All Good Things Come With Time...

When looking at Sam I hear my Grandmothers voice telling me "All good things come with time, if it is worth having it is worth waiting for." Truer words I am sure were never spoken, but it isn't any easier to wait now than it was when I was a child.

Sam seems to have reached a holding place in her weight gain. I am sure the 98 degree days have something to do with it but I believe it may be time to worm her again. We just may not have gotten all those little buggers with the first round. So Tomorrow Sam will receive another dose of wormer to get rid of her unwanted companions. I just want her to gain weight and look like the beautiful round horse I can see when I close my eyes. It is hard to be patient, and not get discouraged. I am sure she wants to go out to the big field with the rest of the herd, but that too will come with time. Over all she is doing very well.

She has definitely discovered that people mean something good to eat, and nice scratches on her withers. She has become Velcro when you are out in the field. It doesn't matter what you are doing. She wants to know, she has to see, smell, taste. She is never very far from you if you are inside the fence and if you are outside then she is carefully watching what you are doing and softly nickering her approval. She greets me at the back gate of the barn if she sees me coming, and if not just the call of her name brings a whinny and four pounding feet, as she runs to see you. I have never seen a horse so excited to see people before.

She has become very good for the standard checks, and no longer tries to kick if you touch her tail. Because here in Western Kentucky we have such a problem with ticks, it is a necessity that the horses are checked frequently for ticks in their manes, ears, and tail. She has just realized that it is for the best and doesn't get excited about it.

Her appetite is awesome! As I said before she has decided that people me an something good to eat. She is now eating 7 lbs of safe choice grain, and 2 lbs of rice bran, 2 oz Cocosoya oil, and 1 scoop of Pro-Bios a day along with her own private pasture. She does have company in her small pasture now. Rusty our 16 hand TWH Gelding has been recruited to keep her company until she is ready to join the herd. He however doesn't seem interested in her pasture and prefers to hang out under the oak tree. I am sure he does make his way out there but I so far haven't seen him. However, I did see them napping together under the trees. I was one of those moments that I would have given anything for a camera. Sam was standing hip shot under the oak trees with Rusty's neck draped over her back. He appeared to be asleep and she was dosing. I would have given anything if I could have caught that on film.

It looks like she is going to fit right in here at Southern Oak Stables. Before I know it she will be round, I just have to be patient.

Oh, What A Difference...

You know somewhere inside I have been waiting and wondering when she was going to wake up. I knew she couldn't be that sweet and willing. I knew it couldn't be this easy. What was I thinking?

As with everything else there is always some bad to go along with the good things in life. WELL let me tell you, Sam woke up. Her sweet beguiling ways lulled me into thinking this was going to be easy. HA! No such luck. Today was an interesting adventure and up until this point I had simply not challenged Sam, she hadn't been anywhere she wasn't supposed to be; she hadn't been bad so there was no reason to correct her. However, today I needed to work in the round pen with another young horse and that required Sam to stay out. Before I could get the one horse in (that didn't want to go) and close the gate Sam had taken up residence in the round pen. She had no intention of leaving, I tried shooing her out and that didn't work. I tried lightly driving her out and that is when it happened. SMACK!! her left hind foot connected with my right hip as she made her exit out the gate. Fortunately I was close enough that it was a light hit, but you would never know it from the bruise. :-0 I was stunned to say the least but nothing was injured but my pride. So I closed the gate and continued to work with the young horse who through all this was a perfect angel. She by the way was very good for her lesson on collection today. Only two moments of locking up. I was very proud of her. Now back to little miss light heels. After I finished with LGF(large gray filly)and put her away, I went back to collect Little Miss Light Heels and have a little lesson in ground manners. We went into the round pen and worked on yielding. She did really good and seemed to be picking up very quickly so I decided we would continue our lesson in the cross-ties. She was being a little lady, until I started brushing her mane, and it was like someone else took over. She threw the biggest hissy I have ever seen. So I politely removed myself from harms way and let her have her throw down kick the wall, fit. When she was finished she had busted her lip (not badly) and decided that wasn't getting her anywhere. I finished brushing her mane and tail gave her a treat, and some fly spray and turned her loose in her pasture.

Wow, is all I can say. This is going to be a real adventure for me. I feel sure that when we are finished she will be a respectable, safe, and sane horse. But the road to good manners is going to be a bumpy one I am afraid. Wish me luck.

The Buffet...

