First I'll start with an older pic of the outside of the house (my lawn still needs work):
First we have the spare bedroom:
Stay tuned!!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
House pictures
Alright, I've finally taken a few pictures of the house that are worth posting online. Obviously I can't fit all of the features of each room into just one or two pictures, but I will try to get the general feel.
First I'll start with an older pic of the outside of the house (my lawn still needs work):
Here is a picture of the kitchen:
Of course, that picture doesn't show one of the main features of the kitchen, the lovely double oven:
The dining room is next to the kitchen:
They are connected by this hallway:
To the right of where I was standing for the last pic is the bathroom:
Across the hall from the bathroom is the downstairs bedroom:
Next to the bathroom is the living room:
And now to the upstairs!!
First we have the spare bedroom:
Then a couple pictures of the landing:
That's all for now. Still to come, pictures of 1) front & back entries; 2) master bedroom; 3) main hall; and 4) basement.
Stay tuned!!
First I'll start with an older pic of the outside of the house (my lawn still needs work):
First we have the spare bedroom:
Stay tuned!!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Difficult decisions--Hannah
Hannah was the mother of Julie's gorgeous young mountain (aka Parker), the nearly three year old Westphalian gelding she has recently started under saddle. Parker inherited all of the best of Hannah's qualities. When he was inspected and branded for registration with the Westphalian verband, Hannah was inspected as well and approved for inclusion in the Main Mare Book.
When I met Julie, I had never ridden horses outside of an arena (lesson) setting. Her go-to horse for inexperienced riders was Hannah. My first trips outside the arena were on this gallant mare. We trailered to a couple places in the area. The first big group ride I went on, the Friday Before Mother's Day Ride in Valparaiso, NE, Hannah was my mount (picture below).
Hannah also carried my sister (Sarah) when she came for a visit this past September, and we rode in the fields around Julie's house.
When Hannah was sound and fit, she was incredibly fun to ride. She had a wonderful, smooth canter with huge strides. She collected beautifully and carried herself gracefully.
However, Hannah had suffered at the hands of her previous owners, before Julie purchased her to use in her breeding program. She had been raced a few times and bore a few scars from the experience. Her feet were horrible from laminitis, and it took a long time for Julie's farrier to correct them. Even after that, she wasn't always sound. She had very flat feet, and the large chunks of stone on the gravel roads around Julie's house were very uncomfortable for her.
Hannah also had problems with her eyes. She had a cataract in one eye, and the other had required surgery. In spite of these handicaps, she put her heart into whatever was asked of her. However, over the years, her eyesight began to fail her. This became apparent in little ways, such as increased aggression towards the other horses (she was an alpha). It was never so clearly demonstrated, though, as the day we took her away from her home environment to be euthanized.
Hannah was very familiar with trailer loading, but that morning she hesitated quite a bit before clambering into Julie's spacious two horse slant. She touched the floor with her nose, as if to assure herself that it truly was solid enough to support her weight. Her boy, Parker, stood at the fence and called frantically to his mother.
When she came out of the trailer, Hannah didn't even appear to notice the other horses standing in a corral not more than fifty feet away. She only became aware when they called to her, and then she lifted her head from her nervous grazing to neigh back, searching for them. I truly don't believe she saw them at all from that distance. There were a few dogs at this place, and Hannah couldn't really tell where they were. When Julie brushed out her tail, she lifted her back leg threateningly, probably thinking it was one of the dogs behind her. She would try to face her "good" eye (the one that had undergone surgery) to try to find Julie, but that eye also was failing her.
In the end, I think Hannah was relying more on feel than sight. She wouldn't have been safe to keep, even as a broodmare, because she could have unintentionally injured her own foal without seeing it. She was too insecure anymore to ride down the road by herself. The likelihood of her suffering injury in Julie's hilly pasture or harming one of the other horses increased greatly as her sight dimmed. That doesn't ease the ache left by her passing, merciful and swift though it was.
Julie's tribute to her mare:
"On Friday April 30th I took my Thoroughbred mare Hannah to a place up North Iowa, to be euthanized and then cremated. Her time of death was approx. 2:15 PM Friday afternoon. Got many pictures of her and hugged and loved up on her a head of time. Expressed my love to her and asked or hoped that I was able to provide her with the best care and a happy life while she lived at my farm.
