have had. What's new?Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-51203479794210497932012-02-24T18:01:00.000-06:002012-02-24T18:01:39.023-06:00Cabbage Patch Kidz<div class="MsoNormal">Just when I thought (again) about possibly shutting down my blog due to a lack of activity, an unwelcome adventure ensued. Although great blog fodder, I could have done without the entire incident.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The weather has been seasonable and pleasant, but temps dropped sharply and the wind picked up Thursday (2/23/2012) afternoon/evening. I got a call from Heather telling me Jaz was off and, oh yeah, there are two other horses in the same paddock – Doodles and Poko – with the same symptoms. Heather said she’d keep an eye on them and keep me posted. Not 5 minutes later, I got the call that they were all showing symptoms of colic.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jaz has earned his moniker “our delicate grey flower,” so I wasn’t particularly surprised or concerned that he was off, although he has been much hardier since we treated him for strongyles infestation (2009). Doodles has severe ulcers, so no big shock there either. What sent my brain into alert mode was that Poko was also in distress. Poko has a cast iron constitution. In the entire 5 years I owned him, he never cost me a dime at the vet other than annual exams and teeth floating.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My immediate thought was they ate something they shouldn’t have. Poko will eat anything. Jae walked the fence line and, sure enough, found cabbage leaves, of all things. We don’t think it was malicious; probably the kids across the road intending to give them a treat. Regardless of the intent, the damage was done. Heather and Jae used longe whips to get all the horses in that paddock moving. In addition to the three patients, there was Diesel (OTTB), Red (American Cream Draft colt), and my Daltrey. I was still on the other end of the phone line, so I can only go by what I was told, which was that it took more than a little effort to keep those poor boys vertical and moving. They said Jaz was moaning loudly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Poko was drenched in sweat and appeared to be in the most critical state, followed by Jaz, then Doodles. It makes sense since that is the order of dominance, meaning Poko probably ate most of the “treat.” Due to a rash of routine equine emergencies (inevitable when you have 30 head), Heather found herself out of drugs after dosing Poko. He and Doodles began to calm down and show signs of lessening discomfort, but they were still unable to keep Jaz on his feet. Heather wisely decided to call Dr. G, and I got dressed and gathered my stuff to join them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjilVazY3FBz7wNbbd0yqLHoI_ROcqvl1A4PNDiD3s8H09i0silUtUgvKaISc4YNsRZ1NZVogeHujAmBIDqtSZtlED2exXyB_O_m87visdIKWyFQEC_8JNEp8YEXz8V2o0a88-WtND73o/s1600/022312-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjilVazY3FBz7wNbbd0yqLHoI_ROcqvl1A4PNDiD3s8H09i0silUtUgvKaISc4YNsRZ1NZVogeHujAmBIDqtSZtlED2exXyB_O_m87visdIKWyFQEC_8JNEp8YEXz8V2o0a88-WtND73o/s400/022312-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_8BBF93ClNrDrK39_gJa4yLInMMVcZnwlITzNalGxndsFuoC-IlPqqfMFm4YcjnTXGV-EXoEkHMxyMFF2Pu7RPyfytH7J_7A1l_gmlU83yA_XK6gCeOFZHs-Z-8HQhudFkkmujNTHB0r/s1600/022312-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_8BBF93ClNrDrK39_gJa4yLInMMVcZnwlITzNalGxndsFuoC-IlPqqfMFm4YcjnTXGV-EXoEkHMxyMFF2Pu7RPyfytH7J_7A1l_gmlU83yA_XK6gCeOFZHs-Z-8HQhudFkkmujNTHB0r/s400/022312-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">God bless our vet. He’s such a good guy. It was after hours and he suggested we might avoid a farm call by having me go by the clinic (which is on the way to the farm) and pick up a hidden cache of Banamine. We were to inject Jaz, watch him awhile, check vitals, etc., and decide from there whether we needed Dr. G to come and tube him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I barely recognized my horse. Had I not known it was him, I would have sworn it was a mare in labor. He had no top line, that’s how bloated he was. He was down in his stall and we had to force him up. About 45 minutes after the injection, Dr. G called just as Jaz released an enormous fart, some loose poo and a sigh. He remained up and even began nosing his bedding. We felt confident he’d be okay, although Heather and I sat around in the barn a bit longer just to be sure. I was having a beer at home when all this started, so had tossed a couple in my truck, which we enjoyed as we kept our vigil. She and Jae checked him hourly through the night.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRP40eqiNuzvVd-2jqt4mfyGilH4zSIEclUnUP08woIlNLi0ti3Qh-a9NrzRuiTML6v2kJP5FOmuBbId4zl-76wO8jk3Dz4hdmLiZ6a1HPGwAO_a4Ot-0lolVtgOW-E4lb5k4xsQJH6_X/s1600/022312-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRP40eqiNuzvVd-2jqt4mfyGilH4zSIEclUnUP08woIlNLi0ti3Qh-a9NrzRuiTML6v2kJP5FOmuBbId4zl-76wO8jk3Dz4hdmLiZ6a1HPGwAO_a4Ot-0lolVtgOW-E4lb5k4xsQJH6_X/s400/022312-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Reports Friday were that Poko and Doodles are fine. Jaz is eating, but not with much gusto. I’m hopeful he’ll be okay for our pony party on Sunday. Heather’s going to try and track down the well-meaning party so we don’t have a repeat of this adventure. Horses + cruciferous vegetables <i>es no bueno.</i></div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-66338646488062317432012-02-12T18:24:00.002-06:002012-02-14T04:50:59.789-06:00Winter DoldrumsIt has rained just enough to make the arena and pasture at <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">the farm</a> not safe to ride. The temps have been seasonable, but not conducive to short sleeves like we're always bragging about. I haven't ridden in a month and may not get to next weekend either because of an <a href="http://www.sca.org/" target="_blank">SCA</a> event Friday-Sunday at Iron Ridge. I will likely stop by but I am unsure if my help will be needed or what. <br />
<br />
The Boyz had their feet trimmed this weekend, so at least I know Jaz is ready on the next occasion to ride.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, our flooring project has turned into one thing after another, which projects of this magnitude often do. More time, more money, more work. The floors look great, and we're really pleased, but it will take longer than we had anticipated just so we can afford stuff as it comes up. Mr. Fry has been a saint.<br />
<br />
They're calling for sleet and snow tonight, but it won't stay around long. Temps up in the 40s tomorrow and the 50s after that.<br />
<br />
I truly hope y'all are getting in more pony time that I am. Blehh.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-6389329472269985022012-02-05T09:42:00.000-06:002012-02-05T09:42:22.508-06:00Doesn't Everyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGVD1SyctVzkMPrABoCtbtYWBYvCLiAx9r7xNeSEPPDCPwAcc2AVozIU1NA2OeNkZ68-WLSzw9wUWHjmb6oi26VIKBW3XQcheIa0DCNIPnF6FWaMmxtwH7H-U5IKfdtQdT9zGyqjWKpDh/s1600/DSCN0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGVD1SyctVzkMPrABoCtbtYWBYvCLiAx9r7xNeSEPPDCPwAcc2AVozIU1NA2OeNkZ68-WLSzw9wUWHjmb6oi26VIKBW3XQcheIa0DCNIPnF6FWaMmxtwH7H-U5IKfdtQdT9zGyqjWKpDh/s400/DSCN0368.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3T1Hxof3ouV-Pv1cuudWslU2Q4hx-zQN4AjcqWQ6ZWTp_GqSR32O8eViaXauPZaOPHLQrvT-1LP-luoqZS8FVJFX1SAz-YV7SGkscADCEc5Bii7GnMPByn3Dry819EE1XvPm_Mp8cPct/s1600/DSCN0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3T1Hxof3ouV-Pv1cuudWslU2Q4hx-zQN4AjcqWQ6ZWTp_GqSR32O8eViaXauPZaOPHLQrvT-1LP-luoqZS8FVJFX1SAz-YV7SGkscADCEc5Bii7GnMPByn3Dry819EE1XvPm_Mp8cPct/s400/DSCN0369.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Texans aren't happy with lawn jockeys, yard gnomes or flamingos.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-25451665073064840502012-01-29T15:45:00.000-06:002012-01-29T15:45:50.522-06:00Real Life IntervenesAs you know, we here in Texas have been praying for rain to help assuage 2+ years of drought conditions. Our lake (Lake Ray Roberts) is almost 4.5 ft. low. We were very excited when Mother Nature complied last week to the tune of 4" of rain. Our land drains well, so we accepted every drop without qualms.<br />
<br />
Only downside is that parts of Heather's place, including the arena, tend to hold water for a good while, so no riding this weekend. I did, however, spend about an hour with the Boyz today. It was a de-mudding and carrot eating session, but I'll take what I can get.<br />
<br />
The rain meant that the greater part of the weekend could be devoted to Mr. Fry's and my rather ambitious project: ripping the carpet out of all 4 bedrooms and replacing it with drop-and-lock laminate flooring. Words cannot describe how disgusting that 12-year old carpet is. Animals in the house — 'nuff said. We are taking our time, using the opportunity to paint the rooms when there's no need to mask or use drop cloths. And we're doing it "nice and friendly," as we say around here, so we don't cripple ourselves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsbLrIn2__Bt4Akkfn0-_gL0nnHzMt06AWIs8NN_gnr19IFe8_Z9jjKSV4Ky0jw06l_htgHkAYkojnMXUWlntB2Cf1IkI15KhHqHPQIKl5Vm9pUix9EQ5fb67yMgM5-WGR6fpgI8heNSC/s1600/DSCN0358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsbLrIn2__Bt4Akkfn0-_gL0nnHzMt06AWIs8NN_gnr19IFe8_Z9jjKSV4Ky0jw06l_htgHkAYkojnMXUWlntB2Cf1IkI15KhHqHPQIKl5Vm9pUix9EQ5fb67yMgM5-WGR6fpgI8heNSC/s400/DSCN0358.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Once we got all our questions answered and it all made sense to us, we found it's really not so bad. Heck, I'm even out there using the big power saw. I still have all my fingers, too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcLpMkUKV96ECMxuHM3CF4MNGhTXhsiUyCpmnB4yyARHrtr6e5oSy7RL3oWHOrxGX4rlFoIOdypvjXz6lbx2hyv-LJxMiOE-fWlTW8bESWpsWxTqtEt87fpp0ateDDBwj0uDNSIQqFLQI/s1600/DSCN0360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcLpMkUKV96ECMxuHM3CF4MNGhTXhsiUyCpmnB4yyARHrtr6e5oSy7RL3oWHOrxGX4rlFoIOdypvjXz6lbx2hyv-LJxMiOE-fWlTW8bESWpsWxTqtEt87fpp0ateDDBwj0uDNSIQqFLQI/s400/DSCN0360.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We started with our son's old bedroom. We are very pleased with the results. <br />
