Day Three Update

Tater got to have yesterday off as it seems somewhere along the way, a stomach bug invaded my system and completely left me unable to do more than drool on myself while sitting on the couch. Yep. It wuz THAT pathetic around here.

Today dawned bright and cold (OK- cold for HERE- temp this morning when we rolled out of the sack was a brisk 32*.) Today Tater went back to school. Tomorrow the goal is for me to get ON him, so today Tater and I messed around with a couple of changes. He moved his front end away from me in both directions on request, backed at a mere light suggestion, and walked like a wonderful gentleman to the mailbox.

We incorporated a snaffle bit today. And I wound up getting bored so to the mounting stump we went... and  I laid over his back. Tater thought I had lost my ever loving mind, but he stood rock still.

Might be a brain growing in there afterall. Have to see how he does tomorrow. Riding will be kept short- as I laid over him today, I could really feel fully how much muscle he needs to build all along his topline. He has been gaining weight and growing while here, but he still has a long, long way to go. I'm not real fond of the idea of riding him while he is downhill, but 5 minuets here and there will do his brain some good.

Phat Boy watched all the action. He was smug while seeing Tater work outside the paddock but when we went in to the mounting stump, Phat Boy had to come and check the situation out. Phat Boy being Phat Boy, he stayed with his rump to the gate, watching me intently. You'd almost think he was jealous or something.

After I slipped down from the stump, Tater got hooked to the Patience Tree and despite being weak as a sick kitten... I had to. I could not resist. Phat Boy beckoned with his big brown eyes and broad back... and I crawled up on him. A ten minute walk around on the back of my favorite red man did wonders for both of us. Perching up on that chunky pony sure feels like "home".

I've been lucky. Most of my life, I've been able to ride and spend time with some really amazing horses. But there are very, very few who feel like "Home" when you're up there. After old Jack died, it seemed like that "home" feeling would be just a memory.

But we got lucky again, and one red fellow fits the bill perfectly.

Right- enough rambling from an overtired still recovering mind. Happy Trails everyone!
~MM

Tater Haz Brain Fry

 And this is how he looked today after Day Two of School.

First, the weather. Yikes. Bit of rain on the way to get hay this morning- but it has mostly held off since. But the winds.. wow. They are WHIPPING around. Which meant that school time for Tater was somewhat interesting to say the least. As I cleaned the paddock, I also wanted to smooch on Phat Boy a bit. The winds however had both boys whipped up into a tizzy and they ran about like their tails were on fire. Eventually, Phat Boy wanted to quit and come get some attention but TATER.... Well, HE had other ideas. Up until recently, Phat Boy has been the boss hoss in the paddock and pretty much took no crap from the upstart kid. There has been a shift in power because as much as Tater has tested me of late, he is also testing Phat Boy.

In order to catch the young upstart kid, we had to move our feet. Lots. For about 20 minutes. Phat Boy's fitness goal is going to be met and surpassed at this rate, with no riding time for me. He was huffing and puffing and SO ready to stop. Honestly I wanted to single Phat Boy out and have Cub hold him outside while I continued the lesson for Tater in the paddock, but one bite from Phat Boy (finally!) and Tater walked to me and shoved his face in the halter.



He danced his way out the gate, and onto a refresher course of yesterday we went. Today, taking the high winds into consideration, we did not try to learn anything new, and I honestly had hoped to keep things short. His brain is young, which if the young brains of The Locust Brothers are any indication, keeping them focused on a task for more than two seconds..... well... SQUIRREL!!! And POOF.. they're all gone...

The Tater 'Tude was still present.
So. He worked. Stop, change direction, trot small, trot big, change direction... anything rapid fire to get in control of his feet, we did it. And then... of ALL the insults, we backed. Oh the HORROR!

Tater did earn himself a new nickname today at one point. I don't think he liked being told he was "Crow Bait". Sucks to be him. Maybe if he decides to oh, I don't know.. BEHAVE?? he might can earn a NEW nickname in time. By the end of probably about 30 mins, Tater 'Tude was put away, so Tater got to cool down and go in for a roll.