This was the first time I've ever experienced a horse euthanizing. Wasn't sure if I wanted to be there while it happened but decided I had to for many reasons. Wasn't as violent as I thought it would have been but it did take her a good 10 minutes before her heart stopped beating and for her to stop breathing. The vet was shocked that she was fighting it that much and was trying to hold on. He had to give her 3 different syringes of the stuff to stop her vitals within that 10 minute period. He did sedate her twice before he administered the drugs to euth. her. She fell pretty gracefully and stayed down . Didn't really twitch or kick. I saw her eyes wiggling back and forth. Toward the end she took quite a few deep breaths and the vet checked and there was no heart activity but her brain was still trying to get her to breath for a few seconds more. Finally you could see that her sides quit going in and out and she quit breathing. It was a hard decision for me to make but seeing her after I took her out of her home environment, I got to see how she was really relying on sound and touch to recognize things or to find out where noises were or what items lay in front of her (treats, curry comb and etc.).
See Hannah has a huge cataract in her left eye and her right eye had to have surgery in the past from her scratching it somehow. She didn't have 100% eyesight out of either eye and over the years it must have gotten worse.
When we got there and unloaded her, I could see a frown on her face and she was worried when we got there because she didn't know what was going on and couldn't see very well to know where she was. She kept trying to know where I was when I walked away and if someone else was holding her she would fidget until I came back and held the lead rope. I bawled a lot that day. I was so proud to have her as my horse. She was perfect in every way and was the best example of the good qualities that the Thoroughbred horse breed entail.
When we unloaded her off the trailer she was on a big patch of grass grazing and off to the left, was a corral with quite a few horses in there. She didn't see them or know they were there till she heard them make a noise and call to her. I didn't really realize at home how bad her eyesight was because she was so familiar with everything at the house. It wasn't till I took her out of her element that I realized how bad it was. Seeing and knowing about that made me feel better about my decision to put her down. I had suspected but kept doubting if I was doing the right thing and needed to wait longer to make that decision for her.
I am glad that I have a foal from Hannah so I can still have a part of her bloodline in my herd. Hannah was a kind willing mare that had the best temperament and athletic ability. She was used as a lesson horse for a while and also taught many beginner riders how to ride. She was a special
mare that will always be in my heart. I loved her dearly.
On a good note::: The same day my beloved Thoroughbred mare was released from this earth, my friend miss Judy Willemssen was blessed with a new life with her gorgeous Lipizzan colt. Judy's mare had her foal at 5:30 PM on Friday the 30th. Congrats Judy! A great day to be remembered in many ways.
Internet site to the place Hannah went... (I picked out a real nice urn for her. They'll send back the urn and a portion of her ashes for keep sake)...
R.I.P miss Hannah."
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Big news
Things have been in the works for quite awhile, but today I officially accepted a job in Indiana. I will be returning to my poultry industry background. I will start my new job in a couple weeks, although I'm leaving most of my stuff behind for now. My truck and bike both need some work before I drive them hundreds of miles in one stretch.
While Indiana isn't my favorite state, the opportunity is too good to refuse. Not quite the salary I was wanting, but lots of opportunities for growth within the company. I'm looking forward to a bright future, although I will certainly miss research work.
So here's to a bright new beginning! At least I will be able to see my nephews and nieces on a more regular basis. Lots of things will be happening very quickly in the next few weeks. I hope to still have time to pop in occasionally and keep all of my readers (yes, I know there aren't many of you :-P) updated on the latest and greatest.
While Indiana isn't my favorite state, the opportunity is too good to refuse. Not quite the salary I was wanting, but lots of opportunities for growth within the company. I'm looking forward to a bright future, although I will certainly miss research work.
So here's to a bright new beginning! At least I will be able to see my nephews and nieces on a more regular basis. Lots of things will be happening very quickly in the next few weeks. I hope to still have time to pop in occasionally and keep all of my readers (yes, I know there aren't many of you :-P) updated on the latest and greatest.
I learned the secret to the universe!!
Yes, it's true! On Saturday this, the greatest of realizations, was bestowed upon me by the wise, all knowing riders of the Waubonsie Saddle Club from Sidney, Iowa.
Let me start from the beginning.
Saturday morning, Julie and I trekked down I-29 to lovely Sidney, located just north of the border between Iowa and Missouri. She brought her dependable and gorgeous Vivian and I had my beloved and beautiful (but sometimes bratty) Spotted Boy Wonder. We planned on camping overnight, so after turning the ponies out to graze for a bit and stretch their legs in the corrals of the Fremont County Fairgrounds, Julie pulled out her truck tent. Between talking to other riders and setting up tent, we lost track of the time, and before we knew it we had only a half an hour to get the ponies ready!
