And This Week Went ... Where, Exactly?

I keep thinking it is still around Tuesday.

Wow- imagine my shock when it dawned on me that it's FRIDAY. Eeegads. Friday.

Time has flown all too quickly once again, leaving me to wonder at the speed. I have also been wondering, remembering really, days gone by and the insanity of youth. A phone call not long ago with my Very Best Friend brought about much laughter and giggles, and memories of crazy times on horseback.

It used to be, we'd just go out and hop on our horses and be off. Not so these days- oh no. These days, we have to A) find the time to get out to the horses, B) convince ourselves that yes indeed, we do have time to ride, C) ground work the horse some to make sure they are not too fresh, and D) crawl up and RIDE even if it's only for ten minutes.

I miss the old days, when I could run out to the pasture, call up Jack, and nimbly hop on and jog off to fresh adventures.

Or to drive over to Very Best Friends, corral our horses and head off together. Some of our rides, she usually on her Thoroughbred Champ, me on a trusty, tiny Mustang named Skippy, could get mighty interesting. We rode through rain, snow, blizzards, and buzzards. Champ was about 16 hands or so, Skippy was all of 13.2. There was one stretch of road where we would race. Champ would give us a 30 second head start, and Skippy and I would be off like a shot, flying along as his sturdy little legs could carry us. Before long though, we would hear Champ thundering up behind us, moving at an easy pace- not even exerting himself to full speed, passing us by and pulling away. Skippy would pin his furry red ears flat onto his neck, stretch himself out and dig in... and fly. For a tiny horse he had grit. Sometimes, grit is all you need, and Skippy's grit got us out of some potentially bad situations, but we never did catch Champ. I think Champ liked to toy with Skippy on those runs. He would flick his long black mane around, and tip his bay ear to Skippy as he passed. His big eyes would look Skippy over, and I kid you not, that big goof ball was laughing at us.

Very Best Friend would sit easily on Champs broad back, and laugh right along with Champ at Skippy's efforts. "Laugh all you want," I'd say, "Skippy will be here to save your butt long after Champ decides enough is enough and quits on you!"

The day we almost got mired in a bog held that statement true. We knew, no matter if we hauled the horses out to ride new trails, or if we were just riding the countryside around her farm, that Skippy could and would always get us back to Home (or the truck). And he would do it safely. Champ had forged ahead one day, when it was humid and the flies were biting viciously. He didn't seem to give a horse's patoot that the ground was funny looking and spongy. Skippy though- oh boy. Skippy had a fit- and he Never had fits. He flat out refused to move to keep up with Champ, and actually fought me. Champ was probably about 50 feet ahead of us, while I was back attempting to convince Skippy we really needed to get going, when I heard Very Best Friend yell out- "Holy Sh*t!! Help!! We're stuck in mud!"

I dropped the reins on Skippy's neck, and let him pick his way to the side of the mess to scope the situation out. Champ was belly deep in thick black mud (that stunk to high Heaven too,) and Very Best Friend- normally very calm and not easily upset- was pale and wondering what the heck we were going to have to do to get her and her horse out of the mess.

Luckily, we had carried a rope with us on that ride. She took a dally on her saddle horn, and tossed the free end to me, still mounted on Skippy. Once I had a good hold, she slid off Champ and made her way to us, using the rope to pull herself along. Champ was NOT impressed. At all. We usually rode with halters and leads attached, and Very Best Friend hauled on Champs lead, all the while telling him to try. Skippy and I hauled back on the long rope, and between the three of us pulling and Champ giving it a good go himself, we got him out.

He still wasn't impressed. He'd drop his head, smell his legs, delicately shake each front leg in turn, and make the funniest face of total, complete and utter disgust. It really seemed like he was telling us, "OK you got me out, now WHERE is my shower?"

