A year ago...

I signed the purchase papers for a horse known as "Misty" and wire transfered a very small sum of money for her purchase. Included in that sum (which was very small for a horse, not so much that it was a little bit of money) was the transport fee for them to bring her to me. That didn't happen for several more weeks. Agonizingly long weeks.

It's funny, in some ways it sure doesn't feel like it's been that long. But when I stop and try to comprehend that she's only been mine for a year, it doesn't seem possible. She's always been mine, she was just waiting to get here.

She's had a few extra cookies today.

Well that didn't help

I had an injection on Wednesday, basically a nerve block with a mega dose of steroids mixed in. It hurt like hell. I went into the little OR on my own two feet and came out in a wheelchair. It was one of those, "Surely this is not a good thing" moments. If anything it's made it worse because now those muscles are sore from me tensing up while there was a needle the size of a lead pipe in my back. I wasn't able to walk the rest of the day because my thighs were numb, then Thursday wasn't much better and I actually hurt worse than I had before Wednesday, not counting the sore muscles.

It turns out that the ligament isn't torn, it's an actual disc itself. On top of that another one is herniated, and one is a bulging disc. He's hoping to be able to get me started with PT by next time I go in, which is a couple weeks away.

I'm really so on the edge of my breaking point. This has to help.

The sticker

I went on Friday and got a handicapped parking thing.

It's one thing to know you really hurt. But it's another thing to have them hand you a handicapped pass. Even the better parking spot doesn't make me feel any better.

Saddle is here!!

The saddle came today! I think I like it. I'm still deciding honestly. I so wish I could go for a ride and try it out.

Anyway, the hub had to help me put it on her, because I couldn't carry it outside. It doesn't weigh that much, but with my back funked I just can't do it.

Here's the custom tooling:



And the pretty girl with her saddle on. Sort of, I don't have a cinch yet. Since I can't ride, it hasn't been a priority.



The purple suede was supposed to be a dark royal, plum color. It's obviously not. I have no idea if I can have that replaced or not. It'd probably be cheaper for me to find someone local who can replace it than it would be to ship it back. I'm going to look into it...cause that's just too purple.

After a little bit, I put the back cinch on her to help hold it on. After a little bit, I took the lead rope off to see what she'd do. No kicking, no running, no bucking, she just wandered around behind me like, "What are you doing? Aren't we gonna go?" At one point I looked back, and she'd stopped. The saddle had slipped and was practically hanging under her belly. (I didn't cinch up the rear cinch very tight, just enough to keep it mostly in place. She stood there until we got to her and took it off. She just stopped! There was no freaking out, no bucking, no nothing. Just a, "hey, you guys..." I was really impressed. Times like that I really marvel at how far she's come in such a short time.

Hey there lonely girl

IT SUCKS! I can't do anything. The hub is having to feed her most days. Which he's totally thrilled about. I can't even go out and sit on the steps and let her love on me, which we both want.

I walked by the back door today and looked out at her. She was standing about 5 feet from the steps and her head was hanging so low, and she looked so sad. For some reason a line from an old song went through my head. "Hey there lonely girl." It was so sad. And it wasn't just her, because I was the lonely girl, too.

She's official!

We got her registration certificate in the mail today! It's so cool! I finally have some information on her dam's side. That had been impossible to track down, so it's really nice to have. It surprises me since there's a World Grand Champion in that line!

I was standing at the kitchen island and looking at it, and had just put it back into the envelope when my husband said, "She must know, she's at the door waiting for you." Of course I had to take it back out again and show her. She sniffed it a few times and let me rub her nose. She was more interested in the neighbor's dogs who were running loose so she didn't stick around long.

Apparently her blood work matches the DNA and blood work on file for the parents on her registration papers. Which makes her six for sure instead of the 3 (well would have been almost 4 now) I was told she was.

Here's a scan of the certificate. Woohoo!