In Other News:

 The aforementioned wind? Yeah. We skipped the Patience Tree today because the Patience Tree is a pine tree. When the winds whip, pine cones fall down. Which if you have wimpy little pine cones, it is no big deal. But. We don't have wimpy little pine cones around us. See those two? They fell while we were ground working today. I wear a size 9 1/2 sneaker. Buggers hit the ground with a resounding THUD. Since they weigh in at about 2 pounds, and are falling from close to 40' up... there is a good bit of velocity there to do damage. No Patience Tree for horses while the winds are howling.

 Porch Cat agrees. Windy days suck and pine cones the size of those are no fun.

 Now for a bit of random oddness.... out on the porch are a couple last remaining pepper plants and mater plants. I got nosing around out there last night and about choked when I saw maters. So I looked closer. And there are a few more peppers too. I'll be dagummed. Temps for this week are supposed to be downright chilly- in the 30's. I might group together these last few plants and cover them up at night. I'd bring them in the house, but honestly? There is NO room inside. (Small house. Just trust me on this one.)

So blanket/ cover it may be, and we will see how long we can get them to last. A couple of maters would be kinda fun! That reminds me-- they look like they could use a bit of Mater Food...

Stay tuned. Tomorrow should be Day 3 of School for Tater. We'll continue to document his progress, but I will say if he keeps THIS up, his butt is going to be RIDDEN by the end of the week. Heaven knows he will be sacked out enough and ground worked enough for it! BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Geeeee Tater, it kinda looks like you are going to get an education and a half, as unless the weather interferes and the ground is too slick, I see a whoooooole lotta miles in your future here.

Tater Goes To School

Today, my plan was to stick with several of the suggestions (from Leah, keep it only a few days a week, and from Shirley, keep the sessions shorter.) However..... that did not quite happen as planned.

Tater was great- walked up and stuffed his face out for haltering, (got an A for that,) stood ground tied for hoof check and frog scrubbing (A for that too,) so we decided to go on to the next step with some simple direction changes at the walk. After a couple of explanations, he got a B for that. Once he had a small lightbulb moment, we thought a short walk would be nice and then I'd put him up for the night.

The walk went well. He stayed with me, alert and attentive at all times. Very mannerly- no rushing, no slamming into me. (I'll give him a B+ there).

We got to the yard, and Wrecking Crew and Cub asked permission to approach and pet Tater- which was fine. After Wrecker and Cub had paid their due attention, I asked Tater to back up a couple of steps. Tater however... well, HE decided to "mock" take a bite of my arm. As in, ears went back, eyes got pissy, and his mouth came gaping open in the general direction of my arm. His chest bowed up, and his general body language said, "You Ain't The Boss Of ME! I'll Stand Here If I Want!" (Yep. THAT is an F in my book.)

Yeeeeeaaaahhhhhhhhhh... umm... no. THAT particular 'Tude will fly about as well as a turd in a punch bowl.

What *was* going to be 15 minutes? Turned into an hour.

Current Score:
Auntie Mrs Mom- 1
Tater- 0

Tater got an Attitude Adjustment and we worked. We worked on the long line until he decided that yes, he could change direction promptly and with manners, and yes, we could back nicely and straight when asked, and THEN he got soak time on the Patience Tree. He got a reprieve on the Patience Tree as the freaking Sand Gnats are out in force trying for one last big score before the cooler weather gets here in a couple days. I was kinda tired of being Gnat Bait, so Tater got unhooked and lead with decent manners to the paddock.

Now, I have a bit of an OCD about letting a horse go in the paddock. For one, I don't just schlep through the gate and let them go. Oh no. They walk nicely through the gate, stop, turn and face the gate, and we back. Usually about 5'. Did Tater back? Weeeellllllll......... let's just say his backing was about 25' instead of 5'. Overall grade for Tater today? C-.

And Phat Boy? Stood there, shaking his wise (wide?) red head, sighing. I swear he was looking at Tater saying, "I TOLD you so. I TOLD you don't piss off Da Momma. Don't you listen to ANYTHING, Kid? Don't. Piss. Off. Da. Momma."


To rub it in further as I walked away from Tater towards the gate to exit, Phat Boy nickered at me and came walking up for some Mom time. Yep. He looked over at Tater as I scratched his favorite spot and said, "THIS is MY Mom. And THIS is how you are to TREAT my Mom! ... Dumbass..."