I collected the kids and tied them to the trailer so we could groom and tack them. I had Zeplin in his normal rope halter and thought nothing of this. I have yet to ride him in a bit, and both of us are just fine with that arrangement. Bits are for refining communication but should not be necessary for controlling your loving equine. My training goal for Zeplin is to put him in a simple snaffle when we are ready to work on collection. Until then, we are happy in the halter with reins clipped to the loop under his jaw.
Zeplin was understandably nervous, having never been around such a large crowd of horses. There were probably about 30 riders altogether, a sizeable group but not overwhelming for my young, inexperienced gelding. He pranced a little but allowed me to mount without issues. We were the only ones using English tack (Julie had opted to bring her Circle Y trail saddle to use on Vivian). I had the only Ay-rab of the group, as well. He wasn't the youngest, though, as some lady was riding a 2.5 year old paint filly.
The ride started out through a muddy lot next to the corrals and some pens for 4H show cattle. Zeplin felt tense, unsure of himself amidst the array of strange horses and humans. I soothed him with my voice and patted his neck, bending him in both directions to help occupy his mind and ease his nerves. He whinnied repeatedly, still confused and worried about the crowd. We crossed a highway and headed up a gravel drive to a large pasture filled with Angus cows and their young calves.
At the top of a hill in the pasture the ride leader halted, presumably to wait for trailing members of the group. Zeplin had settled some, and I allowed him to graze a little to help him relax. While we waited, I fielded a few questions about my sweet spotted boy. This was the first time someone made note aloud about Zep's lack of a bridle. I heard one lady advise her riding companion to "steer clear" of my boy since he wasn't in a bit. Umm.... ok... So far the only things Zeplin had done were a result of lack of experience (whinnying, jigging a little, but nothing at all out of control).
After our brief hiatus, we continued down a gentle hill in the pasture and through another gate into another section, this one wooded. Zeplin and I are not used to hills, as the area around my house is table-top flat. I knew it would be an adjustment for him, and I was determined to help him out the best I could. The most difficult part was going down the hills, as he tried to balance both me and himself without falling flat on his face.
As we continued, Zep settled down more and enjoyed looking around at the scenary. Vivian nickered deeply at him anytime she lost sight of him briefly. Julie chatted amicably with the lady behind her. Zeplin didn't like having Vivi behind him, so I tried to keep him in front of her but not too close to the generous rear of the big Quarter Horse ahead. He became better and better at picking his way through the trees and down the slopes (although at one point we did get a vine wrapped around us because I steered him to the side to avoid running into the aforementioned QH gelding on a downslope). I mentioned to the lady on that QH about how all the logs on the path would force Zeplin to pay attention to where he placed his feet so that he wouldn't trip. "He tends to gawk around him instead of looking where he is going, so he sometimes trips," I told her, laughing.
"Have you tried a bit?" was her sage response. I was dumbfounded. What does using a bit have to do with getting my boy to be more aware of his feet.
"I plan on working more with cavaletti," I replied, still bemused at her remark.
It certainly was a lovely day for a ride. In the protected hills with the bright sun shining down on us and the clouds floating overhead, the hellish winter seemed to have occurred ages ago. Zeplin enjoyed himself immensely, walking forward with eagerness and pointing those curious ears ahead. Anytime we paused, I allowed him to grab some grass while I visited with other people. Vivian wanted to be attached at the hip to her pretty little boyfriend.
At about the two and a half hour mark, I could tell my sweet boy was feeling fatigued, although he gamely continued. We were headed down a slightly steep decline and back towards the main pasture from whence the ride started. "This is the last large hill, isn't it?" I asked Julie, relieved that we would be returning because my boy was tired, but sad to have the experience end as well.
"It should be," Julie answered. At the bottom of the hill flowed a small rivelet through a ditch. The group in front of us headed southeast from that point, and I thought it odd that we were not heading closer to the starting point. My worries grew even more when we rejoined a portion of the path on which we had already traversed and turned west again.
"We are looping around again?" I wondered, confused. I panicked a little, knowing my young boy was near the end of his endurance for now. I didn't want to push him beyond his limits and destroy the pleasure he felt in going out on excursions with me.