Soooo frustrated

I've done something to my back. It'd been getting bad for a while and I ignored it. Last Thursday I finally broke down and went to the Chiropractor. Then Friday the company we hired to cut down trees came, and I spent most of the day outside keeping an eye on Anya. I was in a huge amount of pain and could hardly move, but we had to move her out of the back while they were doing trees so I had to keep an eye on her since she was just tied out.

Over the weekend it got worse. I went to the hospital Monday morning for a test for something else. Which didn't happen because after nearly an hour, three people, and an ultrasound machine to find a vein, and a lot of needles they still didn't have an IV line in. It got to the point they were giving me lidocaine injections first so they could dig in my arm trying to hit a vein. After an hour of that, and even with the aid of ultrasound they couldn't get it, I said that's enough and left in tears.

I went to the chiro from there and he couldn't believe how much worse it was since Friday. It was so bad he wouldn't even try to do anything to it, and said bedrest for the next 5-7 days.

This is day 6. I went with the hub and kiddos to get groceries today, and by the time we left, I was in tears again. Hubby's even having to feed Anya most of the time for me. I've tried to do it at least once a day, I don't want her to think I've disappeared or something, and I kinda need that few minutes anyway. It's incredibly frustrating. Our 4-year-old came into the bathroom the other day while I was in there and said "Mommy, I'll flush for you so you don't have to bend over." How sad is that?

And this also means, of course, no riding. Naturally the weather the last two Saturdays has been gorgeous. I think we got to about 77 degrees today. There's a ton of stuff I need to get done, too. We finally got trees cut down, and I really need to get out there and rake, and fertilize and we need to get a fence up. Not to mention I really need to play the porcupine game with Anya more. She's almost there, but not quite. She's bored, and we're both frustrated. I can't even sit on the back steps and visit her because sitting there totally kills me.

I've got another appointment on Monday with the chiro, and I'm going to ask him to do xrays to see what's going on. This is so bad. I'm even very seriously considering acupuncture. I hate needles. But at this point, I'll do about anything if it'll help.

In the meantime, thank goodness for laptops and wireless I guess.

The birthday girl

Anya's getting a saddle for her birthday! The saddle guy called this morning and we went over all the details, and I ordered it. It's costing me less than a regular saddle, by about half. Even with the custom tooling. I have no idea how he can charge so little, but I'm really glad!

He said it should be here in the next 4-6 weeks. Which is really fast turn around for a custom saddle. I'm sooooo excited!

When the farrier was out last, she brought one of her saddles with her. We saddled Anya up, and she didn't even flinch. They told me she'd been ridden, but after all the other stuff, I don't know what to believe. But after seeing that, I have to think either she's totally comfortable with it because she's done it before (at six you'd think so - but the breeders...who knows) or because it was me. But I was really impressed. We put it on her and I walked around with her on a lead and she was completely nonchalant about the whole thing. Never bucked, or kicked, or stomped. She sniffed it a few times and that was that.

This morning I went out and painted hearts on her butt, my little pony style. She stood there and let me do it, too.







For her birthday I made her carrot cake. It was just the carrot cookies that I usually make her, but I put it into a round cake pan. She got molasses icing.



She thought it was really yummy.

Run for the border

I've discovered Anya's favorite treat. Cinnamon twists from Taco Bell. It is so funny to watch her try to get her whole nose into one of those little bags. She practically inhales them. I never go to Taco Bell now without getting an extra bag of cinnamon twists for her. She's a little spoiled.

Saddle!

I've begun the saddle hunt in earnest now, and I've narrowed it down to just a couple. The reviews are great. I just have to figure out what it is that I want, and what the Palomino Princess needs.

I've found a butterfly skirt that I love, and I know that I want really pretty tooling. Roses maybe. I definitely want a flex tree for her. I saw a piece on RFD about saddle trees that were made out of rubber, like tire rubber. But that's...really expensive. I would love to have a Parelli saddle, but that's so far out of my price range. All this cantle height, and fender length, rigging, housing, and seat sizes gets really confusing. Or I've just spent way too many hours researching it all.

