Mom says I am getting better!

My boo boo getting better

Mom put me out in the paddock this morning without taking off my bandage, as she does every morning. I didn't understand why at first, but then I heard her talking to my auntie Laura (and auntie Sarah P.) and saying something about taping the bandage to my leg to keep it in place. I thought I felt a little tug on my leg fur when she removed the bandage, but it didn't hurt at all.

I got a lot of attention today. Mom spent a bit of time in the paddock with me getting me a nice fresh bucket of water, and I saw her talking to the lady Karen, who I see once in awhile, but I am not sure who she is as she never handles me or kisses me or tells me she loves me as my aunties do! But, she seems to be someone important around the barn and she's never been mean to me or the other horses.

The paddock can be very boring as it is small, and I think the reason I am in it is because of this boo boo on my leg and all these bandages mom keeps fussing with. I heard mom say something about "limited movement." I don't like that, as I love to run around. But, mom always puts this super good hay in the paddock with me and fresh water and there is a bit of grass to nibble on, though I still prefer to be out on the big land with the other horses.

There's a pony in the paddock next to mine. I think they call him Sparky. He doesn't talk much, but we have had a couple games of halter tag over the fence. I always win of course! Neeighhhhhahahahaha

I have spent time in both paddocks last winter when it was cold. Mom says I need to eat all day to keep sugar levels even, whatever that means. So, I will see these paddocks again come winter.

I was a little sad going back into that paddock, as the last time I was in it was with my best friend, Gulliver. I know Gulliver is gone now, though I am not absolutely positive where he went. I saw him laying in the arena, not moving, not breathing and everyone was crying and sad. I sniffed him and felt a profuse sense of loss, though I didn't completely understand it. The next day he was not there and I called and called for him and searched the pasture, but I have never seen him again. It's not the same as when he moved... he did not move away; he is just...gone.

For a long time I didn't want any other horse near me. Gulliver was my best friend and I didn't care about the other horses. I felt they were an intrusion on my aloneness. But, I have started noticing the pretty filly in the stall where Gulliver used to live. She is the same breed Gulliver was, but smaller and with a much more girl-like face and scent. She talks to me at night and I can tell by the things she says, she is young, but she really is pretty!

Mom took pictures of my injury yesterday and today and she said it looks much better. Then she mentioned a very bad word... vet! Oh no. Vets scare me. They always put needles in me or did things that scare me. We will see what tomorrow holds.

Keeping Me Clean!

My mom wrote this article for one of those places she writes for online. I can't use a computer because they have yet to make one that is hoof-friendly, so mom decided to share her special secret on how she keeps me clean. I have to admit I like the part about dirt being a good thing as I loooovvveeeee to roll in the dirt! It feels so good on my itchy back. I have trouble reaching around to scratch my own back, so rolling helps as does mom's "currying" with my mane and tail brush. Neeeiiighhhhhahahahahaha.

Mom's article. Enjoy!


My horse is a flea-bitten grey overo Paint/Pinto (that's me). He is mostly white now, as his grey has faded with age, which is normal. Yet in the show ring he sparkles like the sun, and yet rarely do I ever bathe him.
If you boarded with me you would argue that, as he is often in the wash stall. But what people don't realize is that I am not putting shampoo or soap of any kind to him, merely water if necessary. And usually not his entire body (Oh thank goodness. I get worried every time she leads me into the wash area because I am sure I will come out dripping!)
 