Winter rolled around, and that didn't slow our riding by much. Skippy and Champ were still our preferred mounts, and off we would go. Poor little Skippy had a bear of time navigating some of the deeper snow drifts, and we decided that I might need to ride a taller horse come snow season. (Snow season by the way, sure seemed to last about 7 months out of the year.) Being that I was Very Best Friends favorite "Crash Test Dummy", I rode whatever she brought out for me that day. No one compared to Skippy though. He was Da Bomb.

Fast forward to now.

Tonight, I was out on the lawn at dusk, holding Sonny Bunz so he could mow for us. Reflecting back on those days, missing my Very Best Friend. I moved to the Southland, she moved west. I don't know if we will ever be able to ride together again, but I sure hope we can. Maybe someday when my Little Mens are older. Maybe someday, she and her family will come visit here- though I truly doubt she will want to muck with the horses in this heat! (Can't blame her!) Time will tell... time will tell. In the meantime, I dream. I hold Sonny, and remember that scrappy, tough, big headed, strong boned, opinionated little Mustang named Skippy. I remember riding my old Jack at night in the winter, with the moon reflecting off the snow. I remember the sheer joy of swinging up onto my mount, and heading out with someone I would trust with my life. I feel lucky, because instead of saying, "I wish we had done this," I can think, "Holy Crap- we did THAT?? What Were We Thinking!!"

Have a great weekend y'all, and Happy Hoofin'.
~MM

I removed his name tape to keep it off the internet. This man was shot in the face during an intense fire fight, he clinically died about 5 times, but finally pulled through with about 5 medics beating him to life. He is married and has 3 kids...

Go find an Infantrymen and shake his hand. Im getting tired of not hearing anything about the sacrifices we make and lives that we give. WTF is CNN doing!!!!! Good men are hunting bad men over here, and lots are paying the price. Plenty are coming from my area, my brothers. They are bustin their asses out here and I have seen many things already that would put hollywood war movies to shame as far as courage, heroism, and sacrifice. Yet no news station reports of it.

I know everyone here is all for us, and is appreciative... But when its always in your face over here and nobody seems to care back home as far as the media... it just breaks my heart.

Thank you SFC, I will return fire soon enough... For now, the hunt will continue...




This is Dear Husband and this post is for a friend of mine in Afghanistan that I have never met. I will skip the details of the encounter and as mentioned his name tag was removed for his family's sake. I say friend because ALL soldiers who are out there doing what has to be done are friends. Thank you SFC and you hold on tight for that family that loves you. Godspeed on your recovery.


This is a terrible image to see..and even more terrible to contemplate for a friend or family member. This is not posted to shock or inspire sympathy. This post is so that we do not forget. Everyone wonders how we can just "forget". Ask those Vietnam vets who came home to complete indifference if not outright hostility. Ask a Korean War (yes I said WAR) vet who came home to deafening silence. Americans tend forget the distasteful things. If its not on CNN or FOX news then it must not be important right? They didn't make the headline news so these men and women who are still hurting and dying must not matter. I will not forget! In my little corner of the world I will not let others forget either.

I grew up with a father who is a Vietnam vet and the scars he bears on his soul are enough to make me want to scream to the world every day what those men did for a country who forsook them. MY farrier mentor was a Korean War vet who lived that hell every day of his life and a select few of us are the only ones that ever knew his story. Men like these did what they were asked to do and were ignored or reviled for doing it. I will not allow this generation to leave it's soldiers for the history books to explain. These men do a job that most of us can't begin to understand. They do it for each other and their families. They do it so WE can sleep in a comfortable bed at night without fear. They don't want money and they don't want medals. They simply want to know that the sacrifices they make are NOT in vain.

Thank you Louis for doing what has to be done and getting the cold, hard truth out here for all of us to know. And THANK YOU SFC...you, your family and your brothers are all in our prayers.

Veritas Et Fortitudo
(Truth and Courage)

*UPDATE*
I got an email from Louis and he said the SFC in this post is back home with his family. He is in very serious condition and has a long recovery ahead but is making it !! God bless and while you are thanking an infantryman...make sure and thank medic too.