I'm comin' in!

I stepped out the door to get something, and left the sliding glass door open, not thinking. I took down the rope that's across the bottom of the stairs, went on my way. No sooner had I gotten past the steps a little ways then Anya headed inside the house! I couldn't get past her to stop her from the top! I grabbed her tail and tried to pull her back.

You know those cartoons where the character is pulling with all their might, heels dug into the ground, leaned waaaay back using all their weight? That was me. She put up a good fight but finally came back down. I promptly shut the door and put the rope back up.

This is apparently a hereditary thing. She is sure she belongs inside with us.

I'm not so good with the relationship thing, but her grandsire is Royal Ivory, who is the sire of Ivory Pal of Ivory Knoll Ranch (which I think would be her Uncle, but don't quote me.)

Ivory Pal gets to go inside his people's house, as evidenced here, and here, and here aaand here.

Somehow she knows this, and expects the same royal treatment Ivory Pal gets. No matter how many times I tell her she can't, she continues to try. I haven't yet told her that he's also on the cover of the March issue of Equus. She'd find some way to get a photographer here.

Bareback

I rode bareback for the first time today at my riding lesson. I realized it's not quite as easy as everyone makes it look. I'm going to have to work on the whole balance thing. Those first two steps or so from a stop I didn't do so well. After that I was okay and was able to get into the groove. But that initial take off is kinda shakey for me. I'm also going to have to work the inner thighs some more. Thank goodness for the Thigh Master!

It was a completely awesome feeling though, and I can't wait until it's second nature for me!

Three going on...SIX?!

I had a shock yesterday. I was waiting on the vet to get here, it's time for spring shots and I needed her to do the blood draws for me to send in for Anya's registration. I was just kinda hanging out, looking over all the paperwork when I realized the date in the Foaling date box was '02.

I did what I do best. I panicked. I was about to have the vet out to do blood work on a horse that wasn't the one on the paper! My horse is only 3 1/2! Something's dreadfully wrong. The breeder must have sent us the wrong paper. So I called the TWHBEA, talked to one of the girls there who was just as confused as I was, and then sent me over to leave a message for the person in charge of registrations.

Being so confused, I called the lady we bought her from, because surely she sent the wrong paper, and we need to get this sorted asap! She completely denied everything she'd told me before about the horse. She said the date on the ad was "a typo."

I'd actually snagged a screen shot of her ad a few weeks after we purchased her. It was a cached page, and unfortunately I was unable to get the text of the ad because it had already been deleted. But here's the screen shot:




She said I had the right papers. Then she proceeded to tell me she'd never owned Anya's dam...

I said that the transfer slip I had wasn't signed by her, but someone else. She said that the slip was supposed to be signed by the person who owned the foal at the time they should have been registered. Which, according to what she told me when I purchased her, would have been her. She owned the dam at the time, because she bought her in foal. Foal = Anya.

She was "out until Monday" and I told her I needed her to check her records and be absolutely certain. I asked her what year she'd bought Anya's dam, and she gave me "I have no idea, at that time I had more than 80 broodmares. I don't remember names, or dates. I'm sure you got the right paper."

How in the world could she be sure I got the right paper if she can't even remember anything else?

When we bought her, her name was "Misty." When we got the papers in the mail from her, there was a little slip of notebook paper clipped to the registration information that said "Goldie." I was so excited to even HAVE the papers after all we'd been through with this woman that I didn't think too much about it. Maybe it's what they'd called her initially? Who knows.

The vet came and I explained to her what was going on. She said there was no way she was that old, and that she'd look at her but if she didn't think she was there was no way she would sign the paper. I was totally fine with that, because I didn't want the papers for the wrong horse anyway.

