From 60 degrees to blizzard....

It wouldn't be KS/MO without a late winter blizzard. Poor MBJ just can't catch a break. She has a windbreak and waterproof blanket, but since I got hurt and don't have my stalls done there's no way to bring her inside--they aren't lined and the floor is covered in rocks, unfortunately. I'm making her some warm beet pulp mixed with her grain that she'll hopefully eat up and keep her warm. This weather is so aggravating...

In the meantime I thought of something useful to post and something I'd really like feedback on. I set aside a bit of my tax refund to buy some of my fitting and show supplies and was happy to find most everything I needed online. So I thought I'd share the products I especially like, with links, and hope people who read this will email me their favorite products to share on this blog as well....

Scar Sof-E: http://www.victoryequine.com/sceqscsocrcl.html

This product isn't for fitting but it will decrease the appearance of old scars and make large scabbed areas heal incredibly quickly. I found it when I was down in Texas. I was brought a 16H two year old stud, a son of Mr Yella Fella who had ran through a fence a few weeks previous to his arrival. His wound was a mess--it was a large scabbed area that threatened his show career. My employer had a vet come in who specialized in these kinds of large wounds. She would usually use stems cells (basically placenta) to encourage the wound to heal completely and end up with very little scarring, but when she came out she said the wound was too old for that treatment to work, so when I was out getting supplies I picked up a bottle of this Scar Sof-E to try. It worked soooo well!! I would basically rub it onto his wound until the scabs came off, revealing the new pink skin underneath. I would do it everyday and it encouraged the wound to heal completely and cover with hair--he barely had any scar whatsoever. Plus, it was cool and soothing, so although he hadn't been handled much he actually looked forward to me putting this creme on his leg, even though I was sloughing off the scabs (which couldn't have felt very good). This is very good stuff!

Pepi Coat Conditioner: http://www.rods.com/p/258,143_World-Champion-Pepi-Coat-Conditioner.html

This stuff will really bring out the shine on your horse. Spray on just before entering the showring for a professional, finished look. Just don't spray on your horse's back or girth if you're showing under saddle later! LOL

Pepi Shine On Natural: http://www.rods.com/p/277,143_World-Champion-Pepi-Coat-Conditioner.html

Back in my POA days we'd use baby oil to put the shine on eyes, nose, and ears, but it was messy and didn't last long. This stuff is great--it's much easier to apply and looks great for hours--no need to reapply between classes.

Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine: http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2e87c587-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5

I LOVE this stuff for tails! I always use it as part of my grooming routine (when fitting horses). It not only makes the tail manageable, shiny, and soft, but it also prevents breakage, which is so important when encouraging those tails to grow nice and long and thick!

Another cool thing I learned that seems so obvious now--shop towels. If you go to an automotive store, or the automotive section of Walmart, they have packages of terrycloth towels for sale--I think I bought 13 for $6. They are the perfect grooming towels. They are just the right size for wiping down legs, cleaning faces, drying, etc. Plus, they are cheap so as they get stained and worn out they are easy to replace! They are also great to wash along with brushes--just dump all into the washing machine. The towels will keep the brushes from knocking too hard into the drum....

I've also been told (but haven't tried it yet) that instead of spending $600 on a grooming vac, just use a shop vac. I have one I'll be setting up and I'll try to remember to post if it works or not. Of course the only one I have that has been vaccumed is Paula, so she'll have to be my test dummy until I get the others broke to it! LOL

So let's hear it--what are your favorite horse-products? Send me an email or comment, preferably with links on where to buy this stuff and I'll post for everyone to see!

Update

It sure was cold and windy today. Morning check MBJ was up and had finished all her food except the beet pulp, which she apparently doesn't care for much. She had eaten everything else though and was eagerly awaiting breakfast, so I thought that was a good sign. No diarreah from the feed change, so overall a very good check.

I had a doctor's appointment so I had to run to town, but when I got back in the afternoon she was eating and laying down, just like her previous owner described. I was a little disappointed but seized the opportunity to work on her feet.

She was fine with me going up to her but she didn't want to lay down all the way, so I had to work as best I could. Her feet were packed with mud and rocks (which might have caused some bruising so we'll see in the next few days if she's a little less sore on her front feet). I was able to cut off some excess frog and work on the side of the foot a bit, but needed her to lay down to do the rest and she just didn't want to. Hopefully she'll let me soon as it would make trimming her very easy with my back and all.

Anyway, her feet were surprisingly good. She has a bit of thrush but nothing too bad. I will take some iodine out tomorrow and soak her frog and white line to make sure we catch anything but overall her feet are healthy--just long and possibly bruised. She also has a bit of a contracted heel but I've definitely seen worse.

I gave her another shot of bantamine since I couldn't get very far with her feet. She appears body-sore when she walks, probably from just a little bit of everything it seems. I will have to talk to my vet about getting her a few chiropractic adjustments when she gains a little weight and can travel in comfortably.

I also got a good look at her teeth. For a cribber of her age her front teeth look terrific!!! I was very pleased! She's 14 or so? Seeker's (the cribber I had who is now owned by my good friend Kim Noyes) front teeth are almost non-existant and she's only a couple years older. I also felt around for points and while it wouldn't hurt to get her floated there was nothing particularly sharp back there that I could feel, so great news--she's at least able to masticate her food fairly well, which will hopefully make her recovery go smoothly.

I've had horses come in with many more problems, so overall I'm feeling very good about her prognosis. I'm a bit worried about her being so body sore when she walks. With her possible digestive issues I absolutely don't want to give her bute, so right now bantamine is the only pain relief I can offer her, and I hate to keep sticking a needle into her neck everyday, so I might need to check into alternatives here. I want to make her as comfortable as possible so she eats--the more she eats the stronger she'll get and hopefully the better she'll feel. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

She LOVES her alfalfa, by the way. She whinnies really loudly when she see me bringing the flake! She will eat it all up before she touches her grain. It's hard not to give her more but I'm afraid I'll overdo it and she'll get sick, which wouldn't help at all... Eddie forgoes grain for alfalfa, too, so I thought it was kind of funny that MBJ is the same way :)

Everyone else is fabulous! Paula keeps whinnying across the farm to MBJ, who completely ignores her. JJ really fuzzed out now that the cold weather has set in--he looks like a chia pet LOL.

MBJ Western Empress

Here is the mare I went to go get today:

I think it's pretty obvious even though she's in rough shape, she is a nice, nice mare. That's because she is. She's a daughter of Western Impress out of a daughter of Mr Impressive. "MBJ" has produced some very nice foals, one of which did very well in futurities.