A Frequently Asked Question

"How do you make a healthy hoof?"

Ask this of 20 different hoof care providers, and you are liable to get about, oh, maybe 60 or so different answers at a minimum.

Why the diversity? Much like with everything else with your horse, there IS no single answer to fit every single situation, with every single horse. There are similarities though, that we can cover today.

These basic similarities begin with internal health of the horse. If you do not have a healthy horse INSIDE, you will not have a healthy outside (or a healthy hoof.) Start with a talk with your vet, to set up a good de-worming schedule, suited to your geographic location, the age of your horse, and his job(s). Parasite control is crucial to making a healthy horse on the inside. While you are at it, check their teeth too. Dental issues are at the root of a lot of issues with horse health and behavior.

Next, look over your feeding program. Evaluate it with your vet, and or county extension agent.

Third is my favorite: Timely, Routine Hoof Care, provided by a well trained, highly skilled service provider.

We are often asked "Does my horse need a hoof supplement?" 99% of the time, no, they do not. Save your money, and get some Really Good Fly Spray instead. It will make more of a difference for your horse AND his hooves, as it will help prevent him from stomping endlessly at the flies on his legs, creating extra concussion on the hooves, and joints.

Is there a hoof supplement we prefer? No, not so much. In the rare cases we do need one, I advise people to seek out one with high biotin levels, and a minimum of everything else. Again- if you grain your horse, check your feed labels to make sure you will not be overloading your horse on a supplement.

If no supplements, what can we do to help create/ maintain a healthy hoof?

EXERCISE.

As I have stated here before (many times, I am sure,) the hoof is NOT a solid unit like a block of wood. Inside that hoof wall are blood vessels, tendons, cartilage, bones, and softer tissue. Like anything else, if you do not use those pieces, they loose tone, strength, and flexibility. The digital cushion can and does turn from a tough, fibrous mass, to a light weight "flabby" gelatinous mess that can in no way shape or form provide the support needed.

If you don't have a healthy INSIDE, you will not have a healthy OUTSIDE.

We are not going to get into the Great Debate in this post, (The Great Debate being: Shoes -VS- Barefoot,) that is a subject that can span months, get heated, and frankly, attracts a lot of strange viewpoints.

Time is our friend when dealing with hoof issues. You've heard the saying "Time heals all wounds", right? Did you ever stop long enough to really think about that? Time does amazing things to heal bodies and their appendages. Turn out, good hay, grooming, fussing, worming, and routine skilled trimming can make a HUGE difference in the overall health of your horse along with his hooves.

Oh- wait a moment.

You can't really have a healthy hoof, if you don't have a healthy horse, right? Right.

In a nutshell folks, work overall on getting the entire horse healthy, provide 24 / 7 turnout if at all possible, good quality hay, routine parasite control, and proper hoof care. Your entire horse will get healthier, and so will his hooves.

Thinking Thursday

Recently, I had the time to sit down and read some blogs, and saw that both White Horse Pilgrim and Little Keebler awarded me the "Honest Scrap" award. Now, I suspect that there were a couple of other awards that I have missed recently, and I feel a HUGE need to say I am sorry to those who bestowed them upon me. Missing them was not intentional, and I do appreciate your thoughts of Oh HorseFeathers! and the insanity that is Command Central.

Onto the 10 scraps now.

1) This is a tough one for me, in all honesty. Why? Because I really do not like to reveal things about myself to people- even people I know. As time has passed, I have become even more reluctant to open up to people. I have also become much, much more cynical.

2) That being said... this post may not actually MAKE the full 10 things! But for number 2 here, I'll say my hair is long. I like it like that. Besides, since moving from Tundra Country, where I had managed to find a woman who did amazing things with my mop, I have had exactly ONE decent haircut. ONE. Currently, I tend to keep my hair in a braid almost all the time, and under a ball cap.

