Jill had had the pleasure of riding the old guy in his younger years, for many of them, and she hadn't had to pay any of the bills.
But the owner of the horse had a sweet deal too, because Jill was the only long term rider for him that improved him to such a degree, while paying him sweet attention, and never charged a penny. And, she never drugged him, or lied, stole or took advantage of his owner either. She sincerely and deeply cared for the individual equine partner, and he could always relax around her. It was a special trust. Regardless of his impending relocations, she knew he would always recognize their bond, as she would. They were special friends. And, she'd worked up a bond like that with their little buddy too...
Jill thought it was cute that the chocolate roan pony and the dapple grey mare who usually had pasture board where brought in because of the stormy weather and shared a stall. He was so tiny, and the stalls were so big. There was only the one available. And, the mare was his mom anyway! Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute.
What Jill couldn't get out of her mind however, was the not so cute worry that her little buddy and the old guy had ALSO had to share quarters because of intense storm flooding in the show horse's stall. Her little buddy did pick on the old guy sometimes and even when he didn't he EXHAUSTED the old thoroughbred with over herding and stall/paddock walking.
The old guy just looked so exhausted when she said her farewell, and he did have a new scrape above his half-closed left eye...The little guy had a bit of a rainrot rash happening in the girth area so she didn't bother putting a saddle on him, just taking him out for a bare back ride.
For repeatedly abandoned horses with unpaid board bills, she thought they actually seemed okay. At least they weren't on the auction block for the meat market. Yet. Jill really feared that was what was coming... she was unable to pay their bills, despite wishing to.
Jill heard about the the official plan from a blacksmith, rather than directly. It was that they were going back to a previous home. A stable that Jill did not like and she knew it was mutual. The farm owners of her equine friend's intended new/old home would bad mouth her to the ends of the earth. And she would take the fall for all the weight loss and tender feet - the horse owner would not learn the error of her shortsighted, high stress ways. All this, to the detriment of Jill's beloved ponies...
She wanted to point out that the new/old place that had charged for floating the old guy's teeth every six months when they hadn't done it for two years. And she wanted to stress that the old guy actually, currently, needed his teeth floated, as confirmed by but not done at the last vet visit. They had weight problems there in the past as well, but the horse owner had stated her intention and was refusing Jill's input... Besides, what options could she suggest? The woman would not budge on the individual turn out thing.
And, as bad as it seemed, it was better than leaving them where they were. They WERE underweight and out too much, including poor individual. And, if the bills weren't paid, Jill knew the stable had the right to sell the horses at auction, and how inhumane the auctions were. Jill shuddered to think how sick the transportation to the slaughterhouse could be. And she had seen the CBC footage about the indecency of the slaughterhouse kill floor procedures. She could not bear to think that for her sweet bay pals.
2008-07-29
2008-07-19
Coolin' Out
Jill could hear the boss's partner shouting in the arena, as they were schooling the sales horse. The most prized, spoiled, well treated horse on the property. Their future.
"Hit him again!" Whack. "And again!" Whack. "Again. HARDER!" Whack, Smack. Thump, Groan. Swish.
The sound effects made her feel naseaous, but Jill still went to the arena window to look in. She was here to learn more about different training methods, and various styles, across different disciplines. The young bay Holstiner was rearing and bucking in response to whatever lesson they were teaching him. She couldn't watch it. If she was confused, he must be too. It was unfair. She turned away and busied herself with some chore at the far end of the barn.
When the boss came in and Jill set about her groom-duty of untacking, she noticed a tooth sticking out the side of his mouth. Sick! It was one that was clearly too long and should have been floated long ago, and had thus broken in the episode in the arena. It barely even looked like a horse tooth and she wanted to take a picture to prove later the horror before her.
Was this why he was so disagreeable or a result? She showed the boss, in the hopes of learning what action to take. The boss said "ohmigosh! Did you do that taking the bridle off? Could you have caught him in the mouth putting the halter on?" She said she would call the vet, but it was three days the horse wouldn't/couldn't eat before he did actually get medical attention.
Jill wanted a good reference from the place, but she knew that she wouldn't/couldn't work there much longer. Later, when a horse with a tooth injury fell into her hands after having been boarded there, she couldn't help but have her haunting theories...
*
People will tell you that's its actually hard to make a spur mark in the side of the horse, no matter how sharp the device that you are strapping on and using is. Jill could only respond that some people make it look easy. She would always remember from her time at that place, how the trainer had a spur change to make between every mount. At the time she was reading a book about harmony with horses that mentioned the possibility of such marks at the potential of razor blades in the hands of the monkey.