The reason I felt I needed to go get this mare and see what I can do with her is because I've known her for quite a while. She was rescued along side RT Social Sunny (God rest her soul) and while I never owned MBJ, I always admired her. I had hoped one day to be able to breed her to Eddie. She is so sweet and had been through so much even before I knew her that she has always had a permanent spot in my heart.

Last year (2/20/08) I got an email from her owner that she had taken MBJ's cribbing collar off and even though she put it back on, MBJ continued to crib, ignored her food and was losing weight fast. I responded I was certain she was cribbing excessively due to pain, most likely from ulcers. I got the impression she disagreed, which is fine, but I never heard back how she was doing. When I inquired on 6/20 I was told she was sold. I always wondered what happened to MBJ and thought of her often and hoped that whatever ailed her was resolved and she was living a happy life.

Well, the other day for some reason I clicked on a craigslist ad and there was mention of a cribbing mare that needed weight. My gut said to ask if it was MBJ, and to my amazement it was! Her current owner told me how she stuggled to keep weight on her, and they were doing all they could but just couldn't figure out why, even though they kept the cribbing collar on her, she was dropping weight so quickly. Since she was boarding it was difficult for her to give MBJ the individual attention she needs, so she was thankfully willing to let me give it a try. I told her I knew MBJ's history (or at least the last few years) and I thought I might be able to help, so I ran over today and got her. I was pleasantly surprised to see that although she is indeed in bad physical shape, her eyes are clear and bright! She is not depressed at all, so I am cautiously hopeful she can be saved. Before we loaded her up I have her 10 cc's of Bantamine to make the ride more comfortable and she did really well and was still perky when we got home.

Luckily my vet was out this morning and I discussed MBJ's case with him and when I asked him if he thought it could be ulcers his response was "oh YEAH, definitely!!" So that made me feel better that I was on the right track in planning out my approach to restoring her back to health. He had her meds ready and waiting when I came by the clinic on my way home.

Here are some more pictures I snapped once I got her home today:

Her feet will be done Tuesday when my farrier comes out, unless I catch her laying down. If I do, I'll attempt to get some of the length off of her to make her more comfortable. I am curious as to why her hoof walls are so excessively thick--does it have to do with her inability to metabolize nutrition? More research is definitely needed.... I'm really curious as to how her soles look.

She has a few sore spots from laying down so much, most likely due to the pain:

So here is my plan of attack: Right now she is on grass pasture and she will start off with half a flake of high quality alfalfa twice a day. She is also on Equine Senior, Calf Manna and steamed, crimped oats (for easy digestion) mixed with her herbal ulcer treatment the vet prescribed, plus MSM for her the stiffness in her right front knee. To add fat as well as make sure the supplements are eaten, I coat everything in a couple of tablespoons of corn oil. She is also getting as much soaked beet pulp as she wants, due to it's digestability, high fiber (to keep her from colicing during this critical period) and high fat content.

In two weeks she will be wormed with safeguard. I will also evaluate how she is eating and looking and if we need to add traditional ulcer meds we will. Right now the cheapest and safest course was the herbal remedy (at $60 per container not really cheap, but cheaper than the alternatives) so we'll give that a try. Plus it smells great, like cloves! LOL At this point if she her coat and appetite are not steadily improving I will probably also start her on B12 shots and prehaps some acupuncture treatments to help with bloodflow.

In a month if she is gaining I'll get her teeth floated and begin her on a normal worming regiment. I'll also treat her for any sand in her gut.

I am hoping this course of treatment will allow her to heal, gain weight and flush anything counterproductive to her recovery in a safe manner. It's going to be tricky but I am cautiously optimistic.

Tonight when I put her blanket on she acted like she has been here for 10 years and we did this everyday. She settled in so incredibly well--absolutely no stress at all. She didn't call for the other horses and she wasn't concerned about anything but eating, so it's definitely a great sign. Here's a final picture of her getting settled in once the cold winds picked up.

She's so sweet--now everytime she seems me she nickers at me. It just melts my heart!!

Thanks so much to everyone for your support! Also thank you to MBJ's previous owner for working with me to have the chance to try to rehabilitate this wonderful mare. I hope this treatment works, but if it doesn't, I've been incredibly lucky to have a terrific vet who is always willing to bounce ideas around. We'll certainly try our best with her!! Stay tuned for many more updates to come....

Crazy Day!!

Whew! Today was NUTS! First thing this morning, vet was out to do Paula's teeth, geld Fabian and extract his wolf teeth, then I took a short roadtrip to pick up my latest project (details coming soon, after dinner LOL), stopped by my vet's for meds, then came home, got my project settled in, hauled water, then my hay guys called and were only a couple miles away (no one said they'd be here today! LOL), so they got all the hay unloaded for me, went and got groceries and hauled more water, finished feeding horses and giving project final bit of her 3 course meal! LOL

The good news is I feel GREAT! I looked up some stretches earlier and did them this morning and I think they helped a lot. I had a terrible night last night--very little sleep and a lot of pain, so the fact that I did all this today and am feeling better than ever is a great sign I think!!

I still need to feed the dogs and get my dinner going, so I will post my latest project in a few!

Such a Perfect Day....

I had the camera out to snap pics of Samson, so I got a few of the horses as well. It was such a beautiful day I couldn't resist trying to do a little grooming. My poor, neglected kids look so scruffy and dirty!! LOL

Here's JJ and Laramie, still joined at the hip:



Baby and Bambi before their grooming session:

Poor Fabian, all set for his "brain surgery" tomorrow. I am hoping once we take care of those hormones that he'll have some sort of grown spurt soon....right now I call him my "frankenhorse" as none of his parts seem to go together! LOL Poor kid--he's going to make a fabulous gelding, though (and you couldn't ask for a calmer, more easy-going temperament)!!

Here's Paula, aka "pasture hog." She's going out into her own pen soon. She steals the baby's feed, and that's no good. She's doing great now so she doesn't need all those extra calories! :)

Visiting Treasure and Co.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Treasure and her family. It was so nice to meet Ed Smith and see his high-quality, well-cared for horses. Unfortunately the best picture I had of Treasure somehow got erased, but here is her daughter Paddy:

I wanted to take them all home they were all so lovely, but when I got home I realized that my simple facilities could not possible be safe enough for these hot-blooded mares, so I decided to pass along this wonderful opportunity to my good friend Kristi Van Etten (owner of Artful Magnitude). While I would have been honored to have had the opportunity own such an amazing mare, it's important to realize one's limitations. Between my injury and my modest facilities, I need to stick with my nice calm little home-grown babies. Kristi will take these girls much further than I ever could, and hopefully once she gets moved I can come see Treasure and Paddy and watch as they produce amazing foals by Diesel!!

