We are so thankful for are of our blessings. Thank you for being our friends.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!
Plodding Along
6 hours ago
11/22/2012
Happy Thanksgiving
We are so thankful for are of our blessings. Thank you for being our friends.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!
11/18/2012
The DOR is not straight...
The DOR talks about how I don't travel straight. Well I have news for her-she isn't straight either, so there. In fact she travels darn crooked and it interferes with my ability to travel straight.
I have been pointing it out to her for a bit now and she finally got it. She promises me that she will work on going straight. A back injury, her heart attack, and just plain getting older have all effected her balance and her ability to stay straight. She is now working on walking straighter, sitting balanced, and limbering up her tight muscles. She is also working on balancing with her eyes closed without weaving. She has ridden me a few times in the round pen with her eyes closed to work on her balance. She is also using a mini trampoline to work on her balance. Besides working on the physical aspect of balance, she is also working on her emotional balance. She is learning to center herself and to focus on the things that matter.
I am glad she is going this. When she tips and does not stay centered it makes my job of moving more difficult. How am I supposed to make quick turns after a cow if I have to worry about her leaning and loosing her balance. She is also working on looking where she wants me to go instead of yanking on me.
So here is to the DOR going straight...it will make our partnership a much better one.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!
11/11/2012
SSgt Reckless and Veteran's Day
Thanks to all Veteran's, human and animal, for our freedoms that you fought for.
Some information on SSgt Reckless:
Life Magazine named the filly in the photo as one of the Top 100 Heroes in American History.
She was a former Korean race horse who was purchased by a Marine at a Seoul race track in 1953 for $250, and she served in the Korean War with such distinction she was awarded the rank of Staff Sergeant USMC. Her name would become SSgt Reckless.
One of her battles….the Battle of Vegas was hopeless. Chinese troops outnumbered the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marines by ten to one. It seemed there was no chance for a victory other than to withdraw the Marines and regroup for a counter attack, but the troops at Vegas were nearly cut off. Escape was almost impossible.
The Battalion determined the best tactic for escape was to protect the movements of the Marines with cover fire, and a heavy “wall of fire” was to be provided by launching continuous rounds from recoilless rifles…otherwise known as reckless rifles. High ground was chosen for the gun placements, but the needed ammunition was heavy. The rugged winding trails leading to their placements were 45 degrees up-hill. Supplying ammo would be difficult, but constant re-arming of the guns was needed in order for the plan to succeed. The “wall of fire” could not stop until the Marines were safe.
Reckless had been trained to supply these “reckless rifles” on the front lines with ammo while avoiding enemy fire as much as possible. Her learning had been swift, and she did her task without assistance from a human.
The battle lasted for five days. In one 24 hour period alone, while under heavy fire, the little sorrel mare made over fifty trips up the rugged winding trails of the forty-five degree hill. On that day she traveled over 35 miles, and carried more than 4 tons of ammo to the gun emplacements with no human assistance. She stopped only once: to put herself between three trapped Marines and enemy fire while “shielding” them to safety. Twice wounded, she was undaunted. She knew the importance of her task, and every Marine in the Battalion knew it, too. They gave her water and food, and cleaned blood from her eyes as she passed them by.
In the end the plan worked, and constant fire never ceased. The fire curtain held, and protected the Marines as they regrouped, and then re-took the territory. The battle was won.
At the end of the battle, Sgt Reckless was given a rub down and special treats. She drank water, beer, and soda from the helmets of grateful Marines. The next day she awoke with lameness. She walked around constantly until the limp went away. After she “shook it off,” she returned to the munitions depot on her own accord….ready to carry ammo up the hill again. It’s what she wanted to do. There would be other battles to fight….this had been just one of many.