She felt sorry for all her equine (and fellow worker/rider) friends still stuck there.
2008-07-16
Working at It
its been hard for me riding him dressage with no teacher, and no mirrors. I feel like he is like at my level, so we do what I know how to do, in as a fine a form as I know to wish for and only 15 minutes have passed.
there are some horses i get on and i have to work a lot to teach them what i know. he already knows, so i don't know what to do.
*
bag of ribs it hurt her to go see
*
can we do the pairs again?
it was so cold for them to be out without blankets. apparently, the day before in the paddock the little guy had been all caught up in his coat, to the point he was standing on it and couldn't move. poor thing! was it true? why hadn't the blanket been put back on when in the stall then?
*
the horse's owner found them in the paddock together and was furious. she said it was unacceptable and jill feared she'd lost her ride, and loves. what a sad day. she didn't know what to say.
*
The student confided that sometimes when she came home from school, she would find her mom passed out on the floor of the front hall. The kid thought she took too much medicine. Her father was a drinker, and sometimes they would have to check on him to see if he was still breathing too. Jill wondered if there was physical violence at home when the kid added that she knew her mom sometimes took percacet before a fight with her dad, knowing when "it would be a bad night.” What IS percacet she wanted to know.
*
wouldn't it be fun to take rio, the super experienced, reliable eventer FURTHER than he'd ever been before? oh my, jill was surprised to even entertain the thought. she wasn't competitive, was she?
first of all, eventers are said to be suicidal idiots and jill had academic, artistic and career oriented goals that she didn't want to be risking for sport. she thought she NOT be thinking about going prelim while sitting on the transit, but she was. every day.
he was such a good boy! he was really teaching her how to LOVE jumping. and, her teacher said it would be interesting to see how it goes.
*
the pony was frisky and bouncy to ride. but, he carried himself in such a nice frame! and, he was truly listening. she jumped two small fences in between really lovely dressage work. was it a half hour in the grass ring? she'd been unable to find her watch this morning.
all the practice on the 10 second full stop stay still halts was paying off too. and they manouvered the gate okay although they did not latch it.
as they headed out the driveway he was really spooky. the flag was flapping hard from a different direction and then all of a sudden there was a crash in the trees as a deer ran away from them. THAT really scared the pony. so much that she gave him smack with the whip to make him walk on again. on the road he was fresh and he turned his head right around to look at things like a green horse would and he was speedy. she decided to do their little route to the stop since twice the same day.
he winnied to the neighbour horses on their way by and they neighed back. cuuuuute. then they got to the end of the road and would you believe there were two GIANT sheep up against the fence. he was spooky before he spotted them, she guessed from the scent, but when they moved? ooooooooooooooooooooh la la. he wanted to get away from there.
she was really proud of how he didn't spin or rear these days, but at least spooked straight, and stopped in stead of moving. the man from the house on the corner came out to watch. he was shaking. it was so weird to be on the back of an actually quivering coward. she made him turn around in a civilized way and walk toward home. he was joggy and uptight and a very thoughtful car came past safely. she walked him all the way home and all the way back to the sheep again. this time they were further away from the fence so it was a little easier.
she really hoped she'd get more time to keep experimenting with such adventures. she was really having a good time with him, and it was nice to be atop such an (unintimidating sized) athlete.
there are some horses i get on and i have to work a lot to teach them what i know. he already knows, so i don't know what to do.
*
bag of ribs it hurt her to go see
*
can we do the pairs again?
it was so cold for them to be out without blankets. apparently, the day before in the paddock the little guy had been all caught up in his coat, to the point he was standing on it and couldn't move. poor thing! was it true? why hadn't the blanket been put back on when in the stall then?
*
the horse's owner found them in the paddock together and was furious. she said it was unacceptable and jill feared she'd lost her ride, and loves. what a sad day. she didn't know what to say.
*
The student confided that sometimes when she came home from school, she would find her mom passed out on the floor of the front hall. The kid thought she took too much medicine. Her father was a drinker, and sometimes they would have to check on him to see if he was still breathing too. Jill wondered if there was physical violence at home when the kid added that she knew her mom sometimes took percacet before a fight with her dad, knowing when "it would be a bad night.” What IS percacet she wanted to know.
*
wouldn't it be fun to take rio, the super experienced, reliable eventer FURTHER than he'd ever been before? oh my, jill was surprised to even entertain the thought. she wasn't competitive, was she?
first of all, eventers are said to be suicidal idiots and jill had academic, artistic and career oriented goals that she didn't want to be risking for sport. she thought she NOT be thinking about going prelim while sitting on the transit, but she was. every day.
he was such a good boy! he was really teaching her how to LOVE jumping. and, her teacher said it would be interesting to see how it goes.