I also got to visit JR, a 17H gelding son of Artful Move that Ed had raised from a foal. I loved this guy!

He is SUCH a cutie!! If I were a better rider I'd have taken him home in a heartbeat! As it is I will need to put off breaking Paula out and probably won't be able to really ride well for a year. The lingering effects of my injury has made me realize I will have to do things differently for quite sometime--I'm having hay delivered and stacked for me, I have hired a farrier to take care of my trimming for me, and my dad and friends have graciously offered to help me out around the farm as I improve my facilities.

I met a lady at the feed store the other day--she saw I was buying youth feed and began asking me questions about foaling out, etc. She was very nice--helped me load up my bags of feed and you can tell she really cared about her horses and was trying to learn as much as she could. She told me I was really lucky to "live this lifestyle" and you know what, she was right!!! I am so incredibly blessed!! I have a lovely little place in the country with a gorgeous view, a great job that enables me to pay the bills and a little extra for my horse activities, and I have such a nice little herd of horses to play with, show, and overall have a wonderful time! I really am lucky!

Samson Update

As promised, new pics of Samson today:

He's getting so big so fast!

Charlie and Samson hanging out together. Samson is going to pass Charlie in size very soon!

I don't even want to know what he got into!! LOL

Treasure's Delay

I had to postpone my appointment to meet Treasure because of my back (getting Laramie and JJ settled in was about all I could handle). Thankfully her owners are wonderful, understanding people, so we're set to roll on Tuesday. As I promised before, plenty of pics will be posted!

For now, I've posted another picture of her that was sent to me, with her last foal. Look at that pretty face.... Enjoy :)

My Show Horses have Arrived!!

First of all I just can't thank Darlene Worthington enough for going clear to Nebraska and picking up Laramie for me and bringing her and JJ to me!! They didn't pull into my drive until 10pm last night--what an exhausting trip!!! She is a true friend and I don't know what I'd do without all her help. There's no way I could have gotten Laramie anytime soon, and being able to have both these kids home is such a relief, and such an incentive to heal quickly and get to work! :)

Also thanks so much to Maureen Hunt for taking such good care of Laramie while she was in Nebraska. Laramie just got dumped on her and she was absolutely wonderful in caring for Laramie and giving me a chance to get things arranged to pick her up. She's a really great person!

Here are the kids next to Darlene (she's going to kill me for posting this photo LOL), but I had to show how big these kids are. Neither are a year old yet--JJ was born 4/1/08 and Laramie on 4/5/08.

Here is Laramie after we got them settled into the pasture--this shows just how much substance this big girl has:

Here's JJ. He's so hard to get pictures of because he follows me around everywhere!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these kids!!!! I cannot wait to get them into the show ring! We're going to have a blast! :) I am thrilled beyond words--Kim Noyes and Vicki Morgan have been such wonderful friends to me--they have given my broodies such wonderful, loving homes, and in return they've sent me these two AMAZING babies. I am on CLOUD 9!!!!!! :))))

Oh, and in addition to Laramie being such a show stopper, we're going to try to get her AQHA papers as well. It just can't get any better than this!

Big Weekend Plans

Laramie and JJ arrive tomorrow, thanks again to Darlene for all her help in transporting them for me when I cannot!! :) I have heard so much about both these kids! It will be so nice to finally have them home. Pics coming soon!!

Treasure Riva arrives on Sunday. I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to co-own this amazing mare. Her one foal currently showing has performance ROM's in both open and amateur catagories, and has already racked up points in both halter and performance this year. She has another foal trained and ready to show, waiting in the wings, so it won't be long before she's a multiple point producer. That and her incredible show winning pedigree and outstanding full sibling makes her the kind of mare that qualifies to still be bred in this kind of market. She truly has something to offer to the marketplace. Needless to say I'm thrilled to be part of her bright future. I will also get pictures of her this week and post.

Looks like we will be saying goodbye to Charity. She's such a sweetheart, I'll certainly miss her. I know that Painted Prairie Farm is going to enjoy her a great deal.

Congrats Kelly and Eddie!

Congrats to Kelly Fulton of Fultons Crossing Ranch and Eddie on a full book, almost before breeding season even begins!! Eddie has been exceptionally well received in the great northwest, bringing us closer to our goal of national exposure and giving him the opportunity to bring his siring abilities to a wide range of markets. While I am showing his get here in the heartland, Kelly has lined up several phenominal mares to put a couple of great foal crops on the ground in her area.

I can't thank Kelly enough for leasing Eddie and carrying on the momentum we've built up over the past couple of years, as we strive to market this amazing stallion and sire. Eddie's ability to sire consistent quality foal after foal after foal is getting him noticed by some of the top breeders in the industry.

I miss my goofy boy more than words can say, but I know he's where he needs to be. He's healthy, happy, and being promoted as a stallion should be. Thank you Kelly for doing Eddie justice as he deserves!!

General Update

Well, as of Monday I can drive now. I'm thrilled! I was able to drive into my appointment on Tuesday without any issues. Right now my biggest obstacle is walking for an extended period of time. Thankfully the local grocery store is pretty small :)

Also we had a minor emergency Monday. I checked on the girls that morning and Bambi had something wrong with her stomach. I knew she had a very small hernia, but I had discussed it with my vet and he agreed that it was ok to wait and see if it would close up on it's own since it was so small. Well on Monday morning she looked like a pregnant mare with edema. I haltered her and tried to feel around on it, but I just don't have the strength yet and I just couldn't get a good feel of her on my own. I worried that because of her terrible start in life that her abdominal muscles had given way and I'd have to rush her to K-State for surgery. I know this is rare, but can happen, so I called my regular vet who of course was out of town. Thankfully Dr David in Drexel was available and agreed he should come out right away--if her abdominal wall was broken she'd have to be rushed right in before the intestine started dying off. So we got her checked and he assured me it was just edema--she probably got kicked. I was so relieved! I felt kind of silly, but I didn't care--I'd rather call a vet out for nothing than to have risked her life not knowing. Bambi is doing well--the edema got worse before it got better but as it did I could clearly see it was indeed edema. Whew! At least I know a good back-up vet now!

