Freedom speaks Saturday-running

This is a video of Jack having a fit because Sir Darby is not in the pasture next to him. Jack teased about Darby having fits about a mare and here he is throwing a fit because Sir Darby is giving The Wrestler a riding lesson.
For those of you that don't know Jack suffered an accident and fractured his neck last September. For several days he was barely able to stand, let along goof around. He reminded me of myself when I lost my butt a couple of years ago. I think I have inspired him to do well in his recovery. After all the twerp will not be out-done by an "old fart" and on a good day I can still rip up and down the pasture with the best of them. He is moving pretty good and will soon be carrying some light weight as he continues his journey to get back into riding shape.
Jack is a big baby, throwing a fit over a gelding no less-geeze you think he would get all bothered by a mare.
Life is sooooo good!

Skywatch Friday-Season 4 Episode 3

The weather has been hot, but the views of Mount Rainer have been stellar.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Please go visit the other great Skywatch participants at Skywatch Friday There are wonderful photos from all around the world!

Wisdom teeth, humans have smart teeth?

It turns out that humans have something called wisdom teeth....
Hmmmm, teeth that make you smart. That sounds like a good thing, we all want to be smart. I was thinking that I must have a whole mouth full wisdom teeth because I am a genius appy. I bet those are the only teeth that old fart Freedom has left because he is really smart. I am sure that Sir Royal Pain doesn't have any at all, because if he did he would be smart enough to want to be my best friend.
Turns out that humans don't keep their wisdom teeth, they have them removed on purpose. Well that explains a whole lot of things about the DOR doesn't it?
Mushboy is having his wisdom teeth removed today. Seems that humans do this to their offspring as soon as possible. Seems to me they would let them keep those wisdom teeth so they could get as many smarts as possible before removing them. Oh well, humans are strange sometimes. I have on suggestion for Mushboy-RUN AND HIDE! Keep all of your smarts as long as you can young man. If Mushboy does not get away and they end up taking his genius making teeth Freedom and I will make sure to keep him as smart as possible.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Is a famous clinician pro slaughter?

Both of the horses in this photo were slated to be slaughtered...they were rescued and have gone on to live wonderful lives. They are safe and well loved. All but two of the DORs horses have been rescued from a kill buyer.
Mark Rashid recently blogged about horse slaughter. Now it can be said that he should be commended for stating his stance, and maybe he should, but it is disconcerting that he will delete any comments made in opposition or questioning what he had to say.
This topic is as hot as they come and causes strong emotions to overtake rational discourse. The DOR is very opinionated about horse slaughter and tries to conduct herself rationally when expressing those opinions (she is not always successful). When she read Mark's blog she was so disappointed to find that a horseman that she admires feels that slaughter is an acceptable method of controlling the unwanted horse population. Mark argues that if the transport was safe and humane, the butchering process done humanely that there should be no reason not to use slaughter as population control. Alrighty then, but the simple fact is transporting horses to slaughter is done in a cruel fashion. The DOR has seen first hand what happens to horses who go down in the truck, who are rejected at the packing plant, who travel for over 24 hours with no food, water, or rest-simply put it is cruel and inhumane. A private horse owner would face animal cruelty charges if they did that to their own horse. Slaughter plants are terrifying to horses, they have a higher thought process than cows. Maybe Mark can come up with a way to make the process humane...but until then horse slaughter as it now exists is simply a criminal act that humans perpetuate on creatures they say they love.
Owning a horse is a privilege, not a right. Part of the obligation that goes along with that privilege is making sure an old, ill/lame, dangerous, or unwanted horse is properly taken care of and at times that means humane euthanasia.
That is this spotted pony's soapbox for the week. Please be kind with your comments because I am going to leave up ones that don't agree with me-no potty words or name calling.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

The game is on

This is a video of me teaching The Wrestler how to play horse soccer.
The DOR was having Sir Royal Pain carry the soccer ball so no other horse could get it, I think that may be cheating.... He did not like it when the ball rolled off his back, other than that he was good.
We will be playing again tonight. I am going to boot a few goals.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Quote for the week

