The Mighty Q meets the dentist and gets a lollipop!

The Mighty Q was a rock star for his first dentist appointment. I knew he was seeing the dentist so I told him how great the drugs were. The only down side was you don't get a lollipop after he is done.  He finally relaxed after two shots of sedation. Once he realized that not being on high alert was okay and that he would still be safe he seemed to enjoy things. The dentist took extra time to make sure that Q was never worried or upset.  He wanted to make sure that he did not violate the trust that Q placed in the DOR by making this a positive experience for him.  Our dentist rocks!!!

The dentist tried to do Q's teeth last summer.  At that time Q was a bit difficult to lead outside of his pasture, okay he was nearly impossible to lead. The dentist sedated him in the pasture to make leading him to the barn easier. The sedation set him off, Q ran like a wild man and was having nothing to do with going to the barn. Today he led to the barn like a champ without being sedated in the pasture. He sedated nicely, and walked into the stall like it was old home week.

He wanted the DOR to hug him the entire time.  If she stopped he would nicker for her to get back to her hugging.  I am going to have to try that at my next dental appointment.  I had a hard time keeping my spotted rear off the ground, maybe her hugging me will help me stand better.

The dentist was so complimentary on how far Q has come. He noticed he is at a nice weight, has a softer eye, and is so much calmer. The herd is darn proud of Q, he has worked hard to be the horse he is today.  Of course he has been taking lessons on behavior at 'He Man Gelding Club University'.  The instructors are tough there, any missteps and it is a big ol' appy hoof upside your rear from the Headmaster-that would be me.

Two hours after the sedation wore of he was still mellow and giving off big sighs. It is the first time in his whole life he has been not been hyper alert and totally relaxed.  I told him the drugs were good.  I hope he finds that it is a nice way to be and will keep on with his deep breathing.

Then to top things off the DOR gave him a lollipop!  That is it, I better get one my next dentist visit or she is going to get a big ol' appy hoof someplace she doesn't want it.

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

Helpng Roh lope with the reins in her teeth!

Rohana is a dear friend on mine.  She is a theraputic riding instructor and had donated her time to lots of children needing to ride.
As part of her continuing journey to be the best instructor she can be, she continues to take riding lessons. 
Please help me in getting her those lessons for free.  It is simple...if you have a Facebook page, simply go to Remuda International's page and like the page.  Not only will you be helping my friend, you will also get to follow a very talented trainer.  This is the the trainer that helped Freedom's Lady become a happy saddle horse and took me to Trail Horse Boot Camp.
Roh promises that she will lope her horse with her reins in her teeth, doing a Rodeo Queen wave with both hands if she wins 10 free lessons and I will post the video here...I really want to see that so go like that page and get your friends to do that too!
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Little Sister...

This is Little Sister on the day she came to live at the ranch with the DOR.  She is Friend's mom and the DOR wanted to make sure she would always be safe and taken care of after loosing Friend.

 She is now looking really good and hanging out with the mare herd.  She loves chasing the little calves that sneak in under the fence. She was born in 1991 and spent her life giving birth to some very successful babies.

 This is an impromptu ride that she gave to the DOR's grand daughter.  She has given several more pony rides this year.  The DOR is going to start her under saddle and see how it goes.  She will be the oldest horse that she has started.  Sister is such a good horse and so smart that it should go smoothly.

People will often ask why the DOR would take in an old, half blind horse in such bad shape.  She has a simple answer:

Because of love...All sentient beings deserve to be loved and protected.  In return Little Sister has given so much back to the people who surround her.

The next post I am going to share the story of another herd mate.

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

If life was fair...

If life was fair horses would get to ride 1/2 the time.
I have been trying to tell the DOR for years that I should get to ride 1/2 the time, she never listens.  She feels the time I spend hanging out with the He Man Gelding Club and riding in the trailer to go out to trails counts as more than 1/2 of my time.  I beg to differ, non-saddle time should not count.
I have spoken to the other members of the herd and here is what they had to say:
Shandi-La, La, La...are there going to be hunky geldings?  If so I don't mind being ridden.
Salty the Wonderhorse-I'm retired so none of this matters to me.
Coelho-Dude! Just mellow out already...after all the grass is real nice here.
Tahkoe-I can move faster than a human, so I don't want to ride. Gotta go!
Mighty Mouse-I dare them to try and ride me, it will never happen I tell you!
The Mighty Q-I don't mind getting ridden, I get three hots and a cot.
Sir Darby-Well He of the Spotty Butt, I personally am offended by your presence in my pasture and demand you leave now.
I have the feeling I am not getting much support from the herd.  The DOR tells her students whoever told them life was fair lied...
Well I am going to demand fair treatment, so the DOR better be ready to pack my rear around the arena a couple of times if she expects to ride....so there!
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Look what Sir Darby did!

 

We all know that Sir Royal Pain, okay Sir Darby, likes his own space.  It has not mattered what gender, color, or age the horse that was put in with him he was not nice to them.  He would chase them, bite them, kick them, and not let them get to the water or food unless he didn't see them do it.  That all changed for some reason today.
A young, lonely BLM mustang paid Darby a visit.  Not only was Darby nice, he even seemed to enjoy the visit.

He even let the little guy eat without giving him the pinny ear treatment.  Darby didn't grump at him at all.

 

Darby was even kind when the DOR gave the visitor a scritch.  Usually Darby lights into the middle of any horse that pays attention to her.  The DOR was glad to see Darby enjoying a visitor, she feels he should be with a herd of some kind.  She wishes he would learn to share his pasture, but at his age she knows it is going to take one special horse for him to be willing to give up his "man pasture".

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