The only other excitement I had this week was while trailer shopping. I happened upon an ad for a free TB mare. I don't know why I clicked on it, but I did--I guess since the ad was from Texas I assumed I'd be "safe." LOL. Uh...no! The mare is in DREXEL--practically in my backyard! It's truly a very small world. Her name is Treasure Riva and she's a 12 year old appendix quarter mare, 16.1H, bay, by a multiple world champion producer and out of a mare that earned top honors at both World and Congress and also produced winning foals. Treasure's full brother has almost 1000 performance points. Here is Treasure (not a great picture but you can still see she's a hell of a mare):

And her foals:

Yes, I wanted to stay out of breeding. Yes, I had no desire to get a broodmare. Yes, I am a fool. LOL

It's so hard to turn down a mare of this caliber, who is bred to the hilt for a genre that still SELLS horses. The deal is still pending, but it appears Treasure will be in my barn very soon. She may be leased out this first year. If not I doubt I will breed her this year. I'll wait until next so I can get my facilities properly set up. Her first foal for me will be by Diesel, in a partnership with Diesel's owner:

Her top winning foal was by a son of Artful Move, so this is a proven cross we hope to be successful with again. Be sure to visit Diesel's site at http://www.artfulmagnitude.com/ Watch his videos--his movement will blow you away!!!

One day I'll breed her to Eddie for a top all-round, but for now I want to concentrate on showing his babies that I do have. I'm also a step closer to getting a trailer, so I am really looking forward to getting these kids out to the local PAC shows we have around here and see how we do. Maybe if all goes well I might sneak in a breed show or two before the 5-star....

Belated Dips*it Idea of the Week

I little late and my next post will explain why, but I thought I'd go ahead and post this week's Dips*t Idea: The idea that a trainer is not responsible for what goes on in their barn.

See Cleve Well's statement: http://www.clevewells.com/

No where in that statement did I see an apology from Cleve to Nicole Marr and her father for the condition of their horse. As owners of this horse, they had every right to pursue every venue available to them and I believe they did the right thing. I don't feel sorry for Cleve one bit that he was visited by the SPCA and the local DA. This statement clearly shows that Cleve has no remorse whatsoever for what happened--only that it became public and he had to cooperate with the authorities. I know it says he only rode the horse once, but I don't care if he had never even seen the horse before, the horse was in HIS barn, on HIS facilities, and these were HIS clients who trusted HIM that their horse was receiving the training they paid for and was properly cared for, which the photos clearly show he was not.

Is it too much to ask to say "I'm sorry for what happened?" Evidently so.....

Items Needed

I thought I'd post the items I'm looking for just in case someone knows of any deals out there:

2 horse trailer--prefer gooseneck but will purchase bumper pull if the price is right. Above all else, the floor MUST be solid. I prefer that the boards run the length of the trailer rather than the width, and it must have solid steel supports underneath. Everything else is negotiable :)

Riding lawnmower in good running conditon.

Good working saddle, 16" with full skirt, and needs to fit some wide-backed, low-withered horses. I've been offered one to borrow so it's not critical like the lawnmower is, but I've noticed some really good deals on saddles, so if I can find a nice one for a good price I'd like to get one.

Other items: stall mats, groom vac, portable groom vac, clippers (all sizes), yearling show halter (Kathy's quality). Unlikely but cool to have items would be a hot walker or treadmill.

Just send me an email or comment if you have or know of any of these items for sale reasonably. Thanks!

Eddie and his boy make me proud....

I got up this morning and when I let the dogs out I saw Fabian wandering around the driveway. I was disappointed but got my coat and shoes on, grabbed a halter and hobbled out there, expecting all the horses to be out since Fabian sticks pretty close to the girls--he's such a big baby :) I was surprised to see he was out all alone, but thankful that the fence was still up--he must have just slept too close to the fence or something and ended up on the other side.

The bad part was that I hadn't worked with Fabian much before my injury--I had haltered him a handful of times and really only let him out on his own once. I really didn't want to find out how much of his training had sunk in when I can barely walk--if Sophie jumps on my leg it almost knocks me down right now, so I headed over to grab Paula, thinking if I led her out he'd follow her back in. She's my old reliable :)

Fabian was just wandering around and since it still hurts to walk much I started talking to him, hoping he wouldn't go any further. When I called his name he turned around and looked at me, then took off running straight for the gate to the pasture he escaped from. Now he has NEVER been through that gate--I originally had him in the pasture south of that one and while I was down for the count that middle fenceline broke and he ended up in the other pasture, so I just left them all together and just picked up the wire since I still can't do much. Somehow he just figured out on his own that was where he was supposed to go in! He waited patiently for me to get there and open up the gate. All this fencing is temporary until the ground thaws, so my gates are actually panels that only open up one way, so Fabian had to back up, turn left and then immediately right to get through the gate and he did it all on his own, as calmly as an old gelding. He is just really, really cool. I gave him a good pat and locked the gate, double checked my electric fence and went inside. He is going to make such an awesome, fun gelding! He's so laid back, but obviously no dead head! :)

Then a little later I get a comment on myspace from Kelly about Eddie:
"Jessie, I have to take a moment and let you know what an outstanding job you have done with Eddie. He has been nothing but a perfect GENTLEMEN with Cupie and she was putty in his hooves, LOL! He has to be one of the best stallions I have ever worked with during breeding!!! We will tease Cupie again tomorrow and possibly cover her again and then it will be on to the big girl (Bambi). I am SO excited... I pray that Cupie & Eddie's foal will top mom's earnings of over 9K in one year and with Bambi adding yet another WC Halter foal to their names!!Thanks again for everything,HUGE HUGS,Kelly, Eddie & Miss Rita!"

I appreciate Kelly's kind words but it's Eddie--it really is. He is the most amazing animal I've ever known. Kelly and I both think he's a person trapped in a horse's body! LOL! We have learned so much together, though. I taught him his manners and what was appropriate breeding behavior versus what was dangerous and unacceptable, and he taught me so much about stallion behavior--behavior I was able to apply to getting a well known stallion to live cover for the first time in 15 years. Without what I learned from Eddie I would have never been able to handle the stallions I have these past few years. Eddie is truly a one of a kind guy, and to know that he's maintaining those manners away from home makes me so proud of him!! I know there's people out there that do not believe a stallion has much influence on his foal's temperament (nurture v. nature argument) but Eddie's babies all really do have fabulous temperaments and Fabian's little almost-human reasoning skills he showed this morning is a great example!

