Good Sunny, Bad Sunny

My nephew Z came out Friday evening with his lab Zoie.  She got to run and play in the yard and pasture until it was time to bring the horses home, then got tied up, as she's never seen a horse before.  They've seen a lot of dogs and are generally unconcerned, but I didn't want her getting kicked.  We figured an introduction on leash would go better. 

Anyway, walked over and retrieved the ponies.  Z's never been around horses - he's excited to learn, though.  He led Rufus back, and we tied Amyra and Rufus up.  I soaked Amyra's foot while my mom showed Z how to brush Rufus.  (Amyra popped a small abcess earlier in the week, and I've been soaking it nightly in warm water, epson salts & betadine.)

After Amyra was done, she went back in, and I pulled Sunny out.  Rufus thoroughly enjoys being brushed, and hadn't so much as twitched while Z brushed him.  After a quick brush-off for Sunny, we saddled them both.  I thought I'd picked a saddle that would work for Z, but realized I'd mis-judged the length of his legs pretty badly.  He's 13, but not tall - I couldn't get the stirrups high enough.  He hadn't brought any boots, either, but I did make him put a helmet on.

With my mom on Rufus to demonstrate, and me coaching he spent probably an hour walking Sunny around.  I laid the ground poles out and they walked over and around them.  Sunny was SO good. 

He listened, turned, stopped, all with his ears pricked and without a bobble.  Towards the end, Z really wanted to try trotting, so at that point we did switch saddles to one with shorter leathers.  I clipped the longe line on Sunny and Z gave it a shot.

He actually did pretty well, and was starting to get the hang of it, but I could tell he was also starting to get a little sore - Sunny, too I think. (Sunny doesn't have the smoothest trot, and Z was doing a fair amount of bouncing.)  We called it a night, the ponies got a skiff of grain for being so good and we headed up to finish the evening with Smores.

Of course, Sunny being Sunny had to follow up his stellar evening with a morning reversion to his 2 year old days.  There were storms blowing in, and all four of them were on their toes when we went down to feed.  The other three were minding their manners, but Sunny was convinced that there was SOMETHING in the trees behind us that was going to get him, and he didn't want be last in line as we walked over to the south pasture.

By the time we got to the creekbed crossing, I was pretty sure there was no way I was navigating successfully across with two horses, and since Rufus was still behaving himself I waited until my mom and dad had Amyra and Thunder down and through, warned them, and let Rufus go to take himself over.

Which of course made Sunny even more frantic.  We spent several fraught moments going around and around in the bottom of the creekbed, me determined that he was NOT going to charge up the bank, and him just as determined that he was.  I won.  Mostly.

By this point, Sunny's twitichies had communicated themselves to Thunder who was also behaving like a twit.  My dad had Rufus and Amyra - still sane - through the gate and unhaltered by the time we had the other two idjits half the rest of the way to the gate.  Sheesh!

Once loose, they ate about two bites, then took off as if we'd lit a brush fire under their tails.  They spent the next five minutes rocketing around the big pasture as fast as they could go, bucking and kicking and caroming off one another like pinballs.   It was quite the sight to see.

Shot reaction & pony rides

Here I was so pleased that all the ponies were good for their shots and nobody tipped over twitching (a fear that lives in the back of my mind whenever I stick them), and when I went out to feed the morning after I noticed Amyra was pan surfing.  She couldn't seem to find one that she liked, which since everybody gets exactly the same amount and mix, was a little odd.

I checked necks for bumps and heat with no surprises, haltered and headed up the hill.  Turned them loose and three heads went down to eat.  And one did not.  She could turn her head/neck a limited amount in both directions, but she couldn't or wouldn't lower it enough to graze.

I've never had a horse have that particular reaction before, but apparently it's fairly common.  No heat or swelling.  She could reach the water, and didn't seem otherwise distressed so I let her be.

After work she was still stiff, but when I put hay in the feeder she could reach it well enough and ate with a good appetite. She was gradually better yesterday, but still reluctant to lower her head all the way to the ground so I gave her a gram of bute last night - anti-inflammatory - and  she was back to normal this morning.  Chalk it up to good luck and being wiser for the experience!

I did a single 5-way with West Nile this year for the first time, thinking it would be less poking for them and less stress for me.  Always before I've done the West Nile separately.  Did some reading, and Amyra's reaction isn't uncommon with multiway/multiple shots given all at once.  I think next year I'll go back to multiple shots spread out over a longer period of time, which is what I've always done before with no problems.

On the family front, my niece R is having a grand time "riding" - she's thrilled to be led around, clutching a bit handful of mane tightly in both hands and grinning fit to split her face.  (With an adult right next to her holding on so she doesn't slide off.)  So far Sunny, Amyra and Rufus have all been very accommodating.  Thunder was not so keen on the idea.  He's not entirely sure people that short won't bite.

Several of the cats had similar concerns, but the indoor cats have all come around.  Rattle is still in OMG, hide! mode whenever she appears.  She isn't trying to chase or be rough, but she moves fast and she's excited.  Like the indoor critters, he'll figure out she's not interested in picking him up or chasing eventually.

And that's the news from here... OH!  And we had nearly an inch of rain over the last three days.  Hooray!!!!

It's raining, it's pouring...

No one's snoring here, though. I just discovered the living room wall is running water. The roof is on the agenda this summer. I think it just moved up to the top of the list. Bleh.... When it slows down a bit I'll have to go check the gutters on that side.

So... my packing for Sunday is mostly accomplished. I have to figure out what work clothes to take yet, and double-check my list again. I'd hoped it would be nice today and we could get Rufus moved, but instead I'm staying busy with house cleaning. The cats are thrilled - NOT! They migrated downstairs to get away from the vacuum.

T & kids headed for Kansas to spend the 4th. Sure has been a lot of packing & unpacking going on here lately!

But I had a nice treat to break up my packing & cleaning - a friend from... wow, kindergarten on (!) and her family stopped by on their way back from the Black Hills. Her boys are getting so big! They couldn't stay long, unfortunately, as they had a long drive ahead of them, but it was great to see them, and the boys had a chance to let off some steam from hours in the car.

Yesterday was garden day and new shocks for the Blazer. And I mowed. We also got Rufus wormed. He needs a 4-way and his West Nile, too, but the vet clinic was closed by the time we headed that way, and TSC was out of 4-way again. Rufue was very polite about the wormer and continues to not mind being sunblocked. Amyra was not thrilled to have her coating applied. I suppose it must smell bad, although it doesn't seem to me to have much odor.

Sunny, Thunder and the girls are all fat and sassy. I think Sunny was disappointed not to be heading out for a ride, as he whinnied after me as I left.

You know, it really sucks
to finally have two horses ready to go
and not be able to ride when I want!!