<br />
I am also using this opportunity to clean out closets and get rid of excess accumulated <i>stuff</i>. I've been wanting to do this for years. That much trash makes Mr. Fry twitchy, for some reason. I am much less sentimental about keeping stuff than he is.<br />
<br />
What are y'all up to?Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-87429380102186014532012-01-22T18:15:00.000-06:002012-01-22T18:15:00.157-06:00Blown AwayAfter a damp, foggy, gray beginning, the day turned out to be warm and gorgeous. It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and a high temp of 73°F. And then the wind picked up. No, I mean <i>really</i> picked up. There were gusts up to about 45 mph. It wasn't cold, but I feel like I got free micro-dermabrasion.<br />
<br />
There were six of us riding today. You may remember that Chris, Rachel's husband, had a bad fall about a month ago and he's still feeling the effects of that, so he and Heather sat it out while the rest of us headed out into the big pasture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AjX7v3gZnpKgb0x_Y-QMA6DzA4aeJtvxnyCMFla1mfksNXGzFbMTXqz8nRAvSFqaHpM4cTjNCNWyNm4Y2v2H39A4r-ZAKxI3Btf8S0eRkqpCI3LGg9ObWYFBexh36hDeW5_ZK0bBCkQZ/s1600/012212-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AjX7v3gZnpKgb0x_Y-QMA6DzA4aeJtvxnyCMFla1mfksNXGzFbMTXqz8nRAvSFqaHpM4cTjNCNWyNm4Y2v2H39A4r-ZAKxI3Btf8S0eRkqpCI3LGg9ObWYFBexh36hDeW5_ZK0bBCkQZ/s400/012212-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Dr. Erin grooming the Percheron mare Midnight</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNomonpDSTpC7GtyIWEL8Sx9wC8F6wNeyntddTnoV5XQQ-mljj145yGfz208lp9Nf3iX-RNALLawl7GglptyFD-Ntvlsbl8uDRpw9T3hbEvmYjakztCOOqc5Wp44bnuR6Z0Mgke-9uZSx/s1600/012212-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNomonpDSTpC7GtyIWEL8Sx9wC8F6wNeyntddTnoV5XQQ-mljj145yGfz208lp9Nf3iX-RNALLawl7GglptyFD-Ntvlsbl8uDRpw9T3hbEvmYjakztCOOqc5Wp44bnuR6Z0Mgke-9uZSx/s400/012212-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Keeley (grey) and her daughter Ishka</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsf0FO4qlwJv13MEv25LvU0SjHcuIPgLGMani-jlMJZbBBsXQOn6z69EeeFrg9_dn81TM4QLWEWFiphhJI424sKaUKjeHDu9PdvniPtgYJjGNgCRtG-y47K7NyvWNFCnhpF7a4FSTCVFP/s1600/012212-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsf0FO4qlwJv13MEv25LvU0SjHcuIPgLGMani-jlMJZbBBsXQOn6z69EeeFrg9_dn81TM4QLWEWFiphhJI424sKaUKjeHDu9PdvniPtgYJjGNgCRtG-y47K7NyvWNFCnhpF7a4FSTCVFP/s400/012212-03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> From left: McKenna grooming Poko</div><div style="text-align: center;">(camped out because I just stretched his hips),</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ash, and Jazu</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDAdT_3GYyCG9d4ktB8NiuOHih6g2biOm2l0KNJHJemV2Z8u12ny9catCewT_oQGhM6xqv98byuQSQGmDMdK8aqidBghogzUWUqREjLnWC3O8-f7FdnI82ZSzeZe2EOP2WCzmRD7jOZbi/s1600/012212-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDAdT_3GYyCG9d4ktB8NiuOHih6g2biOm2l0KNJHJemV2Z8u12ny9catCewT_oQGhM6xqv98byuQSQGmDMdK8aqidBghogzUWUqREjLnWC3O8-f7FdnI82ZSzeZe2EOP2WCzmRD7jOZbi/s400/012212-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> You can come next year, Rico.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZTLDir3D9DElDtKQnvdAo_PSB_9K-_HciV3_DMnw7uDi7BdDAxOf3zgFmMxHLbxlEvTVgSqRW1XiF5gyspw3pK3Die3OEGulbWRYqlh6FJcGUZlMfftTf6kgsUgiZr9l_YjfxPhnnsro/s1600/012212-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZTLDir3D9DElDtKQnvdAo_PSB_9K-_HciV3_DMnw7uDi7BdDAxOf3zgFmMxHLbxlEvTVgSqRW1XiF5gyspw3pK3Die3OEGulbWRYqlh6FJcGUZlMfftTf6kgsUgiZr9l_YjfxPhnnsro/s400/012212-05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you look a-wayyy out in front of us, </div><div style="text-align: center;">you can see Nita in the red shirt on Keeley</div><div style="text-align: center;">and Sarah on Ishka.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWClavLlqMOe16i0PfYpBWSaPR3bRerkGRmnUZyYrSdxjbFUQ14JCOBVI-RIBB4RiIHMMRcv2eLpr90BKyCfu_ALyd0tw09-ZJgaQ3KAeofkaOJl9tFzumoV5CSrXjIP5teM1kX8mGF7f/s1600/012212-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWClavLlqMOe16i0PfYpBWSaPR3bRerkGRmnUZyYrSdxjbFUQ14JCOBVI-RIBB4RiIHMMRcv2eLpr90BKyCfu_ALyd0tw09-ZJgaQ3KAeofkaOJl9tFzumoV5CSrXjIP5teM1kX8mGF7f/s400/012212-06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After we were done riding and I had treated Jaz's sarcoid (Xxterra) and hand grazed him, this happened. I had Daltrey tied to the chute, about to pick his feet, when a big gust of wind picked up a blanket draped over the other side at the same time a wall of sand blew over us and a mean trash can threatened to eat him. I saw the panic attack coming a split second before it happened and was able to jump out of the way as he pulled back, bringing the chute with him for about a foot or so, and tipping my loaded tack cart. I'm glad the halter did what it was supposed to do, and no one was hurt. A few cookies and I was able to lead him back over to where we were and convince him nothing would eat him.<br />
<br />
Another excellent day with my barn buddies and our noble steeds. I hope your pony time this weekend was as enjoyable.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-53171118808122505852012-01-15T18:36:00.001-06:002012-01-15T19:06:11.968-06:00Walk on the Wild SideWell, on the wild side of the pasture at <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">Iron Ridge,</a> anyway.<br />
<br />
Jaz has been bored, bored, bored with riding in the arena. How do I know? When I tack him up, he dances, tosses his head, most notably when I tighten the girth. When they were home and we went down the road, I didn't get that. He's also been pulling toward the arena gate, petering out after a few steps, or just stopping at random. Of course, I make him mind and do what I ask, but to tell you the truth, I'm a little bored with it, too.<br />
<br />
Small pony party today, so we headed out into the main pasture at the farm. Heather moved the geldings into the arena and moved the rest of the herd into the pen where the geldings normally are. This is wise, because the boss mare is not known for her sense of humor when there are mares involved. Sara and Rachel were riding mares.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDw8Y2s-dsYXxkv9ju1pEonFQVVMR1HXJ8wxBgSppnqZHUay54PZLa7wi2jDCbpu9Cten3pipLecLVefvvAYemxQ8ZqOdxWH2R32NRGGNH43raPcyoG2X51Lq6aPKAroHAkrHA5eFEIhM/s1600/011512-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDw8Y2s-dsYXxkv9ju1pEonFQVVMR1HXJ8wxBgSppnqZHUay54PZLa7wi2jDCbpu9Cten3pipLecLVefvvAYemxQ8ZqOdxWH2R32NRGGNH43raPcyoG2X51Lq6aPKAroHAkrHA5eFEIhM/s320/011512-03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My favorite view.</div><div style="text-align: center;">That's <a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heather</a> on Poko following Rachel and Moon ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASuSm0tNqZdpRB5SSnuC40x8Nhbv2kmCX4droDvzOAP6L8qPFZNy9m4WeR4kbCQ1YCbMwHhwbqIYsoK-fvsEFGLkj8LicFM9BTbpTFIC9ae3DHALvw3xgMs7RoZfL8QfvlDcjn0ksfzEv/s1600/011512-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASuSm0tNqZdpRB5SSnuC40x8Nhbv2kmCX4droDvzOAP6L8qPFZNy9m4WeR4kbCQ1YCbMwHhwbqIYsoK-fvsEFGLkj8LicFM9BTbpTFIC9ae3DHALvw3xgMs7RoZfL8QfvlDcjn0ksfzEv/s320/011512-04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... joined by Sara on Ishka (in the middle).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had a great time, and I think the horses did, too, in spite of the crazy wind. There are still plenty of holes out there caused by the drought, but there were no mishaps. And get this: Jaz walked through water! That's a first for Mr. Prissy Feet. I think the only reason he did it is because Moon and Poko did. And he watched his feet with every step.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGxr6HsbYFtiv1e2Ta1SBDH4KmFyIHXaRCGyJy6BOJz3fNrSJh2XBlExZUdqoh_-idmoalozyL7jUmg-XP_OtGelavKlu1eXQvG7NBCJiygrS_QQEa8SCZd6H_erdXEGf0lq5Z6p_KeJS/s1600/011512-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGxr6HsbYFtiv1e2Ta1SBDH4KmFyIHXaRCGyJy6BOJz3fNrSJh2XBlExZUdqoh_-idmoalozyL7jUmg-XP_OtGelavKlu1eXQvG7NBCJiygrS_QQEa8SCZd6H_erdXEGf0lq5Z6p_KeJS/s320/011512-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sara graciously took these pix of Daltrey and me.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I look better in this one, but the one below is the</div><div style="text-align: center;">better shot of the horse.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH__DczpK2WUJbr5TijY_wRxgdJiCusab7CJlCWY1Sl3FC2f2YkFHjHvj1HZeXDPzadwdfUsfB-mvdaG0PdI1pD0PpyC5FR8kRsXlxI5Fq-wqsdbt-sqKGlk-cbrRM21rk0da54lQSJiJ/s1600/011512-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH__DczpK2WUJbr5TijY_wRxgdJiCusab7CJlCWY1Sl3FC2f2YkFHjHvj1HZeXDPzadwdfUsfB-mvdaG0PdI1pD0PpyC5FR8kRsXlxI5Fq-wqsdbt-sqKGlk-cbrRM21rk0da54lQSJiJ/s320/011512-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I wanted you to get a good idea of his size.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am about 5'3".</div><div style="text-align: center;">He will be 2 years old in March.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Isn't he stunning?<br />