I was doing pretty good this afternoon--my leg pain is isolated to my calf and ankle now and its intermittent, so I took a walk and got to visit all the "kids." Charity still doesn't know what to think of us all here--all my pocket ponies vie for attention and while she's very sweet and friendly, she looks like she thinks all my horses are a bunch of nerds LOL. She's really as cute as could be and I can't say I won't miss her when she goes home. Baby was so busy eating she didn't notice me at first, but with a mouthful of grass she soaked up the attention. Bambi came sauntering over like she was disappointed I didn't go to her first. She's such a good girl--she really enjoys getting scratched but doesn't try to push me over. Fabian came up to see what was going on and even he got into the scratching :) I then went over to see Paula, who can get a little strong (we'll need to work on that--I've been bad and spoiled her too much after all that mess, but now's the time to get back to work). Thankfully they are all in very good shape. They've lost a little bloom without their grain and supplements, but are keeping their overall weight up surprisingly well. I sure lucked out having this terrific brome grass when I got injured--they've been safe and well fed even when I couldn't even get to my door let alone the pasture. The fence needs mending and everyone is in desperate need of a good grooming, but this all went about as good as it possibly could have, given the situation. That being said, though, I can't wait to get healthy and back out there, enjoying the coming spring days with my wonderful horses :)))

Quick Update--MRI Results

Not mine, but basically the same thing I have...

I tried to email everyone who has been so incredibly supportive during my convalescence, but I thought I'd make a quick post just in case I missed anyone. I got my MRI results yesterday and I have two disks out in my lower back--one is herniated onto the two major nerves in my right leg and the other disk is completely blown, pressing against my spine and also against the two major nerves in my right leg. My doctor said a piece was also broken off although I'm unsure of exactly what that entails specifically. Usually surgery is the first option in this case but I am making steady recovery with my current course of treatment, so as long as that keeps maintaining a positive momentem, I'll stay the course. I will have to make some significant lifestyle changes, including slimming down and building up my core strength and flexibility. These are all changes for the good, though--this just means I have much more incentive to take better care of myself! Besides, I'm sure Paula will be happier if I'm a little lighter in the saddle when I break her out in the spring :)

I can't say enough how much I appreciate everyone's help during this trying time. Dar. who traveled 10 hours round trip to bring me a walker, help me into the doctor during the worst of it, and haul water for me, getting it from the next town over because Drexel's water station was froze up! On top of all that she also took in my colt that was being delivered from Texas, and not only boarded him for me but also halter broke and got him used to wire fencing so I wouldn't have any issues with him when he gets home! To my dad for coming up 2 weekends in a row, hauling water, taking me to my appointments, stocking my fridge and buying what seemed like a year's worth of dogfood so I wouldn't have to lift anything for a long time! LOL! To my sister who took her last day of PTO to help me that first awful day I was on the floor and felt completely helpless. To Mo for taking in Laramie when I couldn't come get her and making sure she's so safe and sound. To Kim and Vicki for all their kind words and support. To Angela for offering her days off in the next coming weeks to be there for me. To my work--I think I am the luckiest person in the world to have such a great job, surrounded by great people who genuinely care about me, are letting me put in hours from home and even offering to come get me to go to my appointments (100 mile round trip). All my life I've known that everything happens for a reason, and I think things like this happen so a person realizes how lucky they are to be surrounded by such great people, true friends, and I am DAMN lucky to have the job I do, especially in this economy.

Charlie

I've posted a couple of times about my puppy Sophie and Samson, my newest addition, but I have yet to brag about Charlie, my Australian Shepherd. He's the most amazing dog--always quiet, obedient, sweet, and loving. People always comment on how well behaved he is. He also seems to serve as Sophie's couch and a bed for her "baby" at times (she put that doll there):

Charlie's favorite activity is sleeping, but he also enjoys playing with Sophie. They make a good team--she keeps him moving in his old age :)

I got Charlie 6 years ago from a rescue agency in Kansas City. He was an ex show dog and the lady who ran the agency was friends with his owner, so he was adopted through the agency although they normally don't accept dogs from breeders. They were wonderful. After the approval process and a visit to my house, they allowed me to adopt Charlie. They neutered him, gave him all his shots and he was mine! He is absolutely amazing in every way and I am so thankful he came into our lives. I love my big ole 50# lap dog :)))

Homeless Cowgirl--a sign of the times

Article by LINDSAY PETERSON The Tampa Tribune Published: February 10, 2009 Updated: 02/10/2009 06:36 pmhttp://www2. tbo.com/content/ 2009/feb/ 10/101836/ jobless-cowgirl- heads-west- work/





Donna Byrne, a cowgirl, has lost it all in this economy. She only has her 2 horses left. She is headed to Texas from Arcadia, FL via horse back in hopes of finding work. She is truly a homeless cowgirl with only a tent and her horses.

Donna lost her job in Arcadia a couple of months ago, so she decided to take off for Texas - on horseback. Her horses, Jay and Tonto, are about all she has left. "I lost my job and my house. I'm not losin' these guys," she said. Without them, she'd be on foot.

Hoping to reach Ocala in two weeks, Byrne made her way through Hillsborough County today, riding Tonto and leading Jay, who was loaded down with about 100 pounds of everything she owns, her clothes, a tent and some blankets. With her dusty white cowboy hat pulled low, shading blue eyes and a weathered face, she and the horses stood on the side of U.S. 301 in Riverview Tuesday morning. Six lanes of traffic whooshed by, drivers honking, waving and yelling out.By evening, she was north of Interstate 4. Getting her horses over I-4 on the 301 overpass was touch and go, she said. Tonto spooked and stepped off the shoulder, forcing a truck to swerve out of the way. Otherwise, the horses have kept their heads.

Byrne, 44, is headed to a horse auction in Ocala, where she hopes to get a few days' work. Then she'll move on to Texas, maybe Amarillo. She's never been there, but she knows they have ranches. And that's the kind of work she's looking for.

She's not sure she'll make it, but she's getting help. Tonto threw a shoe Monday, and when Tonya Halvorsrod read about it in a story about Byrne on TBO.com, she called her husband, a farrier. "My wife called," said Clint Halvorsrod. "She was like, 'Honey, you have to help her.' "So he cruised 301 until he spotted Byrne near a truck stop north of I-4 and pulled over with his mobile horseshoeing rig. Byrne was shocked, but relieved to see him. He ended up putting new shoes on both horses. "She has a long way to go," he said. "It's really hard right now, everyone needs help."

Byrne started working with horses when she was a teenager, at stables around Tampa. "I can ride and rope cattle. I'm a cowgirl. That's all I've ever wanted to do. "Back in the '90s she worked on a ranch in Montana for a while. She also drove a truck, until she got too many speeding tickets and got caught driving with a suspended license. She tended cattle in Arcadia until the operation shut down a few months ago, she says. Then she went to work in a plant that made butterflies out of silk. That wasn't for her. "They said I wasn't making them right." So when she lost that job and lost her home because she couldn't pay the rent, she decided to take off, to find a real ranch. One day, she said, she'd like to have land of her own, in Montana with mountains in the background and a free-flowing stream, a private place where she could live her own life and not have to deal with nosy, critical people. She doesn't have any family to speak of, just a brother she doesn't speak to. But she has friends, she said, who tried to talk her out of taking such a long trip alone, exposed to the weather and the dangers of the road.