3) I wear the ball cap for a couple reasons: one being to keep my hair out of the sun as much as possible, but also I can not stand the sensation of my brain boiling in the south Georgia sun. Besides, the brim of the cap keeps the sun from my eyes, which...

4) Have become quite light sensitive as I age.

5) Speaking of age, it is starting to show. Aside from the saddle bags that appeared with my two young children, I don't MIND showing some age. It has been a damn hard journey to make it here, and I feel I have earned the marks of time- including my gray hair.

6) However, due to some really awesome genetics, I don't show my age (rapidly approaching 39,) as most people my age do. In fact, I look quite a bit YOUNGER. Works for me!

7) On the genetic front, I have a sister who is a Doctor. Yep, she is a Phrenologist, doing her Fellowship at Vanderbilt University. Dr. K. Medicine Woman is an inspiration to me, and I deeply admire her grit, intelligence, and determination. Not too long ago, I had someone snort somewhat derisively at me when informed of this, as they asked, "Your sister is a Doctor? What happened to YOU?" Know what happened to me? I chose to chase ponies. I followed MY passion, just as Dr. K. Medicine Woman has followed hers, and I do not regret my decision for one moment. People who believe that we all should "be responsible" and have a "real job", and who look down their noses at the "lowly farrier" can Kiss My A$$.
Why? Because I am HAPPY. Are YOU?

8) Happiness comes in many different forms for everyone. Mine is simple- my family, my animals, and keeping life uncomplicated keep me happy. I don't have gadgets and gizmos, don't feel the need to "get my hair done", or "go shopping with the girls", or even hang out with "the girls". I prefer to stay more or less on my own, not following along like a lemming in the latest pursuit of The Accepted Societal Ideal.

Hmm. Maybe that has contributed to my youthful appearance, since my stress level is much lower than many in my age group.

9) Wow- made it to 9.... let's see if I can actually find something to post....Here's one:
A good pal of mine told me not too long ago that I "REALLY NEED" to join Facebook. "It's great!" she says. "You'd be amazed at the people who can find you!" she says. I had to laugh. She asked why I was laughing, as EVERYONE is on Facebook. I said, "Dude, I don't want to be F-O-U-N-D." *I* know where I am, and so do the people who matter to me.

10) Oh boy. Here's 10 and I am lost.. gimme a second here. .....

Right. I'm dry. Anything else is already known, or would prefer NOT to be known. For number 10 you'll have to use your imaginations.
There comes along with this the responsibility to award 10 other people, but I think this has already made the rounds. If you have NOT been tagged yet, please consider yourself tagged and comment so we can come read YOUR 10 Honest Scraps!

Meantime, Happy Hoofin' y'all- ~MM

Almost- Wordless Wednesday

Boudreaux!

Rock Star, wanted to show The Rest Of His Face

Sonny, Looking for Cub

How freaking CUTE is that face??

"What Happened To My Horsie?"

To quote Jackie Chan in "Shanghai Noon", yesterday I was once again sitting wondering "What Happened To My Horsie? .... Is he.... Dead?"

Turns out he didn't die, but he is making me think that he is either:
A) got it all figured out how to get to nap on the thick lawn grass for a few hours,
B) He has an issue in his hind gut that I need to discover and resolve, or
C) all of the above.

Dear Husband poking Sonny to make sure he was alive..

The last two times he has had a belly ache, we attributed it to a change in hay types. However, this time, he has had the same exact hay, from the same exact producer, from the same exact field. It has been tougher than usual to keep Sonny's weight where I like it as well. He isn't "skinny", but he isn't quite what I like to see on him either.

"Where Am I?"

We know the following:
His teeth are good
He is up to date on parasite control
No dietary changes
No fertilizer used on the lawn where he grazes

Ulcers? Sand? Time to investigate more!
THESE things... Holy Crap! When they bite, I swear they draw off a pint of blood in under 2 seconds flat.
They leave welts that are the size of my hand!!