Horses need a job, they don't like being on welfare
~Buck Brannaman

I am still recovering from my injury. I am not even a year out yet and am doing really well, but I am BORED! I am doing my therapy exercises, but they are no fun. I miss getting to play, getting to work (other than working on extending the time I can trot), getting to see new things.
Well the DOR realized how bored I am so last night she took me to the arena with four other horses and we played horse soccer. The humans all lead their horses, I think it was so I wouldn't feel bad about not being ridden. Sir Royal Pain was being a bit unresponsive for the DOR's nephew The Wrestler. The DOR did something she has never done before, she asked The Wrestler if he would like to play soccer with me...she never has let anyone other than a trainer or the therapist work with me before. I was so excited I was going to get to help a person new to horses have a good time. I was on my best behavior-no snorts, no squirts, no jumps, I even kicked the ball for him. The Wrestler and I had a great time and the DOR was very proud of me. Salty the Wonder Horse was even able to join us for a game of soccer, he and Mushboy had a good time too.
I made it clear that I really want to work and play. The DOR realizes that she can come up with lots of things for me to do so that I feel like I have a job. My job this week is to help Sir Royal Pain teach the Wrestler about the wonderful world of horses.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Freedom speaks Saturday

I got my feet done this week. It is a bit harder to do these days because I have trouble standing for my hooves to be done. My left hind is especially troublesome for me to support my weight on. I have to have someone hold my tail, push a bit on my right hip and right side of my barrel. My farrier is absolutely the best! He gives me plenty of breaks, works extra low if needed, and will even let me lean on him just a bit if I need to do so. The ranch assistants brought out my girlfriend to stand with me so I wouldn't be fussy. The farrier says I grow hoof faster than any horse he has ever seen...that is because I am unlike any other horse he has ever seen. Besides I have had 47 years to perfect the art of hoof growing and am pretty darn good at it.
Life is so good!

Girlie Feet....

The DOR has gone wonky. She saw these bell boots at the tack sale that RCER held last year. She didn't buy them then, but she wished she had. For some reason she thinks that making me wear these might be a good idea. She has mentioned it off and on for the past year. I just knew that she was teasing me. Like she would have me wear silver glittering bell boots...I would be laughed out of the "Burly he-man gelding club" for sure.

Turns out she wasn't teasing. She had them set the boots aside and bought them first thing! I thought she might give them to Sir Royal Pain since he needs to look fancy. But noooo, she had to go and put them on me. To make matters worse she did it in the arena where other horses could see.

While I was a good sport about it and even lunged with them on, I was a bit embarrassed.
I guess the upside is that she didn't paint my hooves.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

New to horses

This is the DOR's nephew, we call him The Wrestler. He is three months older than Mushboy and has gone to national competitions for wrestling. The Wrestler has not been around horses since he was a little boy and his horse experiences were not good ones. He was kicked and bucked off. Today Sir Royal Pain and I made sure that he had good horse experiences. He helped hold us for the farrier and I made sure to give him lots of smooches. He had so much fun that he wants to try riding. Sir Royal Pain will carry him for his first riding lesson tomorrow. I am glad we were able to change his mind about horses, everyone should have good horse experiences and learn how special we are.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Less word Wednesday

This is my buddy Smoke. He and I hung out while I was at trail-horse boot camp. Smoke belongs to the Trail Boss. The DOR keeps telling him that she is going to steal Smoke and bring him home to the ranch. The Trail Boss just smiles...I wonder if he will be smiling when he finds Smoke missing? I know Sir Royal Pain won't be pushing him around if he is here.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!

Look at my Shandi Doll! She and the SCC were playing in the arena with some other horses. It seems the humans think that playing horse soccer is going to be fun. The DOR took in Sir Royal Pain, I am glad she did because the ball has white on it. She said it was because I am not clear for the gymnastics I might do with the ball. Oh I would be doing all sorts of amazing moves if that ball was headed my way. She is planning on taking me in by myself to meet the ball, that way I won't have anyone to show off for.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

FLIES!!!!

I am not sure what is up with the flies this year, they are the worst ever. Maybe it is because of the weird weather.

They are just swarming all over us horses and the humans when they are out here. These flies have no respect for a poor horse when it is eating its treats-they dive right in trying to steal my treats as fast as they can. I have taken to keeping my head in the treat tub so they can't get in, but then the they counter that action by bothering my belly forcing me to lift my head. The DOR hoses us down, we roll in dirt creating a mud coating, and we get fly spray applied on us daily but the flies still come back. She is now giving us 300 mg of garlic and upped our apple cider vinegar in an attempt to deter the little pests.