She's taking it easy, covering 10-15 miles a day, she said. "I'm OK. It's been OK so far." Monday night she slept "under the stars" across from a service station on U.S. 301, where she watered her horses and gave them the feed she's carrying. But tonight she and her horses plan to spend the night in Thonotosassa, on the property of a woman who has horses and sought out Byrne after seeing her story on TBO.com. "Horse people help horse people," said Clint Halvorsrod. Byrne hopes to make it to Dade City on Wednesday.

Introducing: The Dipsh*t Idea of the Week

I'd like to thank the person who wrote a thousand word hate letter to me last night. Most of the inane rambling is not even worth responding to, but one part of it hit things home about how stupid people can actually be! I owe this person a BIG thank you because she inspired....

THE DIPSH*T IDEA OF THE WEEK!!

Every Wednesday I'll post an idea, inspired by real life, that is so wacky and out of sync with reality that you shake your head in disbelief that someone actually said that with a straight face. An appropriate topic to cover on "hump day," isn't it?

This week's featured dipsh*t idea:

"GOOD GOD do you not even realize that she was not old enough to eat grain???? "

Then she proceeds to call me a nutjob. Classy! The "she" she is referring to is Bambi, the filly I bred that Darlene helped me rescue, emaciated at 2 months old. So one of the excuses is at two months old, she was supposedly too young to eat grain. *headdesk* And the scary thing is the person who said this breeds horses. Sure makes me want to run out and go buy one of her foals!

So, since evidently more people than just my family and friends (who are educated horse owners) read this blog, I'll outline for those that do not fall into this catagory basic foal nutrition, pre-weaning, with references.

From Oklahoma State's website: http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-3985web.pdf

"Foals receive their nutrition from the mare’s milk exclusively for the first several weeks to one month of age. If allowed access to their dam’s grain or grain by creep feeding, foals will begin to eat small amounts of grain rations within the first month of their life. Creep feeding provides supplemental feed to foals by using feeders constructed to restrict access of mares."

From Bayer Health: http://www.bayerequineconnection.com/Main/Conditions_Diseases/foal_growth.cfm

"As early as 10-14 days of age, a foal may begin to show an interest in feed. By nibbling and sampling, the youngster learns to eat solid food. Its digestive system quickly adapts to the dietary changes."

So in other words, at TWO WEEKS they will start sampling grain
"At 8-10 weeks of age, mare's milk alone may not adequately meet the foal's nutritional needs. High quality grains and forage should be added to the foal's diet." Again, in other words, by 2 months old they MUST have grain!

From Ohio State University: http://ohioline.osu.edu/b762/b762_3.html

"Creep feeding can begin as early as one week of age....Foals usually eat only about a pound of feed a day during the first month, but consumption will gradually increase to as much as 10 pounds a day by weaning time"

Hmmm...a pound of feed per day during the first month, huh? Sounds like they can sure eat grain!!

Care and Management of the Growing Foal, By Doug Thal, DVM: http://www.thalequine.com/Articles/Care%20and%20Management%20of%20the%20Growing%20Foal%201%20week%20through%20weaning.doc.

"Proper nutrition is a critical part of managing the nursing foal. At one to two weeks, the foal is eating solid feed in addition to nursing many times per day.... Starting at six weeks and through weaning the mare’s milk production gradually declines and the foal eats more and more solid feed. "

Well, I can go on and on and on. Every website says the same thing: between one and 6 weeks of age the foal gradually increases its intake of grain and at week 6 it is imperative to the foal's health to have balanced supplemental feed available. In my own experience foals will start mouthing feed as early as day one, although they really dig in and actually eat it starting around one week.

Ignorance is no excuse. These people can write me an online hate letter, put together websites, and yet they can't do a little research into proper care of the foals they are raising. Ignorance may be bliss for them, but they are ruining lives of the foals they are breeding.

Feel free to email me with any ideas for next week's dipsh*t idea!!

Larrys Silver Lady

Since I posted about Colton yesterday, I wanted to elaborate a bit on his amazing dam, Larrys Silver Lady.

She was an amazing mare that I had stumbled across in an auction in southern Arizona in 2004. When I found her she was so lame she could hardly walk, yet an overweight man rode her through the sale. Although she was clearly in pain, she did everything he asked of her. She was the last horse in the auction and not easy on the eyes, plus her excessively wormy appearance made her long head look even longer, which she held high to try to counteract the pain in her front feet. I thought to myself this poor old horse...and started walking out of the sale barn. See, I had only gone to watch--had not even brought my trailer, so I hadn't gone with the intention of getting anything. As I turned to leave, though, I heard something that stopped me in my tracks: "She's a daughter of Dirty Larry, by Sonny Dee Bar...." That made me think twice about this poor old crippled up horse! I immediately sat back down to watch what I was sure would be a ferver of bidding.

I was wrong, though... No bids came. She got down to $50 and I could no longer control myself. I raised my hand and hoped the bidding would end soon--she was in so much pain and he kept riding her hard. The auctioneer pushed and pushed and I had the final bid at $300. She was mine. I had to go home and get my trailer, but once I saw the poor old gal unsaddled I knew I had not made a mistake. She was old and broken down, but she was something special.

I didn't know what they had called her, but I just couldn't stand to call her Lady. She wasn't pretty, she wasn't graceful and she could fart longer than any other horse I've ever known...she was no lady!!! As a joke, I called her "Larry" and it stuck. She was my Larry and I fell in love with her.

I got her home and immediately called my farrier--he came out the next day and scolded me. He told me she had severe navicular and should be put down, but I wasn't ready to give up on her that easily. He reset her eggbar shoes as best he could which provided a bit of pain relief, and I started my research. After several hours online I found that there was a vet nearby that specialized in "natural hoof trims" and read that the technique was often successful in treating navicular. I called Dr Tesky and he came out a couple of days later. He pulled her shoes and spent a good hour trimming her front feet, filing and refiling and when he was done we saw some improvement immediately. I was told to give her a plain diet and to walk her for 15 minutes a day on soft grass (luckily we had an irrigated front yard with a nice lawn). I walked her every day religiously and we continued with the natural hoof trims. They worked!! By the time we moved to Kansas in spring of 2005 she was sound, save for a bit of arthritis that came and went. My "Larry" was ready to be bred!