Well, as stunning as an awkward youngster can be LOL! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">How's it going in your neck of the woods? I hope y'all are staying warm and able to get in some time on your ponies. </div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-22431752961423958562012-01-08T19:29:00.000-06:002012-01-08T19:29:16.405-06:00First Ride of 2012Packed house, so to speak, today at<a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank"> Iron Ridge.</a> In attendance were <a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heather</a> (of course), Jae (who didn't ride), Kris and Dr. Erin, who brought young ladies Steph and McKenna, Rachel and Sarah. Rachel's hubby Chris couldn't join us because he took a nasty spill — his first <i>real</i> one — from the green Sugarbush mare, Sweetie (O Sweet Surprise) yesterday. We send healing vibes his way.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRrGkgaRjCoXrO94R4O-9UrdUYXHNPJPiqqwTvYZB5Ojcr1xqq9iocyGgVvdGWW2nCNizsEHdZlntaZwDUQAVixnTfIkDFMHmLCNOj2FNDsgAez5XaBNj1IZns8rm2Ds9nCuz_m9CAaF5/s1600/010812-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRrGkgaRjCoXrO94R4O-9UrdUYXHNPJPiqqwTvYZB5Ojcr1xqq9iocyGgVvdGWW2nCNizsEHdZlntaZwDUQAVixnTfIkDFMHmLCNOj2FNDsgAez5XaBNj1IZns8rm2Ds9nCuz_m9CAaF5/s400/010812-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> LOVE my new tack cart. One trip to and from the truck.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPodlajQKO2Jf3bXC103DieZRDGbbVhgKViz_w7KBotAtF26uFo_mCYF5PrEuWSXL8r7N9RKFDC7FU_5QuiOzS3H4LdAoSIfWZ_ATxFKUaV3zeVAsmPYC6dkJcxf1ntvX8yGkCnujfkwGU/s1600/010812-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPodlajQKO2Jf3bXC103DieZRDGbbVhgKViz_w7KBotAtF26uFo_mCYF5PrEuWSXL8r7N9RKFDC7FU_5QuiOzS3H4LdAoSIfWZ_ATxFKUaV3zeVAsmPYC6dkJcxf1ntvX8yGkCnujfkwGU/s400/010812-02.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>There's a weather front headed in (RAIN!) and all the horses were a little "whack." Most of them just didn't want to work. Even Jaz was kind of a stinker, pulling toward the gate, petering out after a few strides, etc. Kris's Voodoo was downright scary, and she wisely decided to get off and longe him. Diesel, the OTB gelding, hopped and Steph came off. Scared her, but she's okay. McKenna rode Jaz's brother Boo, who was being as much of a toot as Jaz, Heather, who had been riding Poko, got on Boo to make him mind, and McKenna rode Poko, who behaved admirably with the newbie. He's come such a long way.<br />
<br />
Hope the forecast does not disappoint. Last I heard, there was an 80% chance of rain Monday-Tuesday. Rain makes the grass grow and that means I can bring the Boyz back to visit sooner.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Though the weather outside is crappy,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The rain still makes me happy.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So even if it's a pain,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.</i></div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-1781960796710481892012-01-02T18:35:00.003-06:002012-01-02T19:22:34.431-06:00An Abrupt Departure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKrg6SkK2HRjKcX8_QWAwV91O5K9mmLsPiTRqraIXdfCDDPk80TdSy4Z5RLs4Y2jEKM3IPSdxum5N_HfgfqcwmIeNqErPqIw2m5OVLJAFwiUnWpomQnJ1hJhYELR_XZUbcgEE7tStmBZH/s1600/122811-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKrg6SkK2HRjKcX8_QWAwV91O5K9mmLsPiTRqraIXdfCDDPk80TdSy4Z5RLs4Y2jEKM3IPSdxum5N_HfgfqcwmIeNqErPqIw2m5OVLJAFwiUnWpomQnJ1hJhYELR_XZUbcgEE7tStmBZH/s400/122811-05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We had planned for the Boyz to be home until this coming weekend, but 'twas not to be. I had been feeding them (a complete pelleted feed) at least twice a day and offering them timothy alfalfa, and they've been eating every bit of it for two days. Prior to that, they ate the feed but only picked at the alfalfa. They had the place pretty well eaten down, and to keep them here any longer would do more damage to the fragile land. It's not only a question of the land sustaining them (grazing), it's that the sparse ground can't take the pounding from their hooves, them rolling, etc. So we made a quick decision to take them back to <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">Iron Ridge</a> today, as it's the last day of staycation for both of us.<br />
<br />
Wag your anti-anthropomorphism finger all day long, but Jaz <i>knew</i> and he did not want to get in that trailer. Contrast that to him walking right in when we were at the farm bound for here. Breaks my heart.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2anLm4c2cqjYJENuPkqI_d4-MLICg69AlqCbathWyA0OGAfUxK0HaDIjl9Dx0q6Wxg6ttSbYgkTWPRVKPpQbXO4uuDVxCePrCxJTxM-tC57VGPHL7GP-pciejT7JglVXexBrXXmQDYQHf/s1600/DSCN0144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2anLm4c2cqjYJENuPkqI_d4-MLICg69AlqCbathWyA0OGAfUxK0HaDIjl9Dx0q6Wxg6ttSbYgkTWPRVKPpQbXO4uuDVxCePrCxJTxM-tC57VGPHL7GP-pciejT7JglVXexBrXXmQDYQHf/s400/DSCN0144.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>They are so obviously happy or content or relaxed here – whatever term you deem appropriate to describe such equine behavior. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcvtQUUt6M15avJ9q7h_ON09pGTxfit-KtW9NUXf-ZgbA7vfInFZQEC2qMueRlYL19RdWrhvfOFL3LVARduXDBVFt-4-HprZ4RDp9oELt0unbGC7H3QOkaqM1A3wtonR0nvk7Z9v_0YE9/s1600/DSCN0145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcvtQUUt6M15avJ9q7h_ON09pGTxfit-KtW9NUXf-ZgbA7vfInFZQEC2qMueRlYL19RdWrhvfOFL3LVARduXDBVFt-4-HprZ4RDp9oELt0unbGC7H3QOkaqM1A3wtonR0nvk7Z9v_0YE9/s400/DSCN0145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Every horse I've ever brought here has reacted positively to the small herd/large open space, relaxed atmosphere.<br />
<br />
Please don't read into these statements that my horses – or any horses – are not well cared for at the farm, because they are. It's just a completely different environment. I liken it to the department in which I used to work with 25 people in low-walled call center type cubicles. Now I work in an area where there are only 7 of us in the office full time and we're spread out in larger, high-walled cubicles. Words can hardly describe how much happier I am. <br />
<br />
We're going to work on the land as best we can this year in the hope that the horses can come back to visit more often. Dear God, please send rain – lots of it.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-8109977758820091072011-12-30T13:49:00.000-06:002011-12-30T13:49:29.255-06:00Rockin' Down the Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtQltMoTG13LV9KeQReQuwARnvBRFLLvuytIl-4w-L6Ta9Zds8z_N06CZo0X-fW-0YnW5l6ea5IMQU9wjFQdbQPa0rG5bSWhT-KdpuFr8BcmaDxhhgL1Q-_mACJFigPu8oPafCw9lkb34/s1600/123011-Down-the-Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtQltMoTG13LV9KeQReQuwARnvBRFLLvuytIl-4w-L6Ta9Zds8z_N06CZo0X-fW-0YnW5l6ea5IMQU9wjFQdbQPa0rG5bSWhT-KdpuFr8BcmaDxhhgL1Q-_mACJFigPu8oPafCw9lkb34/s320/123011-Down-the-Road.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Jazu the Wonder Pony at the honey hole</i></div><br />
With a high today in the lower 70s, it was perfect for a ride down our old familiar road. Jaz and I haven't done this ride since last spring, but he was a champ. He remembered where The Usual Suspects (madly barking dogs) were and marched right on past. There were even 2 new little yapping dogs running loose that ran after and he stayed completely calm. Stupid <u>people</u>. Good way to a) have a lawsuit brought against you if I come off my horse or b) get your dogs killed because you're in violation of the rule about no loose dogs.<br />
<br />
And while we're on the subject of stupid people, whatever happened to common courtesy? We live on a narrow 2-lane road, and people were flying past us. I kept motioning for people to slow down and was getting the dirtiest looks. Jaz is good with cars, but there's no sense tempting fate. I don't understand what it would hurt to slow down a little – you don't have to brake, just take your foot off the gas for a second. I'm sure they would expect similar courtesy from me if I came upon them walking or their kid on a bike.<br />
<br />
But enough of that. Great relaxing ride down our road, and I hope to get in another before the Boyz go back to Iron Ridge next week.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year to all!Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-25200216241474518992011-12-28T08:48:00.000-06:002011-12-28T08:48:02.806-06:00Forever Afternoon<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tuesday afternoon. <br />
I'm just beginning to see, <br />
Now I'm on my way. <br />
It doesn't matter to me, <br />
Chasing the clouds away. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">— "The Afternoon: Forever Afternoon" by the Moody Blues</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">from their 1967 album "Days of Future Passed"</span></div><br />