Guess who (weather permitting) is going to school again tomorrow. Yep. Looks like Tater is going to get a lot of one on one attention in the very near future!

Motivation

We are entering PRIME riding weather here in the Southland- cooler, less humid, less bugs. Phat Boy is perky and bright eyed, ready to rumble. Tater is literally begging for a job- he waits at the gate every time he hears any of us outside, head up, eyes happy, ears as far forward as they can get- begging, begging, PLEEEEZE!! Come play with ME!!!

And yet... there they sit. Oh, their needs are tended and coats clean, hooves trimmed... but work? Yeah.. not so much.

I need to find some motivation. Set some goals to reach. I used to rely (way way way Back In The Day) on show dates. Every day, I'd look at the schedule and plan-- OK-- "X" amount of time until this show. We still need to work on this, this, and this. This week, we tackle THIS job. It's been ten years since I showed. The thought of showing does not do much for me- right now it is a happy memory of times (long) gone by. Would I show again? ..... (pause while I ponder the thought....)........(hang on... still pondering.....)................. (wait- might have it....)...................(ooorrrrrrrrrr not......)........................................


Huh. If  the length of the pause is any indication, I'd have to say probably not. Not like Very Best Friend and I used to. Maybe another avenue, but then again... maybe not too. The shows available where we are currently located are either hunter/ dressage type stuff or .... shoot, honestly I think that is about it. Our other option to socialize with other horse folks is on trail rides where 200 plus people routinely show up. (ACK. Golden Hermit Status rules do not allow me to attend rides with THAT many people.)

I'm not sure which direction to go in.
I do have one goal- that every day this week, at least one of the horses will get worked. Goals for Tater are somewhat easy- he needs education in everything. Phat Boy.... not as easy. It looks the best goal for him right now would be fitness. (He says he HAS a shape- ROUND is a shape and he is beautifully round.)

So help me out peeps. Give me a swift kick in the arse. Help me set some goals and figure out where the heck we are going these days. Cause right now.. I'm a wee bit more clueless than normal!

SAVE THE TATAS!

Oh- by the way- this is a non-equine related post, so if you aren't up to reading about boobages, best click the little "X" up yonder or hit your back button on your browser. 'K? Thanks!



Yep. You read that right. SAVE THE TATAS! Be Kind To Your Boobs!

The Range is going PINK this week not once, but twice. We are hosting a PINK HEALS event, and specifiaclly for this event, we are raffling off chances to win a Bersa Thunder .380. This is a special, limited edition package, provided by Bersa- proceeds to go to breast cancer awareness and research. Ticket proceeds will be donated to our local chapter of the PINK HEALS Brigade.

So what do you get, where can you get it, and how much will it set you back?
First, the WHAT:
- Bersa Thunder .380, one 7 round magazine, limited edition pink wooden grips, full wrap around grips, a BERSA FIGHTS CANCER pink wrist band and a custom padded pink carrying case, with custom molded foam. (Want to see it? Click HERE!)


- Where you can get a ticket: 
Your best bet? Call the Range at 912-355-0205. Ask for THE RANGE, and who knows- if you time it right you might get to chat with me in person, or Dear Husband! Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Thursday, 17 November. If you want to catch moi on the phone, call after 3PM EST.)

- How much will it lighten your wallet?
Only $10. Not bad, considering the total package retails for over $450. And it's a pretty sweet price to pay for not only something that might save your special lady's life, but it WILL impact the lives of others in such a positive manner.


Now GO SAVE SOME TATAS!!!


ETA:
PINK HEALS proceeds go to the Lewis Cancer Research Center at Memorial Hospital. What BERSA chooses to do with their proceeds is up to BERSA. Personally? I'd like to see more done for PROSTATE Cancer but apparently prostates are not as "Cool" and "Fun" as boobs are.

11-11-11, Veteran's Day

It seems somehow inappropriate to say "Happy" Veteran's Day to the military men and women we know. So I'm not going to.

Instead, we are going to say a big THANK YOU.

For all you do,
All you have done,
And all that you and your family have sacrificed,
That our great country remain free.

My family and I thank you from the depths of our hearts.