So we moved to Kansas and I found a beautiful 60 acre pasture to lease, fenced it off and let the horses loose. I decided to let Eddie pasture breed Larry. My research had found she had not had a live foal in 10 years, and since she was old, it was going to be difficult to get her in foal. What I didn't count on was Larry had been in the dessert all her life and was not used to pasture. She dropped weight fast and hard and I immediately took her to the vet in Great Bend. We got her teeth done and set her on a regiment of B12 shots. I had her vet checked as well and the vet said she was not in foal, which was not surprising. I brought her home to get her weight up and turned her back out late that summer and she held her weight well. I kept waiting for her to come back into heat (we decided when she showed in heat we'd ultrasound her and flush her to make sure everything was ok). Well, she never did, so I chalked it up to her being older and out of sync and brought her in for the winter with the others. Larry never had a problem keeping weight after that. During the winter I wondered--could the vet had been wrong when he said she wasn't in foal? It was so unlikely she had been--she had dropped weight so quickly surely her body would have protected itself by aborting any embryo she was carrying at the time? Well, I went ahead and had her checked again and it was true--she WAS in foal! I was thrilled!! I kept a close eye on her but she held her weight all through the pregnancy--even seemed to be glowing. On June 18, 2006 Paula (Filthy N Fabulous), a gray overo filly, was born. She was huge and we immediately fell in love with her! Soon we rebred Larry and sent everyone back out to pasture. Larry easily stayed in good health the entire summer.

In May 2007 Colton was born--a sorrel overo colt with markings just like his daddy. He had a gorgeous neck and was also very friendly like his sister. We did have a problem with dehydration one day--it got so hot and he had the runs, but we brought him and Larry into the barn, got fluids in him and he was right as rain! At that time I decided to move to Texas and brought Larry and her progeny with me. Colton was a hit and everytime someone found out that I had a daughter of Dirty Larry I got offers to breed her to some of the nicest studs for HUS foals. Everyone adored Larry, and I'd take her out on trail rides with my co-worker often.

When I had to leave Texas I needed to find a good home for Larry. I wanted to try to keep her safe so I would only lease her out. I made the biggest mistake of my life leasing her to Cecilia Jarvis. Larry died at her parent's place sometime in early September. She didn't tell me until I called her on September 20th. I will never, ever forgive myself for letting her load Larry up in her trailer. I was completely duped. Thank God I was able to save Paula from the same fate. I rushed down and picked up the skeleton that used to be Larry's beautiful daughter.

Now my memories of Larry are bittersweet. Yes, she was old, but every person who saw her has told me she was healthier than most mares half her age. She truly left us way too soon.

You can see her pedigree here. She was daughter of World Champion Western Riding horse and Top HUS stallion Dirty Larry, by Hall of Famer Sonny Dee Bar. Her dam was a daughter of AQHA Champion Jaybo Lad. Larry had 2 foals prior to me purchasing her. One earned APHA halter points before passing away at 3 years of age. Her AQHA filly went on to win many open shows and retire as a broodmare out on Angelica Houston's niece's ranch out in California. I heard she had passed away a couple of years ago.

Now only Colton and Paula are left to carry on this wonderful mare's legacy. Paula looks so much like her momma, it's eerie at times. She has her same quiet demeanor as well. Colton is a promising barrel prospect who is dearly loved by his owner. I have a feeling Larry is very proud of her babies, and deservingly so.....

Colton (aka "Ringo")

Sandra sent me some pictures yesterday from her phone of Colton's (most of my friends still know him as Ringo) lesson under saddle. Here are the pics she sent along with the notes:

"Isn't he pretty?"

"He's so awesome!!"

As Colton's breeder, I can't tell you how much it means to me to have my horses' current owners keep in touch, email and text pictures to me and share even things some people might think are mundane, like a training session. Seeing Colton happy, healthy, and well cared for is exactly the kind of life I had hoped for when I bred these foals! Sandra has 3 of Eddie's foals (Colton "The Fabulist" 2007 APHA/AQHA/PtHA sorrel overo stallion; "Benz" 2008 APHA Overo Stallion out of a HYPP N/N granddaughter of Impressive; and "Bambi" 2008 APHA Overo Filly out of Truly Apparent, the amazing mare I had to euthanize late last year). Sandra keeps in touch and always tells me how much she loves her "Eddie babies." I am as proud as could be, both of these babies and they have found such a wonderful, knowledgable home!! By the way, Sandra is not riding Colton--she's just sitting on him and getting him used to the weight. She is an incredibly knowledgable, ethical trainer and I would trust any of my horses in her care.

Colton is also a good lesson in finding the right home for a horse. I could have sold him several times over, but chose to give him to Sandra for a couple of reasons. First, at the time, I had no place to keep him and I needed to place him quickly. I wanted him to have a job and that is exactly what Sandra is doing with him. I also gave him to Sandra because unfortunately Colton is cryptorchid, so while we're waiting for him to descend, if he does develop any stallion behavior Sandra is a knowledgable horseperson who can properly train a stallion. She also knows what is involved in gelding a cryptorchid colt.

I couldn't have stumbled across a better owner for Colton!! I feel so fortunate that the majority of people I meet are responsible, loving, caring horseowners like Sandra and her family. I also feel fortunate that Eddie's babies have typically been so loved and revered as I had hoped. My goal was always to breed quality foals that people would enjoy and I have to say my wonderful boy Eddie certainly has held his end of the bargain :)

The Moose

While my back is healing my good friend Darlene is taking care of JJ for me. She snapped this picture yesterday and I just had to share. I think it's hilarious! JJ is obviously on the far right. He's the exact same age as the colt on the far left and I am pretty sure he's younger than the tobi filly in the middle. He looks like he's in the wrong pen--too funny!

Well, it's apparent JJ has never missed a meal in his life! LOL! I can't thank Vicki Morgan enough for giving me the opportunity to own JJ. I am very excited about his future!!

Transformation part II

I've been lax in recognizing the second amazing transformation we've had, not because it's any less amazing but because photos cannot capture what a lovely filly Baby has turned out to be, but I will try.... Little Baby was essentially thrown away for no reason other than pure greed. She was thrown away by the same man who threw away RT Social Sunny and ruined her life, may she rest in peace. He's the same man that left Eddie to die when he shattered his pastern bone. In a way, Baby's survival from this man's (I use the term loosely) greed makes her family! It was only by way of a miracle that our good friend Darlene came to Baby's rescue. Here is what poor Little Baby looked like when she picked her up:

This is Baby today (or as of right before I killed my back LOL):

You can see she's almost as tall as the other foals now, and she's filled in considerably. Of course new pics will be posted of all when they've shed, but I think even in their winter woolies it's obvious that with just a little bit of proper care, this filly is certainly worth so much more than her first owner thought of her!! Thanks so much to Darlene for letting me adopt Little Baby. She is truly a member of our family :)

The Plan

"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."
~Peter Drucker

While I'm laying here in a sort of forced reclusion my thoughts often drift over to the horses, and my excitement about the upcoming year. Plans often change, but as of today, here are my plans for each of my horses in 2009:

Filthy N Fabulous, aka "Paula"

2006 APHA/AQHA/PtHA Gray Overo Mare

by Hustlers Fabulous Too

out of Larry Silver Lady (by AQHA WC Dirty Larry)

Paula has fully recovered from the awful leasing situation she survived. I plan on starting her ground work as soon as my back is fully healed. She is very calm and easy-going and has had a lot of handling, since I've owned her since birth, so she should be pretty easy to break out. I plan on training her for Western Pleasure and she will also be used to pony my halter horses. If she does well with her training she may be entered into the Five Star Futurity in September.