Julie cursed a little, noting that we were climbing back up a hill we had already covered. "Let's stop at the top to rest and let most of the group pass," she said. We allowed our tired mounts to graze while other riders continued on, oblivious to the condition of their own mounts. Zeplin was sweaty but still willing to do anything I asked of him.
At the crest of the hill, we slowly followed the others, still feeling frustrated and upset that we weren't headed back by now. Vivian, out of condition like Zeplin, showed her own signs of fatigue. "Look, that group looks like it's going back," Julie said suddenly, pointing to four horses and their riders who had split from the rest behind us and were headed back towards that hill we had just descended a short time ago. "Should we go with them?"
I heard someone mention in passing that the group was looking for a lost cell phone, but it was better to try our luck with them than to push our mounts anymore than we had already.
"Let's hurry so we don't lose sight of them," Julie said, pushing Vivi into a trot. Zeplin jounced along behind her. I didn't like rushing so much, but we didn't want to be left behind, either. We reached the top of the hill, and I called to Julie to slow down. Zeplin stopped, and I considered dismounting and leading him down. I could tell he really didn't have a lot of energy to tackle the downgrade. His very hesitance spoke volumes, as my boy rarely needs any kind of urging to move forward. I squeezed him lightly, asking him to try for me.
I tried to pick out the easiest route down the slope that I could find. The group on the bottom had spotted us and was patiently waiting for us to join them. Zeplin started down, but he would find himself unable to slow down, and he'd try to turn around to go back up. In stages we worked our way down, although towards the end he was speeding up and felt like he couldn't stop. He teetered on the edge of the ditch we had passed earlier with a trickle of water, but he managed to pull himself up. I landed on his neck but didn't fall off (although the sunglasses I had borrowed from Julie that were too large slipped off and landed on the ground). We were both relieved to be at the bottom of that hill, and I knew I couldn't ask that of him again on this ride. I'd get off before doing so.
After that, the going was much easier. Zeplin followed a man on his grey horse leading a buckskin paint that a boy was riding. The man cursed the paint mare, and at one point he dropped the lead rope. Julie offered to collect it for him.
The wooded area ended with a slight slope up a muddy incline to the main pasture gate. We rode through and found a lady there, sitting on a fallen tree and waiting with her horse. I'm not sure entirely what was going on, but I think that the rest of the group was supposed to have returned with us. At some point, the main ride leader had left, hence all the confusion. Zeplin and Vivian took the opportunity to graze and catch their second wind. Julie and I dismounted and let them eat.
In the course of discussing my boy with the man who had been riding ahead of me on the grey, he warned that I had better switch to a bit, hackamore, or bosal before I "ruined" Zeplin by riding in just a rope halter. "It would be a shame to ruin such a good minded, pretty horse," he commented.
While I took pride that he noticed Zeplin's stellar qualities, I was floored by this, the third time someone mentioned that I should not ride my gelding in just a halter. Nevermind that he was happy, forward, willing, and certainly well behaved. No, I was destroying him!
It was then that I realized these kind, insightful people had only been offering me the key to the universe: the BIT!! Why of course, that was the answer to EVERYTHING!! I was now enlightened, thanks to their diligent efforts to bring awareness to all the signs that I was training Zeplin wrong. Because of these people, I could now pinpoint all of these signs that I had been on the wrong track and was close to shattering the tenuous bond I had with my silly pony. I will list these warning signs now, so as to alert wary readers as to what to look for and set them straight by immediately switching to a bit so as to avert disaster:
1. Is your boy eagerly and willingly stepping out, needing only the slightest nudge (if that) to move forward?
2. Does your boy relax and walk on a loose rein, occasionally licking and chewing?
3. Does your boy listen and respond to your cues without a fuss?
4. Do you feel like you have a good, strong line of communication with him?
5. Is he well behaved and completely under control?
6. Does he work hard to try everything you ask of him, even when he's clearly tired?
7. Is he confident in your leadership and trusts you completely?
If your horse exhibits all of these symptoms listed, then you must put him in a bit without delay!! Otherwise, you risk crumbling his spirit and sending him plunging into despair! Oh, to think I nearly did this to my own beloved Zeplin. How can I live with myself and the cruelty I've inflicted by riding him in just a rope halter?
I have seen the error of my ways!! I will repent and use the BIT on Zeplin henceforth!
Or maybe not...