Thank you-
*JC "Jungle" R. and your crew- RANGERS LEAD THE WAY! (And the Wheels In The Sky Keep On Turnin'... buwahahaha)
*Frazee- we love you man
*BamBam H- we love you too, you miserable old bastid
*ARMT Guy- new Daddy! Thank you, and your family too
*No Good Irish Bastid, remember the door is always open for a home cooked meal for you. Just holler, we'll feed you!
*Silent Ghost- raise up your Princess well. Thank you for all you have done SG.
*FBI Guy- To one of the coolest guys I know- we love you too even if we don't want to admit it in public
*T "Grunt" H- thank you too man. We miss you.

To fellow bloggers who have military spouses, are military themselves, or have served- THANK YOU.

To try and actually name all the military folks we know... well, I'd be sitting here all day. I can't do that- but we sure are thinking of each and every one of you.

But I am going to take the time to say something to two more special folks- "Spud the Stud" H- we're SO proud of you. Keep on keepin on man, we KNOW you can do it.

And in remembrance, Johnny Reb. You know how much we all miss you, but we understand now is your time to stand point in Heaven. Love you Pops.


There you have it. Thank a Vet today. Shake their hand. Say a kind word. Let them know what they give so much for is not in vain.


~MM
III

Meet Fishy!

 Yes. The Asylum now has a fish. A rather crabby Beta fish, named .. well, "Fishy".. has joined the insanity. Fishy is a pretty fellow. But according to Dear Husband, who finds Fishy endlessly entertaining, Fishy has Anger Management Issues.

Yep. You read that right. Anger Management Issues.

See how Fishy is all bowed up in the pic to the left? Yeah. Well, anytime anything (like a flashlight, finger, etc) happens to be placed next to his tank, Fishy gets P!SSED. We aren't talking, "Oh look- Fishy is upset and swimming around fast in his tiny tank." Oh. No. Fishy gets Royally TICKED and tries to attack (through the tank mind you) whatever object is near HIS tank.

In fact, Dear Husband finds this SO entertaining, he will talk to Fishy and slowly move his finger along the tank, just to see what Fishy will do.

Who knew that there would be such entertainment value in an inherited fish?

 As you can see, the ponies are doing well. Phat Boy is learning new tricks, and Tater/ Colt/ Kid (nope- still no actual "name" for the poor fellow,) is growing. With cooler weather, the two of them play and romp on a daily basis. T/C/K likes to pick on Phat Boy, reaching out as far as his odd little neck will allow, and nipping Phat Boy on his cheek. Which in turn ends up with both boys reaching for the sky, and tear arseing around the paddock like their butts were on fire.

Which always brings out the entire household, including the DAT, to witness their antics. There is just something about watching horses PLAY.

What else has been going on at The Asylum? Well, let's see... the transmission in the truck went KABLEWY last week, but as I type Dear Husband is on his way to bring her home. Yay! The Locust Brothers are eating us out of house and home on a daily basis. All canine and feline residents are wonderful, and in fact sweet DAT gave us a few laughs when Fishy moved in. See, Fishy's new home is on top of the entertainment center in the living room. High enough that DAT can't jump or climb up there. That fact did not stop her from trying a few times though- let me just tell you- Spider Man? DAT is NOT. Funny. As. Hell. to see her splat on the floor from trying to walk up the face of the entertainment center. She'd hit the floor with a hearty THUMP and look around rapidly to see if we were watching. (And if we WERE- which you KNOW I was- she would look at me as if to say, "I Meant To Do That!") After about the sixth time of such an undignified landing, DAT has decided that attempting to crawl her way to the top to investigate (eat?) Fishy is just not worth the effort.

Other than that, things are somewhat.. quiet on this end. I've been working at the range a bit here and there, shooting some, riding some (rode last night as the moon was rising--- it was awesome!! Forgot the camera though, as it was a bit of an unplanned ride.) The general chaos is now "routine" chaos, which with the way this year has gone overall is a GOOD thing.

On that note- I suppose I need to get cracking on the ever present laundry. There is a roast in the crock pot, kitchen is tidy and clean, house is... well it is.. but laundry (bane of my existence) beckons.

So keep the horse between you and the ground y'all!
~MM