Sam has been home three weeks now, and she is looking better everyday. She has graduated from her small pen, to the larger barn paddock that has grass but it is limited. This paddock is usually call the fat pasture for the horses that have hit the grass buffet a little hard; or in the spring for the two mares who are prone to founder. But Now she has her own small pasture with more grass than she can eat. She longs to be with the rest of the horses but is still not strong enough to defend herself against the herd pecking order.





She wasn't sure what to think of the opening where there had been a fence earlier in the day. She had been watching intently but wasn't sure what we were doing. She first stretched her neck through the opening to see if it was safe. The air might be different on that side. LOL I finally had to lead her through the opening and then down went her head and she stayed that way for a long time.

You can just see barely the weight she has put on. She is just a tad fuller looking but the shine on her hair is unmistakable.

She has turned into the sweetest thing. We have been working on her manners, and remembering my personal space. She has finally stopped trying to climb in my lap when something spooks her.

After a long period of grazing she decided it was time to play. I had noticed during the day that she was more lively, and feisty but when she had all the soft grass to run in wow did she turn loose. She played for about an hour, following around our only boarder when she was riding her horse. It was really the funniest thing because you would have though she was being ponied.

But you know being someones shadow is hard work and at the end of the day she was just exhausted. :-)

The Ones Left Behind 2

A friend and I have been working to help find homes for the 5 horses and 2 ponies that were not seized with Sam's pasture mates. We had found a home for one of them and contacted the lady to make sure it was all a go on both ends. I was surprised to find out that a local man had come forward and adopted all 7 animals and would be picking them up on Saturday morning. He came to look at them and pick one or two and decided that he would just take them all to keep them together. So, the old mare, the gelding, the 2 young stud colts, the filly with the problem foot, and the two Shetlands have a new home.

I am relieved that they will all be kept together and are close enough to check on from time to time. It was very hard for her to finally let them go but she knows it is for the best.

Sam is doing wonderful and enjoying her small sparse pasture, which is more grass than she has seen in years. She will be getting her own new small pasture with lots more grass this weekend. I picked up the fencing supplies just a few moments ago. She is ready to graduate to real grass now that we are feel more comfortable that her stomach can handle it.

I am also going to update her pictures. She hasn't gained a lot of visible weight but I can tell she is fuller looking and her hair has a new shine to it. Her eyes are bright and she has some pep to her step when she sees a bucket. Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face.

This Must Be Horse Heaven...

You never have a camera when you need one! Yesterday during Sam's supervised yard turn out/hand grazing session in my back yard, she decided she wanted to roll. What makes this such a photo op lost is that she didn't just roll, she was multitasking. She laid down rolled a couple of times on one side, grabbed a couple mouth fulls of grass, and rolled a few more times, grabbed more grass, rolled over to the other sided, raised up in the curled up position shook her head and just stayed there grazing on what she could reach. Rolled some more, grazed some more and when she decided there wasn't anything else she wanted in reach, she got up shook off and strolled across the yard to the next luscious plot of grass that met her approval. My friend and I laughed because it was just way to cute to watch her enjoy the tender grass of the back yard. She has no interest in running wild, anytime you want to approach her she is totally fine with that. I believe she has finally decided that she has found the mother load of grass, and grain.

I really do wish I had gotten photos of her lounging and eating but as you know somethings are always just better in the memories.

Sad Update

I have sad news. One of the horses seized from the woman died Saturday night. A necropsy is scheduled to be preformed so I will know more later on the final cause of death. IMO, he was just to far gone to be saved. Again here is the Paducah Sun Article June 2 and June 3 if you would like to read the account.

The Ones Left Behind

The farm where Sam has lived the last first part of her life was visited by the county last week. I am attaching Article 1 and Article 2 from the Paducah Sun so you can read them for yourself. I can't say I hate her for what she has allowed to happen, I can't say that I want her to go to jail. I can say that I am very angry that she didn't open her eyes and see what was happening. If the county is knocking on your door then someone, somewhere must be seeing something your not. Maybe your horses are not in as good shape as you think, and maybe you should ask for help.

She finally did ask for help but it was to late. I didn't have the time that was needed to find them homes, and they came and took them away. I worry about where they will end up, I am waiting for the phone call from the Animal Warden so I can tell him I have some potential homes. I worry that they will end up at the auction destination unknown.

I think she knew the days were getting short before the knock would come at the door. She did call me to bring home Sam; which I am eternally grateful for. I can't imagine how crazy I would be if she had been taken.