The rest of the evening, after having a lovely dinner provided by the saddle club, Julie and I shared our disbelief that so many people could be so set in their ways that they couldn't even realize that using a bit is not supposed to be about control. A bit is a tool of communication. If you don't have control established without the use of a bit, are you really in charge of your steed? Julie used to own a horse who would run through the bit. If a thousand pound animal decides he doesn't want to listen to you, is a piece of metal in his mouth really going to stop him? Training is the key to control, not a bit!
Anyways, Julie and I had a wonderful time camping out at the fairgrounds. No one else stayed the night, and we had to rush over to prevent the groundkeeper from locking us out of the restrooms. Zeplin and Vivian were best of buddies, enjoying each other's company in the small corral they shared.
Julie started a camp fire while I took my spotted boy over to meet a 4H calf tied to the rail a ways down the aisle from his corral. Zeplin had never seen a cow before this day. He followed me nervously, his eyes barely leaving the scary black monster. We approached and I held my hand out to the little heifer. She sniffed my hand and then licked at it. Zeplin stretched his neck out to smell her, but he didn't want to move any closer to the furry girl. Finally he stretched his muzzle to her nose... and that dark black tongue snaked out to lick him!!
Zeplin jumped back, eyes wide. "She tried to eat me!!!" he snorted, trying to spin around on the lead line and retreat. I wouldn't let him run away, but I didn't make him go any closer. I laughed at him, unable to help myself. He was so silly!
Vivian called Zeplin, pacing up and down the fenceline. We returned to her, and Zeplin happily entered the pen where his big girl could protect him from the crazy black beasts down the row.
In the morning, Julie hopped on vivian bareback while I saddled my boy. We rode them around the fairgrounds, noting that neither seemed sore from the previous day's exertion. I asked Zeplin to look at more cows, and he trembled but obeyed. We didn't come very close to them, but I would not let him wheel around and bolt or hurry away from them. I need to get him his very own calf, to help him overcome his fears ;-)
What an incredible weekend!! I'll be moving soon, so I have to enjoy these moments while I can. Thank you so much, Julie, for all that you've done for me and my ponies. We are going to miss you!
Let me start from the beginning.
Saturday morning, Julie and I trekked down I-29 to lovely Sidney, located just north of the border between Iowa and Missouri. She brought her dependable and gorgeous Vivian and I had my beloved and beautiful (but sometimes bratty) Spotted Boy Wonder. We planned on camping overnight, so after turning the ponies out to graze for a bit and stretch their legs in the corrals of the Fremont County Fairgrounds, Julie pulled out her truck tent. Between talking to other riders and setting up tent, we lost track of the time, and before we knew it we had only a half an hour to get the ponies ready!
I collected the kids and tied them to the trailer so we could groom and tack them. I had Zeplin in his normal rope halter and thought nothing of this. I have yet to ride him in a bit, and both of us are just fine with that arrangement. Bits are for refining communication but should not be necessary for controlling your loving equine. My training goal for Zeplin is to put him in a simple snaffle when we are ready to work on collection. Until then, we are happy in the halter with reins clipped to the loop under his jaw.
Zeplin was understandably nervous, having never been around such a large crowd of horses. There were probably about 30 riders altogether, a sizeable group but not overwhelming for my young, inexperienced gelding. He pranced a little but allowed me to mount without issues. We were the only ones using English tack (Julie had opted to bring her Circle Y trail saddle to use on Vivian). I had the only Ay-rab of the group, as well. He wasn't the youngest, though, as some lady was riding a 2.5 year old paint filly.
The ride started out through a muddy lot next to the corrals and some pens for 4H show cattle. Zeplin felt tense, unsure of himself amidst the array of strange horses and humans. I soothed him with my voice and patted his neck, bending him in both directions to help occupy his mind and ease his nerves. He whinnied repeatedly, still confused and worried about the crowd. We crossed a highway and headed up a gravel drive to a large pasture filled with Angus cows and their young calves.
At the top of a hill in the pasture the ride leader halted, presumably to wait for trailing members of the group. Zeplin had settled some, and I allowed him to graze a little to help him relax. While we waited, I fielded a few questions about my sweet spotted boy. This was the first time someone made note aloud about Zep's lack of a bridle. I heard one lady advise her riding companion to "steer clear" of my boy since he wasn't in a bit. Umm.... ok... So far the only things Zeplin had done were a result of lack of experience (whinnying, jigging a little, but nothing at all out of control).
