Hi, I'm Ev. I'm training to become a horsewoman. These are my adventures and misadventures. I'm green as hell, but so far, so good. I'm now learning from Bo (and sometimes his wife DeDe) at D&D Ranch in Pope Valley. I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity, I feel quite blessed, and I feel that they, and horses, have really turned my life around.
Solomon is my baby- a big old flea bitten grey Appendix gelding who is very kind and way too smart! I love him so very much. He is a rescue and was meant to be co-owned rehabbed, and maybe rehomed to a good home. He turned out to be over 25 years old with injuries that ultimately do not make him riding sound, so he is retired.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Love triangle

There was a love triangle at the ranch today!

Shocked tree is shocked.



Today Bo and DeDe were down south at some sort of horse event, and I promised to stop by and check up on things. I checked everyone's water, gave everyone a little once-over, and walked the fencelines of the big pastures.

I spent the most time with Teddy Bear.

She was doing some calisthenics when I entered her pasture.



She has such a sweet eye.



Teddy Bear was happy to cuddle!



You just know she's a sweetheart.



But I promised you a love triangle, haha! So I skritched Teddy Bear, and she groomed Lilah, who groomed me. Then I switched to Lilah, who groomed Teddy Bear, who groomed me. It was just chock full of wiggly-lip cuteness!



The mares were very sleepy. They all had hangylips and blinkyeyes.



The baby had to come say hi, of course!



Sweet little Lena also said hello. She did not follow me around forever this time, however.



So cute!



The baby is just so nice!



This is California. The pasture across the street doesn't seem to have anything living in it. Not any horses, at any rate, or the grass would be flat. The green stuff is all star thistle and tarweed. Both of those plants are nasty and unpleasant. Pretty in a field though!



The walk up and down the fanceline in the biggest pasture was harder for me than I thought it was. My back was really bothering me, but I figured walking would work the pain out a bit. Didn't really, but hey, exercise! I am pleased to say that I found nothing but this:



Yeah, letting balloons go fly away isn't really that cute. They do come down ya know. Horses aren't that dumb, but still, I'd hate to think what would happen if a foal swallowed this. Okay, a foal probably wouldn't. But still. Rarr. It is a little cool in a creepy kind of way though.

I took a bunch of landscape photos, which I'm going to subject you to now. Bo, you will probably fall asleep, as you see this stuff every day, haha!



This is in the pasture. Note the lack of grass.



The hill across from the pasture hill.



The back of the pasture, and the back of the ranch. There are some trails up in those hills!



The pasture. I really like this shot.



There's this idea forming in my head, a bit. I stole it in part from the Icelanders. Seems to me like some horses just get hurt a heck of a lot. Some are just clumsy. And some, I think, never experienced obstacles and rough terrain growing up, so they don't know how to deal with it. They don't know how to keep their balance in less than ideal situations, or avoid pointy things. I think when one is raising a foal, one needs to find a balance. Know how you hear about the cheap cheap ranch horse who lives out in a pasture never hurting himself, but the $100,000 horse who spends almost all his time in a stall is perpetually injured? I think you shouldn't put your horse in a tiny pen full of sharp rusty scrap metal, but I also think that too much coddling does your horse a disservice. There should be interesting things for them to learn from... heck, even something as simple as a hill, or some branches, or logs.



Fire Season has begun, in earnest. This was a pond in the spring.



Back at the pasture gate, horse down!



I interrupted her nap, but she had to take a dust bath before she'd stand up.







She really lost her head with all that rolling!



Meanwhile, Shin was worshiping the hay bale gods.



The stately old ladies came to say hello. I hadn't realized how far their pasture stretched. Despite being along the road, nobody threw anything inside the pasture today.



Vinnie is quite a lovely boy.



About then I was so tired and achey that I forgot about taking pictures... Solomon got a quick cuddle, but the dinner truck had just come by, so I let him eat in peace. I hung out with A____ for a while, and then went home.

When I got home, I found a clean house and flowers waiting for me. Awwwh!

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