It was the very sort of winter day that serves as a reminder of why we put up with those 106° days during the summer: sunny without a cloud in the sky, with temps in the upper 50s. Perfect spa day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ScrxtC2-FZw3BzmNbbEbut9LlxLI4_9zyamCEy4LOlAKFhjHh8WK2A1dMqQg9CauKtdDsypjCcQzPANZKRlE22TaAS_5zFk4p_e8aNZRRUkvvuT_jBPmpdX-RvsFizX55Jw7hyphenhyphenVdp7Ku/s1600/122811-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ScrxtC2-FZw3BzmNbbEbut9LlxLI4_9zyamCEy4LOlAKFhjHh8WK2A1dMqQg9CauKtdDsypjCcQzPANZKRlE22TaAS_5zFk4p_e8aNZRRUkvvuT_jBPmpdX-RvsFizX55Jw7hyphenhyphenVdp7Ku/s400/122811-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I don't know what a spa is, but it's putting Jaz to sleep.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Not me. I'm wide awake.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWVcw-v0aoLzTPMNUQxW0OyO2heOuz4afPKyZt5zo9_WrNiWCa8JlDvA7kihpxeax7l97NB_hQ8liDeA3koYBy9XBJCh6qvcjFE6cbUv7iIj6yC-LL-mlPI1xc_7MeXee2GH4-kyFHVqm/s1600/122811-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWVcw-v0aoLzTPMNUQxW0OyO2heOuz4afPKyZt5zo9_WrNiWCa8JlDvA7kihpxeax7l97NB_hQ8liDeA3koYBy9XBJCh6qvcjFE6cbUv7iIj6yC-LL-mlPI1xc_7MeXee2GH4-kyFHVqm/s400/122811-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Strange, but all of a sudden a nap does sound kinda nice.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wyLf33pDVwwgBW1kuOjMyCP1QoKYp7bCWBIXmTLfkTRD5j3j_h8ipJ1XHp_YUkj8tMN3-WPelQ5onOYnAzPJiO4sRtEAWy-7WW2Q9Id-D00lUj6OOfF1Oge_MIt3hGgCWjeSY0jJY1XG/s1600/122811-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wyLf33pDVwwgBW1kuOjMyCP1QoKYp7bCWBIXmTLfkTRD5j3j_h8ipJ1XHp_YUkj8tMN3-WPelQ5onOYnAzPJiO4sRtEAWy-7WW2Q9Id-D00lUj6OOfF1Oge_MIt3hGgCWjeSY0jJY1XG/s400/122811-03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Can't. Stop. Yawning.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU5iR9wa_AxmRTIDOhw4VLmxfW9XUi-nRk03iT8FMEK6-HE_6eeuYFtMd1B06P9LhMCCbfcvtasWBPvLk9MovferoaXp4gKD3KcM75lGnW3m0QGEbvnplFCBhZHayRopD4M-2dsBTKVSh/s1600/122811-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU5iR9wa_AxmRTIDOhw4VLmxfW9XUi-nRk03iT8FMEK6-HE_6eeuYFtMd1B06P9LhMCCbfcvtasWBPvLk9MovferoaXp4gKD3KcM75lGnW3m0QGEbvnplFCBhZHayRopD4M-2dsBTKVSh/s400/122811-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wow. They even serve lunch.</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuk3Gbt7teI1qyzhwodyICNPLUiUgznnv9roGHAyOSzivkJjgwPaveU5kFBHsKJzBEVcrgoYS3_qYauJLs4jYTJgWPBTO1xiwQKoCT_xXy_pY47zmWJsQ2VtjSAydt0-87Rk_IndCbyVB/s1600/122811-07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuk3Gbt7teI1qyzhwodyICNPLUiUgznnv9roGHAyOSzivkJjgwPaveU5kFBHsKJzBEVcrgoYS3_qYauJLs4jYTJgWPBTO1xiwQKoCT_xXy_pY47zmWJsQ2VtjSAydt0-87Rk_IndCbyVB/s400/122811-07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Feeling refreshed. How about a rousing game of bite-the face?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71a79rRkpEhD6aHUiTgKQ8GmdYN5gZb6ajs2JfCSAFevhn8PAF84t58uJO-b7TZxHvmvRUiU82fLUkbNzTQBJ5aIJX0uxEvl6Mza8zQEFCP7ccPcsS36H3y8lqwM03esqvVCBoDjyHuYU/s1600/122811-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71a79rRkpEhD6aHUiTgKQ8GmdYN5gZb6ajs2JfCSAFevhn8PAF84t58uJO-b7TZxHvmvRUiU82fLUkbNzTQBJ5aIJX0uxEvl6Mza8zQEFCP7ccPcsS36H3y8lqwM03esqvVCBoDjyHuYU/s400/122811-08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ha! Jaz thinks he's gonna bust a move on me.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5el124K48DYIgeQEFihF2LkQW2ruytUIyJkLgEwr2NE8JfKqJTnTXchkaF2SNy6NO2Z_dYCEu-6CNGVi0mKrRebVSIDReZGe-_Zd9YCbS4LjhbZD1BYDnxEAYdyuWDJIOFx6F0mlPsr_G/s1600/122811-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5el124K48DYIgeQEFihF2LkQW2ruytUIyJkLgEwr2NE8JfKqJTnTXchkaF2SNy6NO2Z_dYCEu-6CNGVi0mKrRebVSIDReZGe-_Zd9YCbS4LjhbZD1BYDnxEAYdyuWDJIOFx6F0mlPsr_G/s400/122811-09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'll get you, old man.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnEoYe51ASE7OfE0MvI7BBpPjDmvLEhrMAoNXT5mF-fCDsZ185SGy-860OVF0hktloNBToFCN1B8B-9g_pXMYvU9ftVNfeLUWs-NJjL6dP7cpqFD7wIpHyI2C_odvFNF2qipJ7gysAbEY/s1600/122811-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnEoYe51ASE7OfE0MvI7BBpPjDmvLEhrMAoNXT5mF-fCDsZ185SGy-860OVF0hktloNBToFCN1B8B-9g_pXMYvU9ftVNfeLUWs-NJjL6dP7cpqFD7wIpHyI2C_odvFNF2qipJ7gysAbEY/s400/122811-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Squirrel!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUTFWgvsig9wNVZ4LvW4nRn5dk8dKdFKj3aITwHAzNKucJqhlSpcBQ0EYtzCiDIEbidFRMDCFHCw-t1U8kHh9cCk0f_OyxxX7uoWHyPqGosCXNnORWb2qj-QvpgPCxzdlmFf8sKpup530/s1600/122811-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUTFWgvsig9wNVZ4LvW4nRn5dk8dKdFKj3aITwHAzNKucJqhlSpcBQ0EYtzCiDIEbidFRMDCFHCw-t1U8kHh9cCk0f_OyxxX7uoWHyPqGosCXNnORWb2qj-QvpgPCxzdlmFf8sKpup530/s400/122811-11.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I only asked for a trim, but she cut off about 6".</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Still, it's a nice facility. Look at all this clover!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The sun felt so amazing that Mr. Fry and I fetched chairs and beer to survey our kingdom and contemplate our takeover of the world. Another great day to be alive.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-91043702466940529272011-12-26T14:06:00.000-06:002011-12-26T14:06:13.800-06:00My Awesome Christmas PresentOne of my least favorite things to do is lugging tack from my truck to wherever it is I'll be tacking Jaz up, which is usually the chute at <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">the farm</a>. I pull my truck close to it, make multiple trips to get all my junk out, then park my truck. After the ride, most times I take Jaz over to the truck, tack him down, tossing gear inside as I go. But I still will have stuff lingering by the chute and usually at least 2 trips back and forth.<br />
<br />
Not any more.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IPOgvL0YiciysvK-PYAedMI9VgZTPmI_9G1pd1nqHNu1zJ6I4ln3n1itoo9TA8KCVdEjStzMdy7uUtyHhTiEZoW-7GkPGuAs2A3cY8JL5_l5N9lIpUjyBIbISNmh9VnLAfZDqzwaOmSb/s1600/TackCart01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IPOgvL0YiciysvK-PYAedMI9VgZTPmI_9G1pd1nqHNu1zJ6I4ln3n1itoo9TA8KCVdEjStzMdy7uUtyHhTiEZoW-7GkPGuAs2A3cY8JL5_l5N9lIpUjyBIbISNmh9VnLAfZDqzwaOmSb/s400/TackCart01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ta-daaa!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">The back "leg" folds in the direction indicated</div><div style="text-align: center;">and clips to the diagonal bar when you're pulling it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmVuZv6ecyOjpz9EuAr44kayIE-XT6XJfFuldBB2nHovBc-xdHXsUf-6dGtpJ5GbnwtJbSSdiXPuGqMVDFngEl6Qx0H5RT2a8sn7z0z6eyHoKlnen9Og_k6LYzsWUwW2zcYuHpuB9LAUX/s1600/TackCart03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmVuZv6ecyOjpz9EuAr44kayIE-XT6XJfFuldBB2nHovBc-xdHXsUf-6dGtpJ5GbnwtJbSSdiXPuGqMVDFngEl6Qx0H5RT2a8sn7z0z6eyHoKlnen9Og_k6LYzsWUwW2zcYuHpuB9LAUX/s400/TackCart03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It all collapses down ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4vkSlNWg9gqC6zxorkMovo1zGFq_rjBGwsf81nWu813vZheRfwE5TySV0_LxF5Onnj6HbJ9pLSHHsOpT4xBSAz2tn1Q7FBbS7PDCZDhhaa_yuDCj_PR-W36nSOz9G7MTd84BWuE469W6/s1600/TackCart02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4vkSlNWg9gqC6zxorkMovo1zGFq_rjBGwsf81nWu813vZheRfwE5TySV0_LxF5Onnj6HbJ9pLSHHsOpT4xBSAz2tn1Q7FBbS7PDCZDhhaa_yuDCj_PR-W36nSOz9G7MTd84BWuE469W6/s400/TackCart02.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... for easy transport and storage!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you're interested:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/SR9114">http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/SR9114</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Time it right and you can even get free shipping.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-33331440667348063192011-12-23T19:15:00.001-06:002011-12-24T05:26:26.993-06:00Home for the HolidaysFor the first time since May, Jaz and Daltrey are home. Although not anywhere near recovered from the drought, we felt like the land could tolerate them for a week or so. I have the sheer joy of being able to look out my windows and see ponies pigging out or playing, and I can walk out and spoil them any time I want. Bliss.<br />
<br />
Both of them walked into the trailer calmly the first time, with no bribes needed. This was Daltrey's first ride while tied and he rode like a champ, despite the fact that there was nothing in the hay bag to keep him occupied. This was also his first time to be backed out of the trailer. He hesitated and wanted to come back in when that first hind foot hit air, but he listened and exited quietly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAMGeZ-JBUGF73m2nxPKJqeL07H9aJTlcTBEXnpLR7p4s4alzKNA92CJnrKCh5I4JtynQhzqAU5FxdH__dTFRlbhA3sO_ehLLF5J8KFJsRMEhz-vCCM1RTXk7Wi6OMC86CKDsOQoWJ_D3/s1600/122311-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAMGeZ-JBUGF73m2nxPKJqeL07H9aJTlcTBEXnpLR7p4s4alzKNA92CJnrKCh5I4JtynQhzqAU5FxdH__dTFRlbhA3sO_ehLLF5J8KFJsRMEhz-vCCM1RTXk7Wi6OMC86CKDsOQoWJ_D3/s400/122311-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Not great forage, but certainly better than it was.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZy02HYk0dyfWpO3g_oR-eiF5z-vlL956xTl8PFDY2Ty7mVQOcwASkTzmlQi9oaEqSYf0UUy2VAi1gCi5vUyNydehTRusp3_lSoYzNA6cTPEr7Vn7x0QIh7T4fqEf4bcxpordK1vsfA2T/s1600/122311-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZy02HYk0dyfWpO3g_oR-eiF5z-vlL956xTl8PFDY2Ty7mVQOcwASkTzmlQi9oaEqSYf0UUy2VAi1gCi5vUyNydehTRusp3_lSoYzNA6cTPEr7Vn7x0QIh7T4fqEf4bcxpordK1vsfA2T/s400/122311-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> There are a few patches of winter rye like this.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jaz kept heaving huge sighs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr_-1XEcErWRVdkUVDG2EHaJZCAHyItDAeKtqd5t5Z8xxQhcYJQEOP_PYjxO3W8cxRQA2PYMaavV3gP0M1lLOGiWKAi1vSFi_BQ1pElqTQijOTNyheKqUhWzrQReokeTBtaDNQHeK_HNn/s1600/122311-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr_-1XEcErWRVdkUVDG2EHaJZCAHyItDAeKtqd5t5Z8xxQhcYJQEOP_PYjxO3W8cxRQA2PYMaavV3gP0M1lLOGiWKAi1vSFi_BQ1pElqTQijOTNyheKqUhWzrQReokeTBtaDNQHeK_HNn/s400/122311-03.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Mostly, it looks like this.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is mostly clover with other weeds,</div><div style="text-align: center;">some of which they eat, some not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlJdmLCt9noJlrjfOynKiiPn86sKLsiULDF6dlTNPTTvyPCbohTmMyIjcmSdScxJ8dmDtYJ6ATmxDlZspQEfkMHIiOn2nSnRYepIYW1hIUjvsYvqGvMbnjv09JEXkv-8NbshOchCamyPF/s1600/122311-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlJdmLCt9noJlrjfOynKiiPn86sKLsiULDF6dlTNPTTvyPCbohTmMyIjcmSdScxJ8dmDtYJ6ATmxDlZspQEfkMHIiOn2nSnRYepIYW1hIUjvsYvqGvMbnjv09JEXkv-8NbshOchCamyPF/s400/122311-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">But there are still quite a few places that look like this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyZL78CruAhuxU-nQC01JXLGES5JGshAPVZ84teF3olgdWD9-aAUGigdkC0KB1pFO8KR2eEUR473S-Id3mRvA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Turn the sound way up.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've never seen him eat so fast.<br />