After our brief hiatus, we continued down a gentle hill in the pasture and through another gate into another section, this one wooded. Zeplin and I are not used to hills, as the area around my house is table-top flat. I knew it would be an adjustment for him, and I was determined to help him out the best I could. The most difficult part was going down the hills, as he tried to balance both me and himself without falling flat on his face.
As we continued, Zep settled down more and enjoyed looking around at the scenary. Vivian nickered deeply at him anytime she lost sight of him briefly. Julie chatted amicably with the lady behind her. Zeplin didn't like having Vivi behind him, so I tried to keep him in front of her but not too close to the generous rear of the big Quarter Horse ahead. He became better and better at picking his way through the trees and down the slopes (although at one point we did get a vine wrapped around us because I steered him to the side to avoid running into the aforementioned QH gelding on a downslope). I mentioned to the lady on that QH about how all the logs on the path would force Zeplin to pay attention to where he placed his feet so that he wouldn't trip. "He tends to gawk around him instead of looking where he is going, so he sometimes trips," I told her, laughing.
"Have you tried a bit?" was her sage response. I was dumbfounded. What does using a bit have to do with getting my boy to be more aware of his feet.
"I plan on working more with cavaletti," I replied, still bemused at her remark.
It certainly was a lovely day for a ride. In the protected hills with the bright sun shining down on us and the clouds floating overhead, the hellish winter seemed to have occurred ages ago. Zeplin enjoyed himself immensely, walking forward with eagerness and pointing those curious ears ahead. Anytime we paused, I allowed him to grab some grass while I visited with other people. Vivian wanted to be attached at the hip to her pretty little boyfriend.
At about the two and a half hour mark, I could tell my sweet boy was feeling fatigued, although he gamely continued. We were headed down a slightly steep decline and back towards the main pasture from whence the ride started. "This is the last large hill, isn't it?" I asked Julie, relieved that we would be returning because my boy was tired, but sad to have the experience end as well.
"It should be," Julie answered. At the bottom of the hill flowed a small rivelet through a ditch. The group in front of us headed southeast from that point, and I thought it odd that we were not heading closer to the starting point. My worries grew even more when we rejoined a portion of the path on which we had already traversed and turned west again.
"We are looping around again?" I wondered, confused. I panicked a little, knowing my young boy was near the end of his endurance for now. I didn't want to push him beyond his limits and destroy the pleasure he felt in going out on excursions with me.
Julie cursed a little, noting that we were climbing back up a hill we had already covered. "Let's stop at the top to rest and let most of the group pass," she said. We allowed our tired mounts to graze while other riders continued on, oblivious to the condition of their own mounts. Zeplin was sweaty but still willing to do anything I asked of him.
At the crest of the hill, we slowly followed the others, still feeling frustrated and upset that we weren't headed back by now. Vivian, out of condition like Zeplin, showed her own signs of fatigue. "Look, that group looks like it's going back," Julie said suddenly, pointing to four horses and their riders who had split from the rest behind us and were headed back towards that hill we had just descended a short time ago. "Should we go with them?"
I heard someone mention in passing that the group was looking for a lost cell phone, but it was better to try our luck with them than to push our mounts anymore than we had already.
"Let's hurry so we don't lose sight of them," Julie said, pushing Vivi into a trot. Zeplin jounced along behind her. I didn't like rushing so much, but we didn't want to be left behind, either. We reached the top of the hill, and I called to Julie to slow down. Zeplin stopped, and I considered dismounting and leading him down. I could tell he really didn't have a lot of energy to tackle the downgrade. His very hesitance spoke volumes, as my boy rarely needs any kind of urging to move forward. I squeezed him lightly, asking him to try for me.
I tried to pick out the easiest route down the slope that I could find. The group on the bottom had spotted us and was patiently waiting for us to join them. Zeplin started down, but he would find himself unable to slow down, and he'd try to turn around to go back up. In stages we worked our way down, although towards the end he was speeding up and felt like he couldn't stop. He teetered on the edge of the ditch we had passed earlier with a trickle of water, but he managed to pull himself up. I landed on his neck but didn't fall off (although the sunglasses I had borrowed from Julie that were too large slipped off and landed on the ground). We were both relieved to be at the bottom of that hill, and I knew I couldn't ask that of him again on this ride. I'd get off before doing so.
After that, the going was much easier. Zeplin followed a man on his grey horse leading a buckskin paint that a boy was riding. The man cursed the paint mare, and at one point he dropped the lead rope. Julie offered to collect it for him.