To add to his humiliation, I took pictures. AND I worked on his feet. Must say- it was the best he has ever behaved for a trim since we've known him. Also must say this is the best his feet have looked since we have known him.

Oh, And By The Way Liberty County Horse Owner ...

Shame On You.

Shame Shame SHAME on You.

Next door to a boarding barn, where the horses all appear in adequate weight, YOUR two horses, in a small dirt pen, (not even big enough to call it a paddock,) with NO shelter from the bright, hot sun today, and NO hay in front of them, your two horses stood. Heads hanging down, trying to root through the dirt in a futile search for hay, grass, or food of some sort, they stood with hips protruding and ribs showing.

SHAME ON YOU. This is a heavily traveled road. Stick a sign out on the back side of their fence, and let someone take them where they will be FED. (Oh, I enjoyed the fact that there was a tall wooden fence between YOUR house and the horses, preventing you from being able to see your horses. Starving. In the bright sun.)

What the hell is going ON here people? Two years ago, Georgia was in an extremely severe drought, and NO ONE had hay. That is not the case now- now hay is everywhere, and AFFORDABLE, and yet... We see MORE skinny and damn hungry horses now- with an abundance of nice grass hay around- than we did when there was no hay.

Someone, please explain this to me.

Shame On You.

Feed Those Horses, People.

Gotta Check The Truck

Had to check the Big Green Beast today, before we headed home. Actually, this has become a habit lately. Since the BGB is rather large, there are times when stowaways try to slip home with us.

What kind of stowaways? Today it was The Cutest Jack Russell Terrorist... err TERRIER... E-V-E-R. For real- I had to make sure that somehow he had not slipped into the BGB with us to make the return trip. (I had to check Dear Husband's pockets too. This dog was THAT CUTE.) He was really laid back too- probably with out a doubt the calmest JRT we have ever met.

The other day, there was a pretty little pony named Lily that tried to climb into Someone's Pockets to come home with us. (Nope- not mine. She *liked* me well enough, but could not seem to get enough attention from Cub and Dear Husband. She'd bat those big brown eyes, and the two of them would coo at her and rub her neck... It was so sweet I had to come home and check my blood sugar levels.)

There have been kitties in the past that have tried to hitch rides with us too. Wrecking Crew has a soft spot for kitties, and does his darndest to convince me we really, really NEEEEED to have a kitty at home. (NO. We. Do. Not. Need. A. Kitty.)

Yep, in this life there are a load of interesting things that try to get in the BGB with us to come home. Little cute dogs, kitties, mini horses, small ponies, shoot even a couple of big horses have tried to come home too. There have been birds, butterflies, bees, horse flies, and today a wasp that stung the Cub twice too.

Most of all though, what tends to come home with us is the smell of hooves. Radiating off the tools that are stowed in the back. Good thing that particular aroma is not an issue in this household...

Yeah, that little Jack Russell Terrorist sure would have been a cute addition to Command Central. However, since we A) have LIMITED room here, and we are currently FULL in our house, and B) Granny and Johnny Reb brought home a special surprise yesterday, we REALLY have no room now. Special surprise? Oh - yeah- I need to get pictures of the Special Surprise. Y'all will LOOOOOVE him. His name is "Boudreaux". He's an 11 week old Bloodhound puppy, and currently Rules Da Roost. Princess Bitsy Puppy is NOT Impressed, and has issued a Royal Decree that The Interloper Must Leave. N-O-W.

I kinda fell head over heels for this little man last night, when he scrambled his way up into my lap and turned those big brown eyes upon me, wagged that sweet puppy tail, and as he placed his ginormous puppy paws on my shoulders, and looked me deep in the eyes..... he stuck out his pink puppy tongue and got me. Ahhh that Puppy Smell! That Puppy Snuggle! Those ginormous ears! Yep, he stole my heart alright.

No beating me about the head please- today was insane and pictures were not an option. Tomorrow, Boudreaux will make his pictorial debut here and capture all your hearts as well!