<br />
I have off the week between Christmas and New Year to enjoy them.<br />
Maybe I'll even take that dirty grey one down the road.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-48806072935276840692011-12-18T15:22:00.003-06:002011-12-18T15:28:07.081-06:00An Apology for Grooming<span style="font-size: large;">a•pol•o•gy | əˈpäləjē|</span><br />
<i>noun </i><br />
1 a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure<br />
2 a very poor or inadequate example of <br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">3 a reasoned argument or writing in justification of something, typically a theory</span><br />
<br />
My barn buddies have dubbed me the Grooming Queen.<br />
<br />
I usually fetch and start prepping my horse well before everyone else because it takes me that much longer to get ready to ride. I hold the opinion that grooming is one of the most important things we do for our horses for so many more reasons than merely making them pretty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC709nsbnmMT1pyAIxiTRptDBs_YwtY8Hi_gXoiufPfq7i3Xsz6gFYcuHn3vtMt2N-6LBbimhGdH1gY7pSMOvZKPeQFbH4aSNKmASSgRrPxelYlnGVyKEP3NIwMf9hFTaGVqa23i_JxBCR/s1600/121811-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC709nsbnmMT1pyAIxiTRptDBs_YwtY8Hi_gXoiufPfq7i3Xsz6gFYcuHn3vtMt2N-6LBbimhGdH1gY7pSMOvZKPeQFbH4aSNKmASSgRrPxelYlnGVyKEP3NIwMf9hFTaGVqa23i_JxBCR/s400/121811-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> What do you mean, I'm a mess? Is that bad?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpGSjb6SoAy8-vzjI9ZJFHXqnj2bfRostYkNmJih3fWhTGvcPLiWzOlwlrbAXMMACDsyhamCEH1PcETMpX7HOSBudekXPgkd_IG_RYdevDicbWD5lJBEfKqhuH2-52NZHe1w2ThiOLc8/s1600/121811-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpGSjb6SoAy8-vzjI9ZJFHXqnj2bfRostYkNmJih3fWhTGvcPLiWzOlwlrbAXMMACDsyhamCEH1PcETMpX7HOSBudekXPgkd_IG_RYdevDicbWD5lJBEfKqhuH2-52NZHe1w2ThiOLc8/s400/121811-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> I didn't mean it, honest.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEf4MKs3VUSD2DMFXLNfwC6srwnoUwFDLFt8dgbB_aH0x5_5ktqRa1u0G7KW6dNSNk3eTA4pEEAjsm0c6bL7lOoI75OEbae5SQjbFeoFJQtm0D2fxlKHvx6i-Hf6zTv05BfqGUY_hds7n/s1600/121811-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEf4MKs3VUSD2DMFXLNfwC6srwnoUwFDLFt8dgbB_aH0x5_5ktqRa1u0G7KW6dNSNk3eTA4pEEAjsm0c6bL7lOoI75OEbae5SQjbFeoFJQtm0D2fxlKHvx6i-Hf6zTv05BfqGUY_hds7n/s400/121811-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The goober he is.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mmm, your hands smell like ... carrots and cookies!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq6uoaJqpLpYR2Jga2Jsb7B1DC2GPYRpS1xt6ITOjpzPn4H1Kue61w0yQ0vxrZkR2O5mwYs-fAjQ_8tKf4TiE6SzOsubjlCDygP_Qzmb-UpKYNsUm5e6_Rs0lNNILdNZ_ChAV0RTDUggX/s1600/121811-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq6uoaJqpLpYR2Jga2Jsb7B1DC2GPYRpS1xt6ITOjpzPn4H1Kue61w0yQ0vxrZkR2O5mwYs-fAjQ_8tKf4TiE6SzOsubjlCDygP_Qzmb-UpKYNsUm5e6_Rs0lNNILdNZ_ChAV0RTDUggX/s400/121811-03.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
The beautiful boy he is becoming.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Back in my newbie days, I was clueless as to the nature of horses, and I had no idea how to handle my inaptly chosen first horse. I was unprepared for how BIG they are and how fast they can move. Heather's sage advice: only do what you're comfortable doing. For awhile, grooming was the only thing I was comfortable doing, so I did it a lot. It helped my horse and me relax and get to know each other. It helped me learn how to move him and teach him basic commands such as <i>stand, step,</i> <i>over </i>and eventually<i> lift</i>. It helped me teach him manners and patience.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Grooming has also helped me to know my horses' bodies and accustom them to being touched all over. It's useful in winter to help find wounds, skin conditions, lumps and bumps, etc. that you can't see when they're all woolly. My first clue that something was wrong with Jaz (ultimately strongyles) was that he flinched when pressure was applied to a spot in the middle of his back where there was no wound, no mark, no bruise. That's also how I found the little sarcoid on his chest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And finally, there is nothing like those huge sighs of relaxation and pleasure that you get for your efforts. As far as I'm concerned, grooming is good for the equine and the human soul. </div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-359765391051465962011-12-11T17:12:00.001-06:002011-12-11T19:20:13.265-06:00Grey Winter's DayFinally got a ride in today after a 3 week hiatus due to either rain or the arena still being too wet to ride. The arena was tilled deeply but not finely, and the horses were a bit put out that they actually had to pick up their feet. I think we all kept it at walk-trot.<br />
<br />
This was also a chance to use my new Nikon S9100.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnv5W-TI9m2NB4ruGZrqe6qLNBD3ypK1OVfbkNGEiSP6Y-DX795APQuXkCDzL_txmEIXLAIT0EmKelHZ4o91DkF-n2TTdLIIiYmJ-nWgz2z3v6cX7t-FVN529BSirByu5dMYYni1UAuvF/s1600/121111-10" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnv5W-TI9m2NB4ruGZrqe6qLNBD3ypK1OVfbkNGEiSP6Y-DX795APQuXkCDzL_txmEIXLAIT0EmKelHZ4o91DkF-n2TTdLIIiYmJ-nWgz2z3v6cX7t-FVN529BSirByu5dMYYni1UAuvF/s400/121111-10" width="400" /></a></div>I'm very pleased with this camera so far. I debated as to whether to upgrade to a SLR, but when I really thought about how I take photos, a P&S just makes more sense for me. This one is exceeding my expectations. It's FAST, as in zero lag time between the time you hit the button and your image appears onscreen. 12.1 megapixels with an 18x zoom — now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. It has a wide variety of automated settings, or you can program it. It's almost like a hybrid between a P&S and a SLR. All these images are right out of the camera, with the exception of being downsized and optimized for fast loading on the web.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtAwNF3Tno0CaDgMCsMukJPJdzJw44kMqpM0Gvr6MZCAfDNzbsWp19oH3dKd-rEx_oJELyy_w-EcE9YW0BY7rStPliLjr2jJ63-S5wuOz_slt7psl71_g_DhoPgPaeLsYYHsXt1elBhVW/s1600/121111-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtAwNF3Tno0CaDgMCsMukJPJdzJw44kMqpM0Gvr6MZCAfDNzbsWp19oH3dKd-rEx_oJELyy_w-EcE9YW0BY7rStPliLjr2jJ63-S5wuOz_slt7psl71_g_DhoPgPaeLsYYHsXt1elBhVW/s400/121111-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Jaz wasn't happy about having to give up his new blanket.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrltTZqkcz7AhHnugXRBgBlWt5qt6e8sIHa-2O6s8b5VVC76nbrEytk5UA61SK7gZUSUCa09uh7UPN80010YyiCoU5zUFaz1xp9a5VJ1yFym4nMqEapGLEtVKG25JcIMIBWtbR9_Ztt3kd/s1600/121111-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrltTZqkcz7AhHnugXRBgBlWt5qt6e8sIHa-2O6s8b5VVC76nbrEytk5UA61SK7gZUSUCa09uh7UPN80010YyiCoU5zUFaz1xp9a5VJ1yFym4nMqEapGLEtVKG25JcIMIBWtbR9_Ztt3kd/s400/121111-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking rather svelte — no more pregnant gelding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIoqI7KK6tGtMdrepl4F7CVPWFG-r_-uzCNkT-GelpPCeBiNfqZoEjWwp4gJFY1NZ9Ts_HoSWsyJTDDkfvTDNCCBb2hjYl1aG_dKI9yndKoAR-qEhX1h2pMuuJSw1SxytbW5rhn6lyx64/s1600/121111-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIoqI7KK6tGtMdrepl4F7CVPWFG-r_-uzCNkT-GelpPCeBiNfqZoEjWwp4gJFY1NZ9Ts_HoSWsyJTDDkfvTDNCCBb2hjYl1aG_dKI9yndKoAR-qEhX1h2pMuuJSw1SxytbW5rhn6lyx64/s400/121111-03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Rachel and Moon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92EszCfoe3zovm9PcPe2zo6UzOe28EMs8bJDrnmlCacM5DwmagEo1X6SUtsHRLKu7QSOXRlmEMXMApe53Rr6gPJOSF90HZ3bA0Kl6iwnqqLPtqHF_OddhK0LYqq-erPxQD5ymup-9JKOV/s1600/121111-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92EszCfoe3zovm9PcPe2zo6UzOe28EMs8bJDrnmlCacM5DwmagEo1X6SUtsHRLKu7QSOXRlmEMXMApe53Rr6gPJOSF90HZ3bA0Kl6iwnqqLPtqHF_OddhK0LYqq-erPxQD5ymup-9JKOV/s400/121111-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Chris showing Poko what a lance is all about for SCA games.