I brought Anya out, and the first thing the vet said was "Wow, she's really grown!" I kept thinking that too, but since I see her all the time I wasn't really sure. I know she's gained weight! Then she commented that her face had broadened and that she was beautiful. (She is, she knows she is.) So the vet looked at her teeth, looked some more. Stopped and said, "Well she might be..." and looked again. It seems like she looked for a good five minutes, but it probably wasn't that long. She finally went and referenced a book just to be certain. "Yeah, I think she's about six."

Then she looked over her and said "I can't believe she's grown this much as a six year old!" She said that she must have had a really horrible start and have been so malnourished in order for her to have grown like that at this age. So we did the rest of the visit, I opted for putting in the microchip.

Honestly, I don't give a rat's behind that she's six years old. That's not it at all.

First of all, I didn't start working on riding her because I thought she was still only 3. She needed to gain weight and settle in anyway obviously, but I held off so she could finish growing some, let her joints and ligaments form, etc. So I feel like I've wasted the last few months that I could have been riding.

Second, it pisses me off to no end that she was completely misrepresented. There's a really big difference between a barely-three-year-old and a six-year-old horse. Further, that this woman has completely changed her story and denies even owning her as a foal now! It's the principle of the matter more than it is anything else.

I did a lot of mulling things over last night, trying to figure out why I was quite as upset as I am. Yeah, principle, she lied about her, Anya's older than I thought. She's still the same horse that I love, and her age isn't going to make that any different.

Then it hit me. I've just lost three years of time with her that I thought I had. In a matter of hours. Three years!

It wouldn't have made an iota of difference if I'd known she was six, I'd have bought her anyway. I actually wanted a horse older than 3, and even told the lady that, but there was something about this horse. That would have given her the perfect opportunity to say "Oh you know what, she might be older than you're thinking. Maybe the ad is wrong, let me just double check." She'd have had a much more sure sale! I had to convince my husband to let me buy a horse that young. (It'd have saved me a lot of headache, that's for sure.)

This is my forever horse, and I thought our forever was at least three years longer than it apparently is. It's just a bit sad that in a moment, I lost three years with the horse who's saved my life.

Simply love

One night a few weeks ago, I stopped and looked out the back door. Anya was standing there. She didn't want anything, for once. She just looked at me. I looked into those big dark eyes and it was as if love physically flowed between us.

On the way home from the Parelli conference last night, we listened to Katie Drake's CD which we picked up. One of the songs really struck me. It's exactly how I feel about Anya.

I remember the first time I saw you
I couldn’t look away
Everything I had dreamed of and more
Was standing there that day
I didn’t think I had a chance you were way out of my league
And when you came walking toward me
My knees went weak
That day my life changed forever



Why do I get this feeling
What we have is special
It’s not a love you see everyday
It all started when you caught my attention
And I still can’t keep my eyes off you today

The Parelli Tour

Wow. We attended the Parelli tour stop this weekend in Williamston.

I'm fairly new to the Parelli ideas, but the more I learn, the more they just make sense to me. This weekend has really shown me what the philosophy is all about. It's not about staring at your horse's butt to get them to move, it's about your horse understanding you so well that you don't need to push or shove or hit them to get them to move their butt.

So many philosophies seem to be "start with as little pressure as possible and increase pressure until you get a response." That may be all well and good, but what then? You're whacking your horse because they've stopped responding until you use brute force. I saw a Clinton Anderson "starting a colt" series, and he was literally beating the colt in the belly with the stirrups! To "desensitize" him supposedly. Desensitize because he did nerve damage maybe.

I am just overwhelmed by all that I've seen the last two days. Maybe because it was our first up close and personal experience and I got to watch it unfold in front of me. Maybe it feels like this every time. The truth always has a way of making itself known, and I have seen and heard so much of it this weekend.

I loved the demo horse section. I think Pat had a really challenging horse, more so than I've ever seen on his shows. I have a hard time believing that anyone actually rode that horse. He was so scared, and was fighting so much. I really learned so much by watching him, and hearing the process. It really helped me to hear the why's of some of the behaviors, as well. Pat told us today that he was interested in owning that horse, which I thought was fabulous. I really think that particular horse NEEDS Pat right now. He really worked with him a long time, and even ended yesterday's sessions and said "I need to put more love into this horse, and you're free to watch." I don't know how much longer he worked with him last night since we didn't stay much past that. But to have seen all the effort and energy he put into him in those few hours, to know he was interested in buying him, and helping him warmed my heart. It just showed how much he cared for him after only a little while, and how much he wanted to really help him.