Happy Hoofin'-
~MM

Saying Goodbye...

I got word yesterday that a very sweet client horse had succumbed to colic and passed away as a result. "Tack's Salty Dog", an Appaloosa of wonderful intelligence, loads of character, and great spots, was 33 years old. He spent 20 years of his life with his devoted owner, packing her all over on trails, and being a horse show friend to many young riders. "Tack" was one of my personal favorites for many reasons, and I will miss him dearly.

Rest in peace my old spotted pal, and know that we are looking forward to meeting you again.

For Your Eyes Only

I caught that! Small Blue Cat- about 3#. WHOOHOO!

Snake Bite Questions

This sweet young Paint mare, purchased by our clients in December, came to them with an old snake bite wound. They are estimating the bite to be about a year old, and still are having troubles with it being slightly swollen (under the bite, you can see a bit of swelling still,) and the bite site itself will ooze pus every day or two. She is not painful, eats well, is ridden, and is a very happy horse, but... something is just not quite right there with that bite, and her owner is seeking more information. I did give them the name and number of the new area horse vet, and they plan on talking with him as well. But, since this blog reaches lots of folks, I'd love to be able to pass along as much information as possible for this mare, AND to have it tucked away for future knowledge for ourselves.

Anyone? Insight? (Mikey, I am sure this is like, the LAST thing YOU want to think about today!!! For those who don't know, Ol' Thelma managed to get herself out in the middle of the night with some buds and go getting herself into trouble. Mikey was headed to the vet to get the silly fart looked at... Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Thelma, and a Night's SLEEP for Mikey!!!)

Friday Tutorial

Since I spent the other day, venting my spleen about skinny horses we have seen in our travels, and encouraging people to freaking FEED their horses, I decided that maybe- just MAYBE- a bit of a tutorial might be in order here.

Feeding your horse does NOT have to be Rocket Science. If you keep it simple, you will have better results. There are a multitude of feeds out there for every stage of growth/ age in your horse. I suggest sitting down for a few moments with your local feed dealer, to discuss what might be the best option for your horse.

Hay on the other hoof, is a bit of a picky subject with me. There are custom blends of alfalfa, orchard grass, timothy, alicia, coastal bermuda, russell, bahaia, perennial peanut hay... First cutting, second cutting, third... you get the picture. Why is hay a touchy subject? Because so many horse owners are STUPID about it.

I can hear it now- SOMEONE out there is rolling their eyes at me, shaking their head, and getting ready to cuss me out. Go for it- your comment will be allowed, I promise.

How are horse owners stupid about hay? Let's do the math here.

You've heard me mention "Penny Wise, Pound Foolish" here before when talking about hoofcare. It applies to hay, too.
First: You Oh So Seriously Get What You Pay For with hay. If you are happy to be paying $4 per square bale, I am willing to bet that one or more of the following will happen:
A) The bales weigh about 40#
B) The bales have a questionable smell
C) The supplier runs out in the middle of winter
D) Your horses just don't look all that great on it, and you are feeding more feed to compensate for poor quality hay.

Second: If you bounce around from hay supplier to hay supplier, getting consistent quality is tough, and your horses pay in the long run.

Third: By not getting consistent quality, YOUR WALLET pays in the long run. (Because You Have To Feed MORE.)

Horses are an animal meant to graze all day long. By not keeping something in front of them to chew on, (ie: HAY), you are increasing the risks of the following:
- Obviously, weight loss
- Ulcers
- Behavior problems
- Uneven/ improper wearing of the teeth
- Increased fighting in the herd, as the stronger beat the weak to the available food, which causes increased injuries (again- a good possibility that your WALLET will have to open to pay the vet bill.)

If you do Nothing Else for your horse, buy a $2 tube of Ivermectin wormer from one of the online equine supply places, (Jeffers, Valley Vet, Country Supply, etc,) and give it to them, have fresh clean water for them, and have hay out for them to eat 24/7.