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQkLKUMtrcZfrmHjM0drInEOZgEsw36DNv3WKPrSw3WuP9bXuZ3lc_MhXMBwiTNKtKYVh9xa1e8ER76AhSJNusud0YOeVVS1FYJPH13Y2us_3F589cUqMyNVeQygwbB17feGS7TuxdwDa/s1600/121111-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQkLKUMtrcZfrmHjM0drInEOZgEsw36DNv3WKPrSw3WuP9bXuZ3lc_MhXMBwiTNKtKYVh9xa1e8ER76AhSJNusud0YOeVVS1FYJPH13Y2us_3F589cUqMyNVeQygwbB17feGS7TuxdwDa/s400/121111-05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I was at the end of the lead rope when I took this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUpqb6B82d5nnEKuh_0cKqhaDCpjnvSj8iO-KWsWuJMmz6TC7OnVm1CucfUqCmAiuufopP9_8SrzZuEDquNXC_D2WlkFNhtOdAFvE8lcaV7ZAip69ZDv6VsXVWQOPsZMStBY1ot2LC58i/s1600/121111-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUpqb6B82d5nnEKuh_0cKqhaDCpjnvSj8iO-KWsWuJMmz6TC7OnVm1CucfUqCmAiuufopP9_8SrzZuEDquNXC_D2WlkFNhtOdAFvE8lcaV7ZAip69ZDv6VsXVWQOPsZMStBY1ot2LC58i/s400/121111-06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Sure you can't get any more in your mouth, Jaz?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TSLHS4uHQOcJtlkYVI9dwyFnms8FhjOb50_DmAVxN_3AvUHelQW5CFV7KmPcuU45H0a7tzf7z2wQ_q9DP4WEu-x_PXgxGHsjPozI6nG1pjKZqlmmwB3D4iaIaye5DGcEZ-CKm9dKwbVr/s1600/121111-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TSLHS4uHQOcJtlkYVI9dwyFnms8FhjOb50_DmAVxN_3AvUHelQW5CFV7KmPcuU45H0a7tzf7z2wQ_q9DP4WEu-x_PXgxGHsjPozI6nG1pjKZqlmmwB3D4iaIaye5DGcEZ-CKm9dKwbVr/s400/121111-07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Heather and Poko</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFQwYon4ZmUd_HPoJ5hCoM9Bx3XyTyJ_Zx0PxWK59IzOAT1VMUitw4GM4tNUuN3HzR9Zh3Jhy6h0dvmH3dAIJQ5ZN20gglFP-vEeqzD6WW59AxkWLeOutf7IfWUncZyLOLEY3xae-Z7Gx/s1600/121111-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFQwYon4ZmUd_HPoJ5hCoM9Bx3XyTyJ_Zx0PxWK59IzOAT1VMUitw4GM4tNUuN3HzR9Zh3Jhy6h0dvmH3dAIJQ5ZN20gglFP-vEeqzD6WW59AxkWLeOutf7IfWUncZyLOLEY3xae-Z7Gx/s400/121111-08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://barndoortagz.blogspot.com/2009/05/lets-hear-it-for-gurlz.html" target="_blank"> Amber</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmCiKLUtJA9kzGhs9iTdedI6sQKJYGq4wdt9Z4jlxJqYjxUuy6EvCb-AN83JTAIMR7kFwQCwHHVadeNhIhcMYxvgQZJeD5Cs9tP2QdsbKxmIeux8BqRUcxXzJCVrU0BJnQQisb8E0JcNo/s1600/121111-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmCiKLUtJA9kzGhs9iTdedI6sQKJYGq4wdt9Z4jlxJqYjxUuy6EvCb-AN83JTAIMR7kFwQCwHHVadeNhIhcMYxvgQZJeD5Cs9tP2QdsbKxmIeux8BqRUcxXzJCVrU0BJnQQisb8E0JcNo/s400/121111-09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kris and Voodoo</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It was cold for us wimpy Texans, but great to see my ponies and my pony pals.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What's up with y'all? Got all your Christmas shopping done?</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-75170923276196360582011-11-25T11:32:00.001-06:002011-11-25T11:44:28.519-06:00Marking MilestonesIt was the day after Thanksgiving 2006 when my adventures with horses officially began.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FFpt0uVOxIVcdndM-b82l2pdO_Dpc67SYPcl60ZY2jhd9hIYP7zS6jo_wkW494zzuIBbbMB3t9JN5KsOwWmUajdjrrNvM1i2icpLRLDV5U2qPP1R_68sa8E-8Pp2rfuVQygAkud4_P5P/s1600/P1001741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FFpt0uVOxIVcdndM-b82l2pdO_Dpc67SYPcl60ZY2jhd9hIYP7zS6jo_wkW494zzuIBbbMB3t9JN5KsOwWmUajdjrrNvM1i2icpLRLDV5U2qPP1R_68sa8E-8Pp2rfuVQygAkud4_P5P/s400/P1001741.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">That's the day I brought Poco home.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I had purchased him a month earlier,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but we had fencing to do</div><div style="text-align: center;">before we could bring him here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was so lucky to also meet</div><div style="text-align: center;">my wonderful friends and mentors</div><div style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">Iron Ridge Sport Horses.</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm thankful for them every day.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D8ze6yYXxzIvft8BySC0kZWuRlGpxXL2HVjTu5ayQ-BxtGzYHJ7H6lhlGT5fEg6P1OZ8JRw7AgG6tlsKvx-kVDWa2fx5mXmW-YdJ6INu6Z5at0TgBJl9Ay4lunKw9UDak_bMN0lK9f4G/s1600/DCP_1803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D8ze6yYXxzIvft8BySC0kZWuRlGpxXL2HVjTu5ayQ-BxtGzYHJ7H6lhlGT5fEg6P1OZ8JRw7AgG6tlsKvx-kVDWa2fx5mXmW-YdJ6INu6Z5at0TgBJl9Ay4lunKw9UDak_bMN0lK9f4G/s400/DCP_1803.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jaz joined us in early January of 2007.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Poco was so happy to have a friend.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was delighted to have a horse I could actually ride.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbdrb5LP7XtFbaJRJrvsxK3JMyISyt18EaqIhA4AxExqV8hvC3QC6GtEqN086FMm_kA6MxVxZPGwDV4TCbNJAwU3VTVo2zvj4G9vJUNU9zlxOQPhr5KQB_HFLPXbnfoW-XT-HrlxsxP0Z/s1600/DSC03218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbdrb5LP7XtFbaJRJrvsxK3JMyISyt18EaqIhA4AxExqV8hvC3QC6GtEqN086FMm_kA6MxVxZPGwDV4TCbNJAwU3VTVo2zvj4G9vJUNU9zlxOQPhr5KQB_HFLPXbnfoW-XT-HrlxsxP0Z/s400/DSC03218.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although I was already completely smitten and</div><div style="text-align: center;">trying desperately to talk myself out of it in June 2010,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I eventually bowed to the inevitable and</div><div style="text-align: center;">Daltrey came home in October,</div><div style="text-align: center;">when he was 8 months old.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Look how little he was!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Look how <i>green</i> it was back there!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEK0GXugVPYc76Le9e6stemD-B51wrrJpkCK2-3tVvs8JlaB_Lz14YuTwedywQ-BEMVz5LJGtgkJ_ku5wl6HzFk98xcBF5kAbhUzdDcr6hUIsrSTRbN8Z39pbsvYL-PO42acDzgV0KztT/s1600/030611-Poko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEK0GXugVPYc76Le9e6stemD-B51wrrJpkCK2-3tVvs8JlaB_Lz14YuTwedywQ-BEMVz5LJGtgkJ_ku5wl6HzFk98xcBF5kAbhUzdDcr6hUIsrSTRbN8Z39pbsvYL-PO42acDzgV0KztT/s400/030611-Poko.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> In February of 2011, I made the decision to sell Poco. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It worked out better than I could have hoped,</div><div style="text-align: center;">since his new home is none other than Iron Ridge,</div><div style="text-align: center;">where he gets the snot worked out of him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssyc_9SemiKATS2_Om7K2awH-ehtjSlUa_ZO8AC5iqBPt0mfJq8hhx7Qale8T-ZYeKFNAGk9Gum-Qn5Z9LbkY-_oK-dW7bY7YvYhxKzRlVjEJvVMgrjzNrwsT5GlGVDH_V30J5ah9EjZl/s1600/P%2526J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssyc_9SemiKATS2_Om7K2awH-ehtjSlUa_ZO8AC5iqBPt0mfJq8hhx7Qale8T-ZYeKFNAGk9Gum-Qn5Z9LbkY-_oK-dW7bY7YvYhxKzRlVjEJvVMgrjzNrwsT5GlGVDH_V30J5ah9EjZl/s400/P%2526J.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jaz loves being my main man.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It makes my heart sing when he whinnies at my arrival.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I regret every second I took him for granted. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLfb8lqodRRnCiG10i0bcuFZibWnPkdjIiqK8_Cr3cTNQM81E7cvd2RO97-k65SHtgJUIBdrJCMA8saw3XI9G3toR_6sRr6vH5dl_j32ohKTqZRTH6tdwzDwhlyPiptRucuopf5AohjKj/s1600/Daltrey%2526Red110911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLfb8lqodRRnCiG10i0bcuFZibWnPkdjIiqK8_Cr3cTNQM81E7cvd2RO97-k65SHtgJUIBdrJCMA8saw3XI9G3toR_6sRr6vH5dl_j32ohKTqZRTH6tdwzDwhlyPiptRucuopf5AohjKj/s400/Daltrey%2526Red110911.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Daltrey,</div><div style="text-align: center;">(shown here with Joker's White Russian aka 'Red'),</div><div style="text-align: center;">is growing like crazy, becoming a fine young man.<br />
I'm very proud of him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It may have taken 49 years for me to get my pony,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but it's never too late.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Don’t be afraid of the space</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">between your dreams and reality. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">If you can dream it, you can make it so."</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">— Belva Davis </div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-68778978217259122812011-11-20T08:17:00.002-06:002011-11-21T19:15:14.263-06:00Big Ol' Truck<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Big ol' truck<br />
10 feet tall and 10 feet wide<br />
It's a big ol' truck<br />