I want to know why they don't bother the stinky cows? Cows don't mind it flies are crawling all over them.

I am thinking about tying a flyswatter to my tail so I can squish them rather than just shooing them off. I am wearing my fly mask with ears, although sometimes I "accidently" rub it off. The DOR is thinking about putting flysheets on us-I tore mine up last year so she is wondering if I will be nice to it this year.

How are you beating the flies this year?

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

RCER's fundraiser on Saturday earned over $2,000-thanks to all for their support and hard work.

Quote for the week

If you ride with your leg too straight you are already off, you just haven't hit the ground yet
~Buck Brannaman 7/9/10 Dayton Clinic

In this photo you can see that the DOR has a habit of riding with her leg too straight. Now usually that has not been a problem for her, in fact for over forty years it seemed to work just fine. But as she got older and her balance wasn't what it used to be she has run into some situations where she can't stick to the saddle the way she could when she was younger. A sudden side-ways jump, a sit and spin, and a sudden screeching halt can all cause her to become unbalanced and risk a fall simply because her straight leg does not give her any leverage to balance or grip with.

She shortened her stirrups a couple of months ago to add an nice bend to her knee. The results have made the DOR very happy. Her seat balance is better and when Sir Royal Pain pulled one of his "jump 1 foot up/2 feet to the left, followed by his patented sit and spin to the left" the DOR remained centered and balanced in the saddle. She was please to find some of her younger saddle sticking seat still there.
I wonder if she knew this earlier when I had the werehorse incident if she would have been able to ride it out...probably not because I was bucking like a professional bucking horse.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Skywatch Friday-Season 4 Episode 1

Mushboy posing in the pet area...yes he is the favorite pet of the herd.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Please go visit the other great Skywatch participants at Skywatch Friday There are wonderful photos from all around the world!

Wordless Wednesday-Please support my favorite rescue

Alright, so this isn't wordless-it is a flyer for a great activity.

Horse Daze is RCER's main fund raiser for the year. This event supports the rehabilitation and adoption of equines. RCER is a 501 C3 and no member or volunteer receives a salary or monetary compensation for their time or efforts.

5th Annual

HORSE DAZE of SUMMER

Horse Sale - Tack Swap - Adoptathon - Prizes
Demos - Raffles - Silent Auction

JULY 17TH

A PLACE FOR SELLERS TO SHOW THEIR HORSES & TACK
A PLACE FOR BUYERS TO TALK ONE ON ONE WITH SELLERS
Sale registration 8:30-10am

10 AM TO 4 PM

Kittitas County Event Center, Ellensburg,

This is not an auction, but a sale where you make your own deal Sellers pay an entry fee, no commission.

All proceeds to benefit RODEO CITY EQUINE RESCUE

Please call 509-968-9566, 509-962-1026

For entry forms or info visit www.rodeocityequine.com

---

HORSES

Entries submitted by July 9th with a digital picture, we can print a sale page for you to use as a handout/catalog. Horses will be accepted at the door until 11am. There will be a place to ride horses, but no arena. Horses will be shown at 11am & 3pm. We can accommodate late entries for a fee.

Please print neatly, the entry will be read as written. Include a photocopy of your registration papers. You must provide your own signed registration transfer papers to the new owner when you sell your horse. Any info you have as handouts to prospective buyers is a plus.

Send a check or money order to Rodeo City Equine for $25 for the first horse and $15 for each additional horse. No refunds after July 14th. You must check in at the registration booth upon arrival. You will receive a free raffle ticket when you register. We have some great prizes!

Event to be held at the Kittitas County Fairgrounds in the north parking lot, on E 8th Street in Ellensburg, Wa. The Indian Village will serve as a riding area and show ring.. There are some outdoor corrals available, $10 per corral payable to Rodeo City Equine at time of registration. Please reserve your corral early.

VENDORS

Send your name & address, along with a list of your sale items to Rodeo City Equine by July 10th. No vendor fees . We accept any donations. You must register with RCER upon arrival.