Oh- wait-- I hear it!!! Galloping up the path!! "But Hay Is Too Expensive To Have Out All The Time! They Eat Too Much!" Or, "They'll Waste It!"

Hmmm.... Let's see here now. When we have had rehab horses come in, yes, they DO tend to eat more in the early stages of recovery. Why? They Are HUNGRY. As they gain weight, and muscle, they slow down to a "normal" pace, and don't go through THAT much hay. By feeding a quality grass hay, and MINIMAL supplemental feed, the horses gain healthy weight, and their overall health improves drastically.

So how is it penny wise, pound foolish to stick with that $4 bale, over the $6, 60 pound, tested, green, fresh smelling hay?

What would YOU rather eat? Something that is kinda funky smelling and brownish, or something fresh smelling and green?

There is a 20 pound weight difference there too. Two dollars for 20 additional pounds seems pretty darn cheap in my book. Why? Because to feed as much as your average horse needs, you will *probably* have to feed more hay, plus feed, and lots of folks feed supplements in the feed as well. So for $8 you get 80 pounds of hay that will need additional supplementation, OR spend $12 dollars, get 120 pounds of hay, and for your average pasture pet, you don't have to worry overly much about additional grain. (Yes, older horses NEED Senior feed. Growing horses NEED feed formulated for their growth needs. Heavily working horses NEED feed formulated for their jobs. Gestating and lactating mares NEED additional feed to fit their unique needs.) But your average, stand in the field, take a ride on weekends, hit the trails now and again, look handsome for Mommy horse will maintain good weight on QUALITY hay alone.

So, skinny horse owners, find a steady supply of QUALITY grass hay, and Feed Those Horses. Please. I beg of you. The horses will thank you. The horses health will thank you. Your wallet will thank you. Your VET will thank you, as an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Shop around online in your area for a good supplier. Feed stores are great, but know what? They charge a LOT. (I saw a sixty pound bale of lovely alfalfa the other day in a feed store- for $25. That same hay can be had from a farmer for around $10 around here.)

Look for fresh, GREEN color. Smell it- smell for a sweet scent- NOT a dusty musty scent. Look for dust- there should be no clouds of dust (or mold) as you shake the hay. Stick your arm in the middle of the bale, and feel for heat. It should be cool to the touch- hot hay = increased chance of mold growth. Ask how long it dried for- two days here on the coast is average, and produces beautiful hay. Ask about test results, and if you are lost when you look at them, take a copy to your local ag extension agent, and ask them for help understanding the results. My rule of thumb when looking at hay is simple: Does It Make ME Hungry?

Sounds squirrely, but spend as much time around horses as I have, and good hay makes my belly rumble. Go figure...

There you have it. A mini-tutorial on feeding hay. Eat with your eyes first, smell it, shake it, and test it. But above all, FEED IT. Please.

Thankful Thoughts For Thursday

Sweet, soft donkey noses that love attention.

Hard NOT to be thankful for something like that!

Mikey, this is Big Blue. I'm thankful for him, cause he is a RIOT to watch!

(In case you were wondering, thats a very big catfish, sticking his mouth out of the water, telling us to FEED HIM. NOW.)

Pecan Groves. We get to see so many cool things in our travels...

And last but not least, these two clowns. Son Bunz and the Rock Star Pony.
(OTB- there's your Sonny Fix!)

And those are some of my thankful thoughts for this fine day.

~MM

Someone Got Some 'Splainin To Do

This is NOT going to be a pretty post. So if you don't want to read some strong thoughts, you might want to head over to some of the nicer Wednesday Posts.