Here she come again man</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">— 'Big Ol' Truck by Toby Keith from his 1994 album 'Boomtown'</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I got my first horse in 2006, but I didn't get my vintage 70's stock trailer until the following year. I was driving a new Ford Explorer, and Mr. Fry was and still is driving a 2000 Nissan Frontier light truck. I hated the Explorer and have been driving a Nissan Pathfinder since late 2007. It has a back-up camera and I can usually hitch the trailer on the first try.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Both Nissans will pull the trailer and 2 horses, but with only 6 cylinders, you wouldn't want to do it very far. I don't trailer them anywhere else except back and forth to <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/" target="_blank">the farm</a> (about a 15-min. ride) and the vet (a little over a mile) but even less now that the Boyz are living at the farm. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We both commute 40+ miles to our jobs, so gas mileage has to be a consideration in our choice of everyday vehicles. Another consideration is a good, sturdy vehicle that can handle highway speed and is heavy enough to offer some protection in the event of a mishap. The Nissans have served us well in their dual duties, but we have been wanting a heavier duty truck for a long time. Until a couple months ago, the economy had put the kabosh on that because even though the Nissans are both paid for, we couldn't take on a car payment. We also wanted to keep our other vehicles, so no trade-in.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then Mr. Fry went online and found this in San Antonio. And the price was right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWjiilE3wXJ7DB-leZLp9fYCQm39ICLllF00PlnPuAIbuNSVBVxtgBjCHT-kx5dIN_FLLcFZNv5G8qz5OVXaHUr3IEYooGaQqtgQl3lGZbN6uMulXiby-fjwa5B7w7TVOiALjIF5yyIl-/s1600/111911Chevy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWjiilE3wXJ7DB-leZLp9fYCQm39ICLllF00PlnPuAIbuNSVBVxtgBjCHT-kx5dIN_FLLcFZNv5G8qz5OVXaHUr3IEYooGaQqtgQl3lGZbN6uMulXiby-fjwa5B7w7TVOiALjIF5yyIl-/s400/111911Chevy1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4QPz3r9LyjkrwkKykN0GeUvkgZS6Potw8U_kK8Z9sYrTvJ7DHvLnTNXWdgpU2uKQTW60xRFgGjyPI28DLldR0_CW-YzQr4nOWJsddvQfOTy68ODY20t3DhMnU6NZU8GEUa0K2TJtX5kZ/s1600/111911Chevy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4QPz3r9LyjkrwkKykN0GeUvkgZS6Potw8U_kK8Z9sYrTvJ7DHvLnTNXWdgpU2uKQTW60xRFgGjyPI28DLldR0_CW-YzQr4nOWJsddvQfOTy68ODY20t3DhMnU6NZU8GEUa0K2TJtX5kZ/s400/111911Chevy2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's a 2005 V-8 Chevy Silverado in pristine condition inside and out. We think it was owned by a young Texas stud muffin for a number of reasons, including a kick-ass stereo and an after-market satellite radio. It also has a nice bed liner and a diamond tread finish tool box. It's a long way up for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's easy to get going way faster than you should, especially with that stereo cranked. Mr. Fry and I have a bet: first one to get a speeding ticket in it has to buy the other one dinner. I plan on being at the receiving end of that wager.</div>Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-89751474535617336882011-11-13T18:02:00.000-06:002011-11-13T18:02:42.410-06:00Paybacks for Summer HeatToday was the kind of day for which we Texans cling to hope while in the throes of triple-digit summers: beautiful blue skies, friendly, fluffy clouds, a light breeze and temps in the low 80s. Almost Thanksgiving and here we were in jeans and tees. I freakin' love it.<br />
<br />
Jaz has been such a good sport as he teaches me to canter, but I know he's bored with the arena. So today the first part of our ride was in what we call the house pen at the farm. It's usually where the geldings and newbies are kept, but today, everybody was elsewhere. The last time we tried to ride this pasture, the cracks in the earth were dangerously deep from the drought, but today it was in fairly good shape except for a few holes, which were clearly visible. We even did a few strides of cantering while out there. It kind of scares me a little outside the arena because Jaz is ungraceful on his best day, and he's seriously overdue for a trim, so he's already kind of tripping over his own feet. Heather's been having trouble getting on Jon's schedule.<br />
<br />
Heather rode the amazonian Midnight the Percheron, Sarah rode Nita's App mare Ishka, and Kris rode her Saddlebred Voodoo. Kris was trying new headgear on Voodoo, so she stayed in the arena, and we joined them after awhile. They all make me smile, because they kept making me canter some more because they "missed that time." Right. We're still only going about a half dozen steps at a time, we're just doing it more often. Although my seat feels secure, I'm still not getting the cuing or steering thing consistently, but we're getting better. And, most importantly, I'm having a great time.<br />
<br />
The new baby boy at the farm is adorable. If you haven't read about <a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-things-come-to-those-who-wait.html" target="_blank">Joker's White Russian (Red),</a> do be sure to catch up on Heather's blog. He is two months younger than Daltrey and makes my baby moose look positively petite. Daltrey is enjoying having a boy his own age that also doesn't understand what the big deal is about running. That said, after our ride, I put Daltrey, Jaz and Red in the arena and got them going, which was a lot of fun to watch. Poor Red is seriously out of shape, if in fact he ever was in shape.<br />
<br />
The perfect ending to a perfect afternoon was sitting in the driveway, catching rays and drinking beer with Mr. Fry. <br />
<br />
What's shakin' with y'all?Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-52442601904418121282011-11-04T05:16:00.000-05:002011-11-04T05:16:15.734-05:00Me Upon My PonyNo boat.<br />
<br />
The weather has been crisp and cool with a enough rain to elicit hope, but that's about all you can say. I will never complain about rain again. I will gratefully accept having any and all plans called because of rain. Many people I've talked to have reached the same conclusion we have: the land will not fully recover from the drought without human intervention. I'm glad the horses aren't here or it would be a catastrophe. Mr. Fry planted a ton of grass, but it's not the lush winter carpet we were hoping for. <br />
<br />
Jaz is still teaching me to canter. Thank goodness he's a great teacher and I am teachable. Last time I rode, we cantered the length of the arena, the farthest yet. It's still such a rush for me, I'm trembling when we stop. I am finding the experience similar to when we trotted in that I can't really think about much else yet besides staying on, so it's not pretty. Jaz has finally decided I really do mean it when I ask for it, but works very hard to keep me up there. I love that horse.<br />
<br />
With the cold snap comes a touch of worry for my delicate grey flower, who doesn't tolerate sudden drops in temperature well. Poco was still here last winter and tore Jaz's blanket (for about the zillionth time) to the point where I'm going to seek professional help to fix it. (BTW, Poco's blanket remains pristine even after all these years.) Those blankets were inexpensive 400 denier <a href="http://www.paultaylorsaddlecompany.com/" target="_blank">Paul Taylor</a> specials. While fine for most, Jaz needs something warmer, although I will keep the old one, which will fit Daltrey in no time ... well, for a day or so, at least.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EDSyO5xnZHzVB8xf-TlwbTla11uz4-o0fXofPyLPTC_DL5GJ33XViphS_UELM09lY8fgeMfTK19FiZ0h9748hg-ztpdbBnIEwF2uC5ILqxtZGuCDmLWTNpf_-krHGff4mSy2lFigY2OL/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-11-04+at+4.59.21+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EDSyO5xnZHzVB8xf-TlwbTla11uz4-o0fXofPyLPTC_DL5GJ33XViphS_UELM09lY8fgeMfTK19FiZ0h9748hg-ztpdbBnIEwF2uC5ILqxtZGuCDmLWTNpf_-krHGff4mSy2lFigY2OL/s400/Screen+shot+2011-11-04+at+4.59.21+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I decided on <a href="http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-and-sheets_waterproof-turnout-blankets_euro-fit/stormshield--classic-euro-1200d-comfort-collar-turnout/" target="_blank">this one</a>, which is 1200 denier and waterproof, and even came with a storage bag. Red is Jaz's new color. Daltrey's is blue to match those amazing eyes, but he gets hand-me-downs until he stops growing. <br />
<br />
Daltrey is doing great, growing like the proverbial weed and acting for all the world like a doofy, snotty two-year old. We continue to work on the basics. I had ordered a John Lyon's book of baby training exercises, but Amazon canceled it due to supplier issues. Well, dang. Guess I'll continue to make this up as I go.<br />
<br />
I hope y'all (and your ponies) are staying warm, having fun, staying safe. What's everybody up to these days?Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-30318555945861518052011-10-22T20:20:00.002-05:002011-10-22T20:23:32.747-05:00It Wasn't a Fluke!Things always work out in exactly the way they are supposed to. This morning, I was wide awake at 5am and rather than fight it, I just got up. What a perfectly beautiful morning it was! And the good news is that all my chores were done by about 10:15am.<br />
<br />
It developed into a cloudless and sunny day, with temps in the 80s, but there is a 60% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow. Since it was so early, I loaded up and headed to <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/">Iron Ridge</a>. Our Sunday morning pony party will likely be rained out, or so we hope.<br />
<br />