Name Pending, aka "JJ"
2008 APHA/AQHA/PtHA Sorrel Overo Stallion
by Hustlers Fabulous Too
out of Solomons Reward (gdau of Sonnys Securitee)

JJ is often called a "moose." He is a very big colt, particularly for an April 1st baby. The second thing everyone comments on is JJ's intelligence. His dam has almost a human quality to her actions so it doesn't surprise me at all that JJ seems to be above average in this area. I truly hope he's above average in all areas--I have been waiting for a colt like this for a long time. He is correct, has the size that today's show ring demands, and has the conformation to be a true all-round prospect. No, he won't win the world in halter, but he very well could go on to carry on his grandsire's legacy of APHA Champions. Yes, my hopes are high for this "little" guy, but part of the fun is dreaming big, isn't it? :) Anyway, JJ is currently learning the ropes at Painted Prairie Farm, thanks to the generosity of my good friend Darlene and her fabulous girls Sarah and Stana. When I recover from my back problems I hope to bring JJ home and continue his excellent start. He'll be put into a fitting program not so much as a halter prospect but just to get him on the right track as a great all-round horse. I will assess his abilities as we continue his training and conditioning.

Beyond Fabulous (pending), aka "Bambi"
2008 APHA/AQHA/PtHA Sorrel Solid Mare
by Hustlers Fabulous Too
out of Cilla (double bred Obvious Conclusion)

Bambi is also fully recovered from having to be rescued at 2 months old. She also received a wonderful start to her training at Painted Prairie Farm. Bambi is an amazing filly. To think that someone thought she wasn't worth the tiny bit of extra time and money to get decent feed for this magnificent horse! Thank goodness, once again, that Darlene and her daughters could come to her rescue. I bred Bambi and am extremely proud of her. She has beautiful conformation, a willing and fun temperament, and so much promise. Since I work full time and already have plans for Paula and JJ, Bambi will be allowed to grow up and have some fun just being a horse for a while. Next year I will definitely break her out and we'll see what the future holds. I plan on keeping Bambi--she is an ideal mare to carry on her daddy's legacy.


A Fabulous Choice (pending), aka "Fabian"
2008 APHA/PtHA Sorrel Overo Stallion
by Hustlers Fabulous Too
out of Goldseekers Choice (by APHA WC Bold Dancer)

"Fabian" had a fabulous start thanks to Barry and Linda Cole of Topeka, KS. He's a chunk of a colt--as wide as he is tall. He's got a good mind and is put together right. Fabian will be gelded early this spring and be allowed to grow up with the girls before he starts his training as an all-round show horse. Fabian has a very easy-going temperament and I think will be perfect for youth APHA and PtHA shows. As he grows he will be trained in a variety of events and I eventually hope to find him the perfect show home, but I'm not in any hurry--he's a keeper and will certainly be talented and a lot of fun to show.

Ex Coosa Mia First (pending), aka "Baby"
2008 APHA/PtHA Sorrel Overo Mare
by son of APHA Superior Halter Horse Kootenai Wildfire
out of Coosas First (gdau of Coosa)

This isn't the best picture of this beautiful little girl, but it captures a lot of her spirit. She's incredibly sweet to work with, but she'll fight any horse on the place for her feed and win, but she's by far the smallest one in the bunch. It's not her fault, though--Baby was thrown away by a breeder who bought her dam and decided he didn't want to feed her enough for a nursing foal, too, so he sold her to a horse trader who is the same person who starved Bambi down to near death, so Baby obviously didn't get the extras she needed as an early-weaned foal there, either, but thankfully Darlene Worthington once again came to the rescue and purchased Baby for $100. I wouldn't have blamed her for leaving her, but her sweet face was irresistable and I'm so glad she did save her. Since Baby and Bambi were such good friends at Painted Prairie Farm it was only suitable that they stay together when I brought Bambi home. Baby is very well bred and while she'll always be on the small side, she has caught up to be a normal sized foal and may very well be able to show in local open shows when she grows up. She should be a lot of fun to have around. For now she'll spend her days out on pasture growing up with Fabian, Bambi, and Laramie.

NSN Momma Tried, aka "Laramie"
2008 APHA/PtHA (pending) Sorrel Overo Mare
by Superior Halter Horse VJM Rumor Has It
out of Ebony Connection (point producing dau of AQHA WC Illusive Connection)

I have always been a big fan of "Bubba's" (VJM Rumor Has It) and always wanted one of his foals. Well, I've been trying to keep my numbers down to a manageable level as much as possible, so when his owner, Kim Noyes, offered me one of his babies in exchange for giving her one of my broodmares, it was very hard to turn down. I only wanted Mercedes to have a great home with someone who'd appreciate her, and Kim treats her broodies so well that I think in my next life I'd like to come back as a mare in Kim's broodmare band LOL!! When I got Seeker back it was clear she wasn't happy being out of her usual herd of broodie's so I once again called upon Kim to see if she was interested in Seeker and thankfully she was! This time, though, I could not resist the call of a Bubba Baby, so Kim sent me Laramie. This filly is bred to the hilt, is big and beautiful. Unfortunately I haven't gotten to see her yet due to my back issues. Maureen Hunt of Hunt Paint Horses is caring for Laramie until I can get up to Nebraska and pick her up. I can't thank Kim and Mo enough for all their kindness and help through this ordeal, and I can't wait to get better and pick up Laramie! Laramie will grow up with Baby, Bambi, and Fabian while my time is spent training JJ and Paula, but I'm sure, from what I've heard, she will be a rising star very soon!

Thanks again so much to all my wonderful friends and family, for their encouragement and support through what seem like endless trials. I can't believe how much everything has turned around in the last year and that I'm now able to have my horses at home with me once again. The future looks very bright and promising and I can't wait to spend it with my fabulous horses, my spoiled dogs, and my wonderful friends and family!! :)