What In The Hell Is Wrong With People? No- Seriously Now. We have spent days covering various portions of the state here, admiring the countryside, admiring HEALTHY looking herds of cattle, a few fat horses, lovely flowers, rolling GREEN grass pastures, GREEN, FRESH, LOVELY hay ALL OVER THE FREAKING PLACE, and freaking SKINNY horses. How skinny? Skinny enough that at 60 MPH, *I* can see ribs, spines, and hips poking out. WTF? Why? WHY are these horses- standing in the MIDST of this freshly cut 2009 hay, these to die for HUGE pastures, LOADS of green grass, and TONS OF FREAKING HAY? With NO hay in front of them?

Do NOT give me the bullshit excuse that, "Oh, it's hot, and he's a hard keeper when it gets hotter." Or the, "Oh, he's OLD. He is 18 afterall, old horses are SUPPOSED to be skinny." (I swear, I am totally going to BITCHSLAP the next jagoff that pulls that shit on me. Dude. For real. Rasp Enema here I come, baby.) Oh- wait- its a backwoods dumbass that owns the horses? Well, GEE- here's an idea- LOOK ONLINE FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO FREAKING FEED YOUR HORSES. It's even FREE! What have you got to loose? You're on line all the time anyways, surfing sites best left unseen, and talking about your horsies. Try taking the time to LEARN how to properly care for them for a change.

Hay is too expensive? Bullshit. See that flag waving away there? Yeah- that's the one. The one that says "No Bullshit" on it? Yeah- that one. Hay is available all over right now. A round bale that measures 54" tall will yield you about 18 good sized square bales, at a much lower cost. Take that fricken bale and chunk it out in the paddock for those horses to EAT. Average cost for that bale here RIGHT now as I type? $50 to $65. Too much money? Try cutting down on your McNuggets, smokes, etc for a couple days. Still can't afford the hay to feed them? Then freaking get RID of them. Put FREE ads up online to find them a home- and do NOT think you will get gagillions of dollars for them kids- oh no. Put them up for FREE, cause ain't no one around going to PAY YOU to save your starving to death horse. Shoot, YOU may have to PAY THEM. (Like, maybe in the form of FINES to the county animal control. Or to the dudes who remove dead animals.)

Dear Lord people, smell the fresh hay here and freaking LEARN how to feed. Get OFF your Lazy Asses and put hay out there- if nothing else, have hay and clean water for them.

And the NEXT person I see RIDING one of those severely skinny horses is going to get yanked off by their freaking mullet and I am going to have the HORSE ride THEIR fat ass.

And thus ends today's PSA.

What We've Been Up To....

We've seen a lot of these....

And these....

And I swear it's been PONY CENTRAL lately, instead of
Command Central

You know you are a horse person when the above ^
And the shots below
Do things to various portions of your anatomy that are GOOD.

Mikey, This Is For You, Wade, and Mercy!

We have about six catfish (a couple blues, a channel cat or two, and a really sharp looking Appaloosa,) that come to feed every night. I've been trying to get shots of Blue as he comes to the surface to suck floating food in, but he's camera shy.
The smaller fish are Brim.
That one is Blue, at the bottom.

This is a big Bass that hunts baby Brim at feeding time, as he is passing a tiny turtle.
Wrecking Crew says, "Oh! Isn't he CUUUUTE!! I wanna take him HOME, Mommy!!"

The fish to the right in this shot probably would weigh in at ten or so pounds.
The really big one was in deeper water, and his pictures didn't come out. I'll keep trying, since he is well worth seeing. Dear Husband estimates his weight at 20 pounds.
Big Damn Fish.

Oh- this? This is just where the gator has been hanging out. We took care of that (the hiding place that is,) yesterday. He's only a two footer, and real narrow. Probably only about a year and a half old. He'll be uh... "relocated".... soon. Gators have been seriously on the move lately around here. I've spotted four in the past two weeks alone in our travels- well, OK, three in our travels and one in our lake. Plus a wild pig- that was freaking HUGE. He was only about four miles from our home. I'd rather see pigs and gators than the snakes we've had reports of from neighbors though! One lady had a six foot rattle snake in her yard. I'll leave those to you, Mikey~!

Happy Fourth of July, Fellow Americans!

~MM