He also said that after working with him again a little this morning that he realized he wasn't so much scared as he was just not going to give up his dignity anymore.

Something that really impressed me today was when he brought out one of their younger horses for his first show demonstration. Smart Seven wasn't at all interested in putting the bridle on, and Pat never pushed him into it. So many other people would have tied the horse, and forced it on him, or wrapped a lead rope around his neck and held onto him. To me, to be able to see that not only can Pat tell and explain and show all of these things, he LIVES them was so inspiring! There was no pressure for Seven to put the bridle on, and I've little doubt that if he hadn't accepted it, we'd all be sitting there still waiting on him and Pat would be just as patient as when he started.

I'm overflowing with all the things I've learned and seen the last two days and I can't wait to get started with it all! We bought the Complete Kit, and a spare carrot stick. They were out of the equipment bags and the Liberty & Horse Behavior set, and will be shipping those to us at no extra cost. And today they had a table (at least I think it was only the one table) of shirts for 1/2 price. I'm already thinking that next year, we won't have to buy the complete kit, so I can spend lots more on the goodies on the other end of the arena! Those bareback pads are drool worthy.

My husband isn't a horse person, and he really enjoyed the weekend and even bought a Parelli hat for himself. This says LOADS!

We got home and our 4 & 2 year olds were playing with the carrot sticks. Our 4-year old daughter came in, carrot stick in hand and said "I want to play the right brain extrovert game." I assure you that the last two days are the only times she's heard that phrase! So even she got something out of it. She hung her orange neck tag on her bed post last night and it's there again tonight.

I do have pictures, but after a nearly 3 hour drive each way, both days, I'm pooped and they'll have to wait until tomorrow, but we did get some from today. Brilliant me grabbed the old camera that doesn't work on the way out the door yesterday and didn't realize it until I pulled it out to take pictures. I'd really loved to have gotten some of the demo horse and Pat working with him. But I made up for it today!

All in all, I think it was the most amazing weekend I've had in a long time, and more than once I sat with tears in my eyes. I didn't think I could love my horse any more than I already did. I was so wrong! And our journey's just begun!

To Parelli or not to Parelli?

I've heard so much talk about Parelli, both positive and negative. I've looked at their program, and I'm having a hard time justifying that kind of price tag. What concerns me more though is when I look on eBay for used sets, most of them are only the first series with "only one disc opened."

Does that mean they didn't like it once they got it? Did the first disc or two make so much difference that they didn't need to open the rest of the set? Did they just not have the time? Did their horse not cooperate? Did they lack the desire to work at having that kind of relationship with their horse? Did they sell their horse? Send him off to a trainer?

I've read all the things about their program on their website. I ordered (and watched) their free DVD. I have a book that I picked up from Amazon that briefly describes all of the "Seven Games."

Yesterday my husband and I sat down and watched a couple of the Parelli tv shows I'd recorded on our newly acquired RFD-TV station. I actually really enjoyed Pat. He was down to earth, and entertaining and there were several "oh wow" moments. He no doubt has a wonderful understanding of horses and how to communicate to them. I realize the price tag on the programs is high, but how do you value knowledge and time? For them to put down in writing and on film all of the methods and tricks they've discovered over the years, and offer that up to the general public is a monumental task which should be rewarded. I also think the programs could save some people an enormous amount of time in training and understanding their horse. Something is only valued by what people are willing to pay. Selling their program enables them to work full time at something they love. I'm a firm believer in supporting that.

