Equi-Pilates

Friday January 8 2010

Looking to fuse mind and body of his herdmates, so their bodies will move with balance, precision, lightness, efficiency, elegance and refinement, Jose has created some basic exercise classes.

You can sign up for Jose's Equi-Pilates classes, though there is a waiting list to get in them.

March in time


Stretch the hind legs



Stretch the front legs





Lift the front end






Lift the hind end!





Lift those front legs high!



Pushups





Flexible necks






Leaps



Drop and spin





For experts only: the full body stretch (only Jose has mastered this one so far)

Old Man Wimpy

Wednesday January 6 2010

I'm not afraid to say it: so far it has been a very WIMPY A** winter here in Owyhee. Or at least it has been in our corner of Owyhee.

"80% chance of snow" and Murphy takes most of that. "90% chance of snow, accumulation of 1-2 inches possible" and those stinkin' Boiseans steal most of that. And we've had precious few (from my perfectly reasonable point of view) snowstorms.

Those three nights of marrow-chilling -10* F - now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Those two brief little snowstorms we did have (that only stuck on the ground a day or less), THAT'S what I'm talking about.

Now I'm not complaining - just pointing out what's going on here. And I'm not being greedy - I don't need 15 feet of snow, or 2 months of below-zero weather, but I am willing to help out those who feel bombarded and overwhelmed by their winter.

This evening I did have a lovely walk in the heavy fog and misty rain, with a chill wind helping to make sure I got doused, but, come on! Rain is for summer, not the dead of winter. It's almost Tshirt and shorts weather, for crying out loud.

Come on, Wimpy Old Man Winter, suck it up and buckle down so I can shiver and hunker down. The horses didn't grow their thick fuzzy winter coats for THIS.

All you people out there tired of the cold and snow, send some more of it my way! (I hope my neighbors don't read this, they will kill me : )

At least the horses are enjoying the wet: the muddy-clay-y sand has never been better to roll in.


But they'd prefer a good helping of snow.

Just ask Jose.

New Hoof

Monday January 4 2010

Remember back in June, when Stormy and I were both lame, when he got a gravel that finally popped out his coronet band?

When the shoers came this weekend Linda found a hole in his hind hoof, about an inch from the point of his toe, where the hole in the coronet band had finally worked its way down, 6 1/2 months later. Linda actually dug into that hole to open it up and get all the bacteria out while it finishes growing out.


So you can figure it takes a horse about 7 months to grow a whole new hoof.

It takes me about 14 months to grow out a toenail. If you notice in that top picture, on my left foot my big toenail is blue. That's because Dudley stepped on it November of 2008 (with my heavy hiking boots on!), and by the end of this January - 14 months later - it will have finally been completely replaced.

Interesting comparison, don't you think? Whole new hoof for a horse, 7 months. Whole new toenail for a human, 14 months.

The Horses Who Stare At Goats

Saturday January 2, 2010

Perfect Balance shoers Linda and Mike came to the rancho to shoe some horses this fine balmy winter day. They always bring their dogs, but today they also brought an extra dog crate full of...

Two orphan baby goats!

Dudley was the first to meet them. He was absolutely intrigued!



As was Jose!




This baby tried to pull a twig out of Jose's mouth.


Kazam didn't know quite what to think of them.



All ears forward.


Finny and Dudley stare at the goats.


It's good training for endurance horses. You never know when you'll encounter a goat on the trail, right?

Dudley and Jose would LOVE to have goats of their own. I can picture Dudley and his goat climbing on everything. I can see Jose and the goats chasing each other, leaping off all fours and spinning in mid-air.

Steph doesn't REALLY need a garden this summer, does she?

Happy New Year!

The horses of Owhyee send you these wishes for the New Year:

may you always have hay in your feeders


may your bucket always be full of apples and carrots


may you always have fresh snowfalls to frolic in


may you always have fine dust to roll in


may you always march to your own beat


may you always have great trails to follow


may you always have hugs when you want them


may you always have great friends to romp with


Happy New Decade!