1. Don't Shampoo! Green spots due to lying or rolling in manure can stain coats and become almost impossible to remove, I don't care what kind of products you use. Thus, the secret, if it can be called that, is to merely rinse those spots off immediately, using plain water and your hand or a sponge. You need no shampoos or products of any kind (the horse whitening shampoo companies are going to hate me). This means diligence every single day. Don't wait until the day before a show then slather loads of harsh whitening shampoos on your horse! Not only can that dry out his skin (which will then need time to repllenish its oils) and spray with a layer of slippery shine spray. Nope, keeping your greys and whites looking nice and not dull or yellowish means caring for their coat daily! Read the rest.
2. Groom Daily. I groom my horse every single day. And I don't use horse-made rubber or plastic curry combs either. I am not saying those products are bad or wrong, I just do not prefer them. This may sound stange, but I use a human hair brush (you can get a very inexpensive one that will last a long time if you don't abuse it). Use a nylon bristle brush; It has small nodules on the end of each bristle that won't harm skin or hair and feels like a nice massage. Curry the hair in backwards circles as well as up and down lines, using average pressure. If there's some excess dirt you may use a bit more elbow grease. I even do the legs with the brush, only much more carefully and with less pressure. But this will depend on your horse. My horse likes it, some might not. Currying your horse daily has so many benefits I can't mention them all!
3. Face. When it comes to his face, I use a Dollar Store item: a sisal mitt used for human bathing. The sisal side is just ebrasive enough to loosen dirt, but not so abrasive as to hurt or rip hair. My horse loves it as he can scratch his itchy head on it. I just hold my hand up and let him use his own pressure as he rubs his face on the mitt to scratch it. The other side of the mitt is foam and is great for rubbing the loose dirt and hair off.
4. Soft & Hard Brush. You're probably wondering at this time if I use anything actually made for horses. Yes. I do use a hard brush and a soft brush for finishing touches on the body, legs and face.
5. Conditioners. On most days I don't use conditioners of any kind. But, on occasion I might spray his body with a human-made leave-in hair conditioner. The more natural the better, as these are lightweight and won't weigh the coat down with heavy chemicals or oils. Horse detanglers are oily, so instead use a good natural conditioner (human or horse is fine) with water and when you rinse, the tail will be soft and manageable. Just be sure you get the product all the way through the hair and rinse thoroughly.
6. Shampoos. Eventually, you will need to give your horse a bath (for a show or if he gets super dirty). Instead of using whitening shampoos that have harsh chemicals, use a good natural shampoo that has aloe and/or tea tree oil. I use a nice tea tree oil shampoo on my horse. It keeps his skin soft and his hair in great condition. For soiled stains I use an enzymatic spray that I leave in for awhile and then rinse it off (even if it says not to).
7. Maintenance. The best key to keeping your horse the cleanest is maintenance. Remember good grooming practices, clean stains and spots immediately and don't use a lot of unnatural products and sprays.
   

My horse has a thick bed of pine shavings in his stall. I began using it when he developed a low grade case of laminitis years back. I found that by keeping the bedding thick, it helped him stay clean. At night, as he moves around and lays down and gets up, the manure and urine fall to the bottom so he lays on clean shavings rather than in his own waste. Since he always urinates in the same spot, I often place pelleted bedding (unsoaked) under the pine shavings in that area. It soaks up the urine under the pine and stays dry. This can get expensive so I tend to only use it at times when he is in a lot. Otherwise, I make sure his stall is super clean and pick it out as often as possible. The finer pine shavings work the best. The thicker flakes don't absob as well.

My First Blog!

First of all, I need to thank my mom for helping me with this blog. I am not sure what a blog is exactly, but it seems like a lot of fun and I get to talk to my many fans out there (and I know I have many because an aweful lot of people have said they love me in the last 18 years, so I must). Mom is typing this for me because my hooves don't work well on human keyboards and I don't think the makers at Sony, as good as they are, have created a keyboard for horses.

In this blog (what a strange word humans made up for this thing) I will talk to you--through my mommy--about all things related to being a horse. I can't speak for other horses much since they have their own personalities and thoughts but I might still gossip a bit about them from time to time.

If you don't know me, I was born as a little black and white colt on a farm in Colchester, CT. I was too young to remember what their intentions were for me, but I do remember when I was 2 years old, the veterinarian came (I have a true phobia for those guys!) and I was asleep and when I awoke I felt differently.

Before the veterinarian came, everything seemed fun and the fillies were especially fun to sniff and look at. I remember feeling wild and wanting to chase every other horse (exept the fillies, I wanted to catch them) away. The fillies, they were mine!

Time passed and I realized what they did calmed my demeanor and made me not notice the fillies quite so much. I must admit it is a lot less frustrating than always wanting those pretty girls but never being able to have them. I was a stallion after all (was being the operative word).

I still do not like veterinarians! They always have needles!

As I grew older my fur color began to change. My mom (my biological mom), I remember was a pretty grey quarter horse named Sonoita Chubby. I later discovered the Sonoita line is famous for producing very beautiful horses that win a lot in conformation and other areas of horse shows. I cannot be sure of the details, but mom tells everyone she meets how gorgeous I am and that I get my looks from my champion line.

I never saw my sire. And I have no human dad, so I guess that makes me the adopted child of a single mom. But that's ok because mom takes amazing care of me and I can feel how much she loves me, and I winnie to her whenever I hear her voice.

I will write more tomorrow. I have to tell mom all my exploits at night and during the day so she can write this every day and keep anyone who is interested up to date on the life of being a horse. Sounds boring to me, but humans sure she seem to love us horses, as least from what I see at the barn where I live now in Bolton!

Good night, and neigh in your sleep!