TACK & TRAILER SALES

Saddle, tack, trailer, sell or swap, furnish your own table. Contact Rodeo City Equine to reserve a spot. Entries are free & will be accepted until noon on the day of sale. You must register upon arrival. Rodeo City Equine will gladly accept donations in lieu of an entry fee.

ABOUT THE SALE

This is not an auction, this is a sale. You will present your horse, tack, etc to the public and negotiate your own sale. This is a place to show your stuff! All proceeds will go to Rodeo City Equine Rescue. Donations will be accepted to aid in the rehabilitation and fostering of equines.

Please send all entries to:
Judy Parker
571 Southridge Drive
Ellensburg, Wa 98926
509-962-1026

E-Mail sale horse info &S pictures to rcer@rodeocityequine.com

Make all checks payable to Rodeo City Equine.

For additional info, contact Vada at 509-968-9566 or Judy at 509-962-1026

Set-up time 8am, no earlies, please. Event time 10 till 4. Sale horses/tack/vendors will remain on site till 4pm. Additional info at www.rodeocityequine.com

---

Click here to download a Sale Entry Form

Clinic Schedule TBA

Time		Organization		Topic		Representative
10:15		Woodlands Resource Management		Field Management		Eric Meador
10:45		Horse Sale		Sale Horses Presented		RCER
12:00		Ellensburg Animal Hospital		First Aid preparation for the trail		Dr. Mike Fuller DVM
				Introduction new vet at the clinic
12:45		Tack Sale All Day				RCER
1:15		Purina		Horse Nutrition while on pasture		Mike Miller
2:00		Horse Sale		Sale Horses Presented		RCER
2:30		Ellensburg Vet		Teeth floating		Dr Erin Zamzow DVM
3:30		Silent Auction & Raffle drawings				RCER

Tools of the trade II

This is the DORs new office. It has all the tools of her trade and lots of her favorite things. She is never far from the things she loves in here-her horses and her family. She finds it a peaceful/productive place to be.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Tools of the trade

The DOR loves to look at tack. She loves worn, well used saddles and bridles. When she visits different trainers she is always interested in how they have their tack ready to use.
This is the Trail Bosses tack display. He keeps his equipment in a tack room to protect it from the elements. When he is going to be training, starting colts, or riding he gets all of his tack out and ready to use. This fence is right by the round pen and easy to get to. The tack that he needs to use on the horse that will be working in the round pen is moved to hang on its rails.
I am glad that the only tack that I am having to wear is a halter, lead rope, and my fly mask. It is tooo hot as far as I am concerned to have to be working. The DOR plans to change that a bit. She and Sir Royal Pain are going to learn to pony my spotted butt around. Seems the therapist said I have to work a bit harder, trotting, and I have put on weight. Alrighty then, we will see how that all works out. I am thinking that Darby will threaten to lay down if he is asked to work too hard. If he doesn't I can always lay down-bet that will throw a spanner in the works.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Quote for the week

Abusing your spur is like misfiring a weapon of mass destruction
~Buck Brannaman 7/9/10 Dayton Clinic

The DOR has never ridden with spurs, although she did ride Hank the Tank with bumpers until he learned when she used her leg she meant it. She has watched trainers and other riders use spurs and always cringed. The DOR has seen riders draw blood with their spurs. Her friend rescued a horse whose sides were a bloody mess from having the rowels dug in and mercilessly rip at its flesh. While she knew there are plenty of people who didn't harm their horses with their spurs, she preferred to see spurs artfully arranged on a self or used as book-stops.
She learned at the clinic this weekend that spurs do have a place and purpose. Buck said that much like a necklace or a pair of earrings, they are a piece of jewelry for him. He applies them to his horse judiciously and fairly, with the intent of never having to use them as an aid more than once. The DOR has a new appreciation for the appropriate use of the spur, although she will most likely never use a pair. Good thing because as sensitive as I am, a simple tightening of her thigh muscles sends me off in a hurry, a spur would launch me to Mars.
What do you thing of spurs?
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Freedom speaks Saturday

Here is the SCC with his Shandi Doll. She is a good girl for the farrier, in fact she is a good girl all of the time. I would like to credit her good behavior to the fact that she hung out with me and Salty while Jack was ill. Jack spoiled her and we had to teach her some manners.
Shandi is now hanging out with Beau and his mare harem. At two years old it is time for Shandi to learn to be a big girl. She doesn't look or act like a baby anymore. She sure looks a lot like her daddy Smokin' Lynx O'lena. I think she is going to make a nice little cow horse. I hope she enjoys her young, playful days. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was a young whippersnapper, but at 46 I know it wasn't yesterday.
Have a good day and stay cool.
Life is so good!