I was not the only one trying to squeeze in a ride before the rain. Erica had already finished riding Lady by the time I got there. She stayed for about 30 minutes longer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/">Heather</a> rode Poko and I rode Jaz in the arena. I'm delighted to report that our cantering last week was not a fluke. Heather is helping me get the cuing and the timing right. What I find so odd is how much smoother Jaz's canter is than his teeth-jarring trot. I like it; I just need to get used to it. And Heather actually saw it this time. We took a few steps a couple different times. Not pretty, but it's a start.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fzH7fEIJQCFvXh9mx_wddgLjVrzBCOlwhRa3T238yRiO1hfn4QAFdQAiVmMuViKn5oacqGl5Qj0WmizCvHefbCJlN6BQXO388zwlimk0lgoUfU252PRs-phh3Y-wkfWl3Z_KtKorNHD6/s1600/102211-Jaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fzH7fEIJQCFvXh9mx_wddgLjVrzBCOlwhRa3T238yRiO1hfn4QAFdQAiVmMuViKn5oacqGl5Qj0WmizCvHefbCJlN6BQXO388zwlimk0lgoUfU252PRs-phh3Y-wkfWl3Z_KtKorNHD6/s400/102211-Jaz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About midway through the ride, Jaz started acting as if he were exhausted, although I hadn't ridden him hard at all. By the time I tacked him down, he seemed like he felt pretty punk. Heather gave him a cookie and he wouldn't eat it. That's a red flag for my chow hound. Heather listened to his gut and it sounded like he might have gas, so she gave him the end of a tube of Banamine. I turned him loose and he nibbled the nubs of grass poking their way though the dirt from the last rain. There's not much, but it's something to do. I thought he was feeling better ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46p0KE5UGnknVMl8u92i8tZJNbLDLTuL9CouDDnnkjE64H7dy_M5W22Z4i4b1iIZYnE5H356iAawSbnMqJIuTbUL4yDRPQGjs26F2q4IA5VYoIoJjnYL1ABXFrekD1YFSjgk4u-E3Crp1/s1600/102211-Daltrey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46p0KE5UGnknVMl8u92i8tZJNbLDLTuL9CouDDnnkjE64H7dy_M5W22Z4i4b1iIZYnE5H356iAawSbnMqJIuTbUL4yDRPQGjs26F2q4IA5VYoIoJjnYL1ABXFrekD1YFSjgk4u-E3Crp1/s400/102211-Daltrey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">If 19-month old Daltrey is not as tall as Jaz, he's close. His back used to be at the level of my outstretched arm, but now, it's <i>up</i>. He's finally starting to look like a horse. His back used to be flat, but now you can see defined withers. His barrel has deepened. Although he almost looks a little fat in this photo, he's actually ribby and hollow-hipped from his last growth spurt. I think he will surpass Heather's height estimate (based on the length of his cannon bones at birth). He may be every bit as tall as <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/Stallions.html">Scorch</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_cpdjtr0Vxr6Zw6aW5rRjR1E8Rl4CCu8ECvdRDMBQ8Bn28ul99W_DwR7U6TR0LHlNDSQyJ8FYsrqdQC4b9NC1Eknz7NhLlsWxaGTiJdAXKbcPoFtGUSTegZsed-GgQ_NuyhrpCuStPm0/s1600/102211-Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_cpdjtr0Vxr6Zw6aW5rRjR1E8Rl4CCu8ECvdRDMBQ8Bn28ul99W_DwR7U6TR0LHlNDSQyJ8FYsrqdQC4b9NC1Eknz7NhLlsWxaGTiJdAXKbcPoFtGUSTegZsed-GgQ_NuyhrpCuStPm0/s400/102211-Moon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>By this time, Chris and <a href="http://raerae76.blogspot.com/">Rachel</a> arrived to visit Moon. Chris usually claims Poko, but since Heather had already ridden him, he had the honor of Moon's first ride since her rescue 5-6 weeks back. Happily, it was uneventful. He bought her from Heather for Rachel, but I don't know ... he seems pretty smitten with Moon himself.<br />
<br />
All the horses seem to feel the change in the weather. The wind shifted and clouds began to form. Jaz was not the only horse acting "not right." After rides and grooming, we all sat down to talk I glanced over to see Jaz lying down in front of the water trough in the house pen. As we walked him back to the barn to give him a full dose of Banamine, he was farting with every step he took.<br />
<br />
I left to get groceries on my way home and when I called to check on Jaz, Heather had also given him a little Bute, which seemed to make him more comfortable. My delicate grey flower.<br />
<br />
Mr. Fry borrowed the Iron Ridge tractor, which has a bucket, and worked hard all day busting up the hard packed dirt and planting grass seed. I sure hope this rain doesn't miss us.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-58241743417290389102011-10-16T17:58:00.000-05:002011-10-16T17:58:39.839-05:00Uncharacteristic BrevityToday, Jaz & I took about a half dozen steps at the canter.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Heather for tilling the round pen, which always gives me a bit more confidence and sense of security when trying anything. I know now that my problem has been timing. I was thinking that canter had to be faster, and so I was getting into a really fast trot and asking for the transition, and Jaz wouldn't. Today, I asked for the canter from a slower, more fluid trot. I still have to convince him I'm serious, because we've just trotted for so long. I don't blame him for not believing me. Everything else must have also been right, because after I did it once, I was unable to duplicate it. <br />
<br />
I'm whupped and super happy.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-52861523382353269462011-10-08T19:07:00.000-05:002011-10-08T19:07:52.997-05:00Showing Our AppreciationI've said it many times and I'll say it once more: without <a href="http://draftswithdots.blogspot.com/">Heather</a> and her family, the good folks at <a href="http://www.ironridgesporthorses.com/">Iron Ridge Sport Horses</a>, I'd have prolly ended up dead in a ditch somewhere long ago. They have taught me everything I know and continue to teach, encourage and support not only me, but our whole group of Pony Party Pals. <br />
<br />
Today was a day set aside to show our appreciation by having a BBQ on their behalf. Burgers, dogs, chips and soft drinks were provided, and everyone brought something or other to share. There was a great dip, dump cake, beer, and I made brownies.<br />
<br />
And everyone came bearing gifts: buckets, hardware, vet wrap, halters, shampoo, conditioner, fly spray, brushes, dewormers, cookies, alfalfa cubes, Gatorade, etc. The most awesome gift: arena lights so we can ride at night! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnBxMfi_spFYRdTJrboaQ1NucfrjL9kMRTmLPNzyvNsg3WhJCLEztmXVfXi1Md-5gr3n7Hcib_kolCtwUiwYzS_LwxZRsrIkIf7CPhVOeyPMCJoBFfFVJ_FaCgtNXMt6jHOiQXjcOAOaD/s1600/100811-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnBxMfi_spFYRdTJrboaQ1NucfrjL9kMRTmLPNzyvNsg3WhJCLEztmXVfXi1Md-5gr3n7Hcib_kolCtwUiwYzS_LwxZRsrIkIf7CPhVOeyPMCJoBFfFVJ_FaCgtNXMt6jHOiQXjcOAOaD/s320/100811-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Watching a minor drama unfold in the arena</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCoCObrLR93rw_GagyeZX362UaSyoaDQvvJ7w321dBdM1kmic6GGFGAbfYh6fQEm4Kf3iaF8S7JvZ7fPHSTX-wzIsW54GemD7Qrnz9gS0H4Tt0hEbTMm_mSRfsTrrQh4lMR5xN0flQbSl/s1600/100811-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCoCObrLR93rw_GagyeZX362UaSyoaDQvvJ7w321dBdM1kmic6GGFGAbfYh6fQEm4Kf3iaF8S7JvZ7fPHSTX-wzIsW54GemD7Qrnz9gS0H4Tt0hEbTMm_mSRfsTrrQh4lMR5xN0flQbSl/s320/100811-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Casey & Z (My D Zire — The Polecat x OK My D Lindy)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Z threw a tantrum. Casey showed him the error of his ways.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iydmCFLkt-wmBWVjCcTO3qr1ylSWxFS4UT6f4NLFIguff2o1d4YSIqb1IqQJKdoezZ3vqgDibtewn9jccYCihVNPSloHa34vpsB__X4n0qS-gwXbUQE_9jpyq5uLzbR_3QU8_kK6jvMK/s1600/100811-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iydmCFLkt-wmBWVjCcTO3qr1ylSWxFS4UT6f4NLFIguff2o1d4YSIqb1IqQJKdoezZ3vqgDibtewn9jccYCihVNPSloHa34vpsB__X4n0qS-gwXbUQE_9jpyq5uLzbR_3QU8_kK6jvMK/s320/100811-03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Steph and the beautiful Godiva</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Even some horse hubbies showed up, including Mr. Fry. Met some nice new people, saw some folks I haven't seen in about a year, rode Jazu, played with Daltrey, had the requisite moments of pony drama (none of which involved me or my horses), ate, drank, laughed, and of course, told lies. In other words, pretty much a perfect day.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714027946249307604.post-31317734473962766222011-10-02T15:26:00.000-05:002011-10-02T15:26:30.183-05:00Familiarity Breeds ContentmentI decided to vaccinate Daltrey against strangles because of new horses coming and going at the farm. I remember when I first met Heather and her family, they had a bout with strangles and it wasn't pretty or fun. The horses were miserable and everything had to be scrubbed with bleach. Jaz had it when he was a baby, and they build immunity, so no vaccine needed for him. Daltrey was feeling a bit under the weather immediately after the injection, but he seems to have completely recovered today.<br />
<br />
Although it's still warm, the weather is pleasant enough to finally remind me of why I love Texas. This is by far the most gorgeous time of year. Today temps were in the 80s with a light breeze and nary a cloud in sight — a perfect day to ride. <br />
<br />
After my totally boring (but good) ride on Jaz today, I brought Daltrey out for some patience lessons. I tied him, groomed him, picked all 4 feet, washed his face, etc. I took him in the arena and led him over the ground poles, around the barrels. We practiced <i>walk, whoa </i>and <i>back.</i> I brought him up alongside the mounting block, stood above him and leaned over him. He did well, but he's still very much a baby. He likes to chew on the lead rope and starts getting impatient after a few minutes of doing anything. Can you believe he's already 19 months old? It's gone by so fast!<br />
<br />
Not much else going on with me or mine. Heather and Jae are on an adventure picking up a black Percheron mare. Last I heard, they had already blown 2 tires on the trailer. It may be a very long day for them. Oh well, it's good blog fodder.Leah Fryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.com10