On November 10, 1960 she was given the rank of Staff Sergeant, USMC in a ceremony held for her at her Camp Pendleton, Ca. home. In attendance at the ceremony were her comrades in arms from Korea, her two foals whom she had given to the United States Marines and Marine Corp Commandant Gen Randolph Pate whom had fought side by side with her in Korea. Gen. Pate personally presented the stripes to her.
In May of 1968 SSgt Reckless, USMC died. Please never forget her…..and don’t let history forget her, either.
Her Facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/
Her website is here: http://
reprint of an article by John Byrd
— with Sgt Reckless.She was a former Korean race horse who was purchased by a Marine at a Seoul race track in 1953 for $250, and she served in the Korean War with such distinction she was awarded the rank of Staff Sergeant USMC. Her name would become SSgt Reckless.
One of her battles….the Battle of Vegas was hopeless. Chinese troops outnumbered the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marines by ten to one. It seemed there was no chance for a victory other than to withdraw the Marines and regroup for a counter attack, but the troops at Vegas were nearly cut off. Escape was almost impossible.
The Battalion determined the best tactic for escape was to protect the movements of the Marines with cover fire, and a heavy “wall of fire” was to be provided by launching continuous rounds from recoilless rifles…otherwise known as reckless rifles. High ground was chosen for the gun placements, but the needed ammunition was heavy. The rugged winding trails leading to their placements were 45 degrees up-hill. Supplying ammo would be difficult, but constant re-arming of the guns was needed in order for the plan to succeed. The “wall of fire” could not stop until the Marines were safe.
Reckless had been trained to supply these “reckless rifles” on the front lines with ammo while avoiding enemy fire as much as possible. Her learning had been swift, and she did her task without assistance from a human.
The battle lasted for five days. In one 24 hour period alone, while under heavy fire, the little sorrel mare made over fifty trips up the rugged winding trails of the forty-five degree hill. On that day she traveled over 35 miles, and carried more than 4 tons of ammo to the gun emplacements with no human assistance. She stopped only once: to put herself between three trapped Marines and enemy fire while “shielding” them to safety. Twice wounded, she was undaunted. She knew the importance of her task, and every Marine in the Battalion knew it, too. They gave her water and food, and cleaned blood from her eyes as she passed them by.
In the end the plan worked, and constant fire never ceased. The fire curtain held, and protected the Marines as they regrouped, and then re-took the territory. The battle was won.
At the end of the battle, Sgt Reckless was given a rub down and special treats. She drank water, beer, and soda from the helmets of grateful Marines. The next day she awoke with lameness. She walked around constantly until the limp went away. After she “shook it off,” she returned to the munitions depot on her own accord….ready to carry ammo up the hill again. It’s what she wanted to do. There would be other battles to fight….this had been just one of many.
On November 10, 1960 she was given the rank of Staff Sergeant, USMC in a ceremony held for her at her Camp Pendleton, Ca. home. In attendance at the ceremony were her comrades in arms from Korea, her two foals whom she had given to the United States Marines and Marine Corp Commandant Gen Randolph Pate whom had fought side by side with her in Korea. Gen. Pate personally presented the stripes to her.
In May of 1968 SSgt Reckless, USMC died. Please never forget her…..and don’t let history forget her, either.
Her Facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/
Her website is here: http://
reprint of an article by John Byrd
11/06/2012
Please Vote
I have run a quiet, grassroots campaign this year-emphasis on grass, nice green grass.
I have traveled and talked to the local critters, listening carefully to what they had to say.
I probably won't be voted in as president, that is okay. I am proud that I did not engage in mud slinging, okay there was some rolling in the mud, but no slinging.
I encourage those of you that are allowed to vote to do so. When you vote please keep us fur and feathered citizens in mind. Select a candidate who understands that we are important and to be valued also.
Until there is a horse in the White House we will just have to keep muddling through with the best human that we can-to bad the DOR didn't run for president.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!
11/04/2012
11/03/2012
Dona Nobis Pacem
Bloggers for peace. Join a world wide movement to promote peace Novemember 4th.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!
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