But I've yet to see Pat actually get on a horse. Surely he knows how to ride. Right? I understand ground work is the foundation for everything you do with your horse. If you have no foundation, you have nothing and riding isn't going to be a pleasant experience for anyone. But where does the riding come in with this program? Why doesn't anyone talk about it? They have the advanced programs which seem to include it, but does anyone ever buy them? Maybe they do and they're the people who use them and keep them and don't stick them up on eBay. I've never seen them there anyway.

There's just something about it. I like that it's not beating the horse into something. And having a horse that's been obviously abused, I'm kind of thinking that it might be a better way to go with her. I guess I'll have to keep doing some researching. I think it's like anything else, no one way is "right" and I'll probably use different methods depending on how she reacts. I really like Pat's mentality though, and so much of what he says really makes sense.

A pedigree!

I got her papers today! I'm soooo beyond excited I cannot even begin to explain! I can register her now! Even better, there's an amnesty program going on right now and I can do it for a LOT less money!

I had to go to the post office with the registered mail slip to pick them up. I actually squealed when I opened them up and realized everything I needed was there. My kids thought this was some kind of game. I held the papers up and our 4 year old started "woohoo"'ing with me. The two-year old joined in the shrieking.

I had to call my mom and tell her of course. She was excited, too.

It started raining while we were out and was pretty much pouring by the time we got home. I unloaded groceries and was in the process of putting them away. Walking past the back door, I see Anya there. Wet. So I slid open the door and said, "Anya, you have a barn. Go use it," and shut the door. I put away the things in my hand and realized, "she wants to see the papers!"

So I pulled them out and went to the door again. I slid the door open and unfolded the papers and held them up so she could see. I swear to you she laughed. It was a happy, giggly sound. It was almost a nicker, but...not. It wasn't a nicker. It wasn't her nicker anyway. It was like a laugh! I kept the papers inside so they didn't get wet and was showing her and laughed at her laughing. She started up the steps. "Nooo, noooo, you can't come in." She stopped, but stuck her nose in the door and touched the papers with her muzzle. Then she backed down and said, "I just had to touch them." I told her what a pretty girl she was and gave her an apple. I went back to putting groceries away and looked out the window a few minutes later and she was standing in her barn.

So being the curious type that I am, I had to start looking for pictures of her parents now that I had their names and their owner's name. Her sire is Ivory Man. Her dam is Money Makes Me Sparkle. Google didn't fail me. I came up with pictures of her sire, who is actually a cremello. No idea exactly what that means because I've never cared too much about the color thing. (I'm not a science fan and that brown plus gray always equals a spotted somethingorother just doesn't interest me.) Basically, he's really light/white colored, which was an "ohhhh!" moment for me. She may be a palamino, but she's not very golden. She's much more white than gold. Her new winter coat seems especially so. Maybe she's just really sun-bleached. Still, it's kind of nice to know that runs in her dad's side of the family.

I can find a lot of Ivory Man's offspring, but not too much on the pedigree before him. I plan to keep looking.

I can't find anything about her dam. I do have a few pictures of her standing next to Anya as a brand new filly, but nothing that really shows her well.

The mare was purchased in foal by the people that I got Anya from. But then they sold Anya, and the mare.

I have a feeling that the people I got her from had gone all the way to Kentucky (oh yeah, that's where the parents were from) to buy this mare who was in foal to Ivory Man. They breed TWH for a living, so I can see they'd want to bring in some different bloodlines to their herd. But my guess is they were banking on a colt and not a filly. A colt would grow up into a stallion to breed with their existing broodmares. A filly...well they already had broodmares, and as I understand it, it's better to continue the line via the stallions rather than the mares. So in that scenario, it would make sense to me that they would sell the mare-who-didn't-have-a-colt as well as the filly-who-they-hoped-was-a-boy.

I had an impossible time getting her dam and sire's names from the people we bought her from. Getting these papers is the first time I've seen them. It's nice to know more about her, but it doesn't make her worth any more to me than she was before I got those papers. I really feel like she deserves it though.

Now, to pick a name for her registration papers!