The wooded area ended with a slight slope up a muddy incline to the main pasture gate. We rode through and found a lady there, sitting on a fallen tree and waiting with her horse. I'm not sure entirely what was going on, but I think that the rest of the group was supposed to have returned with us. At some point, the main ride leader had left, hence all the confusion. Zeplin and Vivian took the opportunity to graze and catch their second wind. Julie and I dismounted and let them eat.
In the course of discussing my boy with the man who had been riding ahead of me on the grey, he warned that I had better switch to a bit, hackamore, or bosal before I "ruined" Zeplin by riding in just a rope halter. "It would be a shame to ruin such a good minded, pretty horse," he commented.
While I took pride that he noticed Zeplin's stellar qualities, I was floored by this, the third time someone mentioned that I should not ride my gelding in just a halter. Nevermind that he was happy, forward, willing, and certainly well behaved. No, I was destroying him!
It was then that I realized these kind, insightful people had only been offering me the key to the universe: the BIT!! Why of course, that was the answer to EVERYTHING!! I was now enlightened, thanks to their diligent efforts to bring awareness to all the signs that I was training Zeplin wrong. Because of these people, I could now pinpoint all of these signs that I had been on the wrong track and was close to shattering the tenuous bond I had with my silly pony. I will list these warning signs now, so as to alert wary readers as to what to look for and set them straight by immediately switching to a bit so as to avert disaster:
1. Is your boy eagerly and willingly stepping out, needing only the slightest nudge (if that) to move forward?
2. Does your boy relax and walk on a loose rein, occasionally licking and chewing?
3. Does your boy listen and respond to your cues without a fuss?
4. Do you feel like you have a good, strong line of communication with him?
5. Is he well behaved and completely under control?
6. Does he work hard to try everything you ask of him, even when he's clearly tired?
7. Is he confident in your leadership and trusts you completely?
If your horse exhibits all of these symptoms listed, then you must put him in a bit without delay!! Otherwise, you risk crumbling his spirit and sending him plunging into despair! Oh, to think I nearly did this to my own beloved Zeplin. How can I live with myself and the cruelty I've inflicted by riding him in just a rope halter?
I have seen the error of my ways!! I will repent and use the BIT on Zeplin henceforth!
Or maybe not...
The rest of the evening, after having a lovely dinner provided by the saddle club, Julie and I shared our disbelief that so many people could be so set in their ways that they couldn't even realize that using a bit is not supposed to be about control. A bit is a tool of communication. If you don't have control established without the use of a bit, are you really in charge of your steed? Julie used to own a horse who would run through the bit. If a thousand pound animal decides he doesn't want to listen to you, is a piece of metal in his mouth really going to stop him? Training is the key to control, not a bit!
Anyways, Julie and I had a wonderful time camping out at the fairgrounds. No one else stayed the night, and we had to rush over to prevent the groundkeeper from locking us out of the restrooms. Zeplin and Vivian were best of buddies, enjoying each other's company in the small corral they shared.
Julie started a camp fire while I took my spotted boy over to meet a 4H calf tied to the rail a ways down the aisle from his corral. Zeplin had never seen a cow before this day. He followed me nervously, his eyes barely leaving the scary black monster. We approached and I held my hand out to the little heifer. She sniffed my hand and then licked at it. Zeplin stretched his neck out to smell her, but he didn't want to move any closer to the furry girl. Finally he stretched his muzzle to her nose... and that dark black tongue snaked out to lick him!!
Zeplin jumped back, eyes wide. "She tried to eat me!!!" he snorted, trying to spin around on the lead line and retreat. I wouldn't let him run away, but I didn't make him go any closer. I laughed at him, unable to help myself. He was so silly!
Vivian called Zeplin, pacing up and down the fenceline. We returned to her, and Zeplin happily entered the pen where his big girl could protect him from the crazy black beasts down the row.
In the morning, Julie hopped on vivian bareback while I saddled my boy. We rode them around the fairgrounds, noting that neither seemed sore from the previous day's exertion. I asked Zeplin to look at more cows, and he trembled but obeyed. We didn't come very close to them, but I would not let him wheel around and bolt or hurry away from them. I need to get him his very own calf, to help him overcome his fears ;-)
What an incredible weekend!! I'll be moving soon, so I have to enjoy these moments while I can. Thank you so much, Julie, for all that you've done for me and my ponies. We are going to miss you!
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