Overloaded!

I apologize for the sporadic posting, but the DOR is feeling like the poor little overloaded donkey in the picture. With her dad being so ill, moving her department to another office, and her allergy to the glue used to lay the new carpet she is swamped.
I have been busy challenging Sir Royal Pain to foot races, so far it is a 50/50 split-but I think he cheats. He bit me the other day when I gloated about winning, so I am working on being a better sport. I do my victory dance by the fence and when he comes at me pinny eared I dance out of reach so when he reaches for me he gets zapped by the hot wire.
I am climbing the hills in my pasture and getting stronger everyday. I also had to figure out which horse on the hillside pasture is my Shandi Doll. She is out with the big horses and that seems to have rubbed off on her, she doesn't look like my baby dolly any more. Probably a good thing she is out there, mares are moody and get grouchy.
The DOR and Mushboy are going to see Buck Brannaman in Dayton. I know that will mean more work for someone. Luckily it won't be me because I am on a strict rehabilitation program...looks like Sir Darby will be the winner. The farrier and my therapist will be here on Saturday. I will get re-evaluated and my rehab program adjusted as needed. The DOR is also going to take a riding lesson, she is threatening to pony me at a trot if I don't behave.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Jack's Attack Pack

Oh goody! I found out that millions of kids celebrated this past 4th of July with a special fireworks backpack named after me...Jack's Attack Pack. I told Mushboy to keep the backpack because I am going to recycle it. I can fill it full of apples for when I have an apple attack, apricots for a cot attack, or dry cob when I need to have a treat attack. I think the DOR could carry it on our walks and treat me as we meander along.
The DOR is going to go visit Scooby today and attend a RCER meeting. The rescue is planning its big fundraiser- HORSE DAZE of SUMMER It happens on July 17th at Ellensburg.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Updates

Mushboy was in charge of the fireworks show at the DOR and SCC's house yesterday. He did a great job for his first time producing a show.
The DOR's dad is holding his own and making progress. He has Parkinson's that has reached the second stage, so it complicates things a bit. He was hit with several things: a bladder infection, staph infection, e-coli, and his kidneys got infected too. He was confused for a couple of days and then wasn't able to talk for a bit. He is able to talk now and he and the DOR took a walk around the hospital campus. He was even up for eating one of his favorite treats-chocolate cherry lovers blizzard.
We appreciate all of your prayers and well wishes.
I am doing well with my therapy. I have good reactions to my bum tucks, back ups, and wither lifts. The DOR doesn't even have to apply much pressure to get me to do them.
I am happy to report that Sir Royal Pain has finally zipped his mouth. No more rabid screaming thank goodness.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug her DOR!

A reposting of Freedom speaks Saturday-Independence Day

Happy Independence Day everyone.
I am so appreciative of my independence and freedom. Not so many years ago I was sitting waiting to be shipped to slaughter...now look at me. I am living a very pampered life, being spoiled by Mushboy. I eat my mush in a paddock, so the twerps will leave me in peace, and each time I am let out I give out a little squeal, buck a bit, and the take off running across the pasture...I do this because I can, because I enjoy the freedom I have and celebrate it each chance I get. I learned that each day is a gift and our freedom is something truly special.
Enjoy your celebrations. If you can, make a donation of money or time to your local horse rescue in honor of your freedom.
Life is so good! Oh and Jack told me to remember to say: Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR

Off-line

The DOR is going home, her dad is very ill. I won't be posting until she is back, I have to hold down the fort.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Moving

The DOR is moving her departments office to a building downtown. They have been by the Yakima river, right by the falls in Prosser-with a wonderful view.
I am sure glad that she didn't ask me or any of the rest of the herd to help her move. I am not sure moving a building would be much fun. There was a team of professional mover who came in to help. With a staff of 13 I bet it took a big team to move that building. I think humans are soooo funny, imagine moving a building?
That said with everything that is going on I might miss a post or two. I have to keep an eye on things while the DOR is really busy.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!