*
the pony was frisky and bouncy to ride. but, he carried himself in such a nice frame! and, he was truly listening. she jumped two small fences in between really lovely dressage work. was it a half hour in the grass ring? she'd been unable to find her watch this morning.
all the practice on the 10 second full stop stay still halts was paying off too. and they manouvered the gate okay although they did not latch it.
as they headed out the driveway he was really spooky. the flag was flapping hard from a different direction and then all of a sudden there was a crash in the trees as a deer ran away from them. THAT really scared the pony. so much that she gave him smack with the whip to make him walk on again. on the road he was fresh and he turned his head right around to look at things like a green horse would and he was speedy. she decided to do their little route to the stop since twice the same day.
he winnied to the neighbour horses on their way by and they neighed back. cuuuuute. then they got to the end of the road and would you believe there were two GIANT sheep up against the fence. he was spooky before he spotted them, she guessed from the scent, but when they moved? ooooooooooooooooooooh la la. he wanted to get away from there.
she was really proud of how he didn't spin or rear these days, but at least spooked straight, and stopped in stead of moving. the man from the house on the corner came out to watch. he was shaking. it was so weird to be on the back of an actually quivering coward. she made him turn around in a civilized way and walk toward home. he was joggy and uptight and a very thoughtful car came past safely. she walked him all the way home and all the way back to the sheep again. this time they were further away from the fence so it was a little easier.
she really hoped she'd get more time to keep experimenting with such adventures. she was really having a good time with him, and it was nice to be atop such an (unintimidating sized) athlete.
2008-07-10
More Training Methods
they each seemed happy in their paddock when she got there. but, any weight gain they may have made was lost to her eye.
she cried in the grassy ring, knowing she could not follow her little riding buddy, where ever he was going next. she could not buy him, part board him or otherwise rescue him, keep him or be associated with the bill payer's irresponsible conduct any longer. she was frustrated about many of the decisions being made for his well being anyway so maybe it was all just as well. what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her? what about him???
he followed her around from jump to jump while she paced in there, and he ducked his head under her arm. he was used to following her around as she set jumps before mounting. they walked together and she rested her arm in the warmth between his ears and it was good quality time.
jill wondered if it was possible to find a SPONSOR to foot the bills. or to provide another horse to ride...
*
at work jill had talked to a rider about the farrier's escapade with her grey mare. Jill had seen him unnessarily beat/discipline an unpopular horse at a former employers. The bosses there had looked on while he did so, today, Jill's boss was off the property.
"so, he whacked her, and i heard it and i heard the scramble afterwards. i knew he shouldn't have done it - she is not a horse that likes to be bullied."
"no she is not. so, what did she do, rear up, break both cross ties and escape?"
"i dunno, but she came cantering out the big barn door completely naked, like with no halter on. i could picture her running all 50 grassy acres but i just opened my arms wide, and said whoa (with easy at the end of the lead shank). and she stepped, actually stopped into my arms, like i am a freakin' horse whisperer or something. you should have seen it! the blacksmith was in the doorway, gesturing with a lead shank and offerring to bring me some tools."
she cried in the grassy ring, knowing she could not follow her little riding buddy, where ever he was going next. she could not buy him, part board him or otherwise rescue him, keep him or be associated with the bill payer's irresponsible conduct any longer. she was frustrated about many of the decisions being made for his well being anyway so maybe it was all just as well. what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her? what about him???
he followed her around from jump to jump while she paced in there, and he ducked his head under her arm. he was used to following her around as she set jumps before mounting. they walked together and she rested her arm in the warmth between his ears and it was good quality time.
jill wondered if it was possible to find a SPONSOR to foot the bills. or to provide another horse to ride...
*
at work jill had talked to a rider about the farrier's escapade with her grey mare. Jill had seen him unnessarily beat/discipline an unpopular horse at a former employers. The bosses there had looked on while he did so, today, Jill's boss was off the property.
"so, he whacked her, and i heard it and i heard the scramble afterwards. i knew he shouldn't have done it - she is not a horse that likes to be bullied."
"no she is not. so, what did she do, rear up, break both cross ties and escape?"
"i dunno, but she came cantering out the big barn door completely naked, like with no halter on. i could picture her running all 50 grassy acres but i just opened my arms wide, and said whoa (with easy at the end of the lead shank). and she stepped, actually stopped into my arms, like i am a freakin' horse whisperer or something. you should have seen it! the blacksmith was in the doorway, gesturing with a lead shank and offerring to bring me some tools."
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