Flash Back To June

On this rainy, wet, soggy, dark, cold October day I think it perfect to flash back to June. When the weather was nicer, warmer and much more enjoyable over all. This was all after he coliced...maybe a month. So I was still keeping an eye on him in that light. I was pretty busy in June finishing up my senior year of high school; then with my graduation. So our time spent together mainly consisted of him grazing while we just hung out. Sometimes that's all you need to do with your horse. Simple bonding time. Even though I wish I could ride him more, or had ridden him more when I had the opportunity, it's not all about riding. I haven't ridden my horse as much as other people do. But I have built a great relationship with him because I have spent time doing simple things; like hanging out while he grazes and talking to him while I brush him. Riding definitely improves your relationship for better or for worse. BUT, riding isn't everything. Sometimes it's in those quite moments that the horse shows you that he trusts you. Not just when you ask him to jump that 4' jump.

I had taken him out to graze and he didn't want to come back in. He's so sweet and gentle. 

Sweet boy wants to go back out. Then I decided to try to take a selfie together. I took about ten and I got one good one. Or more like one that I approved of. :P But Hey, horses have big heads. Haha!

It's not too bad...

I really like this picture, even though there is a huge lens flare. He looks great; so handsome. 

Then I graduated from high school. Big moment in my life. This was my outfit for my graduation party/ceremony.

Chester day dreaming. Or more like longing to go out to graze. I really like this picture too. You can even see his eye lashes. 

Then, I got this horrible super scary stuff (to Chester). Fly spray. Yep, one of Chester's worst fears. The flies were getting really bad and I didn't have any. So I looked around at different brands and finally decided on this one that I bought off amazon. I like it: it works well and lasts awhile. It smells like lemon. :P 

This is Chester being cute. We were out just walking around while Papa was doing something in his yard. Well, Chester grazed most of the time. 

Staying hydrated with fresh clean cool water. 

Doing whatever...probably finding a place to roll. 

There is most of our June...slow, but we had some good bonding time.

I hope you all had a nice week. Thank you so much for all the sweet comments I have gotten on the last two posts. It makes me feel special that you care enough to comment and take the time to read my blog. Thank you for that!

A Deeper Love

A Deeper love...the trials that you go through in life can make love be deeper then it already was.

One particular day at the very beginning of this summer, when the sun was making it's daily visits longer and more intense, Chester and I were rather enjoying ourselves until we hit a trial head on. And that is the tale I am going to tell you today.
    As the sun was sinking behind the hills and evening was already upon us, I walked down to the round pen to fetch my pony. I had left him out there from an afternoon ride and work out. He was very alert and definitely ready to come up to his yard. I walked my prancing pony up to his yard and proceeded to put his halter away and began to get him fresh water. While I was getting him water he laid down in the cool wet sand. The odd things was, after he did, he proceeded to lay completely down. He spread out his legs and rested his head on the sand. That isn't normal for him and as I continued to get him water I thought he was just plain exhausted from walking around all afternoon.
Well he continued to lay down, get up and go over to his feeder then back to the sand and do the same thing again.
   So I went and told my mom that I thought something might be wrong and she came up to look at him. He was laying completely down. My mom said, "That's not good. See if he gets up when you feed him." I got him grain and he got up and nickered and ate his grain. We were like, ok...hmmm. I proceeded to feed him and gave him his hay. He started to eat it but then all of a suddenly he laid completely down in his stall, head and all. His breathing became really heavy and slow and it seemed hard or painful for him to breath. Besides him looking quite horrible, one of the other things that was abnormal was that he laid down when I was standing right there. He usually doesn't let me get too close to him when he lays down. (Though the more I get to know him and the more he trusts me, he has allowed me to get closer. Making special moments.) :)
Once he laid down my mom went to call the vet to see what we should do. I went around him and up by his head and as tears where running down my face I asked him what was wrong. (Because as any horse girl does, I talk to my horse.) He would lift his head up and then lay it down with big sighs and heavy breathing. Something was not right. He kept this up a little bit and then I ran inside to see what the vet said. They said we needed to check his temperature.  I went back out there to find him laying out in his yard and doing the same things; sighing, laying his head down and then picking it up and breathing heavily. He didn't look good. He was getting worse really fast. He looked like he was in pain and was so uncomfortable. I went in to tell my mom that he was progressing really fast. I headed inside right as my Dad got home and I tearfully told him what was happening. We headed back up there and Chester was doing really bad. My Mom came up and then we decided we needed to call the vet and have them come out. My sweet Mom went in and called them once again telling them that we needed a vet out.
Me and my Dad watched and talked to Chester as he lay there in pain. We were crying and praising God that he provided this wonderful horse for us. And for the time the Lord had given us with him. Then my Mom came up and said the vet would be there in 20 to 30 minutes. That gave us some comfort, but we were thinking that this was it for Chester.
About 15 to 20 minutes later the vet showed up. Amazingly fast...I wonder how that happened? ;) (We have an Awesome God.)

{Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Matthew 10:29}

She came up to his yard and evaluated the situation and looked him over.
She said, "we need to get him to his feet." So she clucked and waved her arms and I pulled a little bit oh his halter. He got up and stood there miserably.
She checked for capillary refill and took his temperature. She said that he had a small fever and was dehydrated. 
She said she was going to give him a small sedative, a pain reliever and one other thing to help keep his system open and clear. We gave the sedative a couple minutes to kick in and then she put bags on her arms and proceeded to check him out. Chester did just fine standing there drowsily.
After a while, she said that he had a big gas bubble in his system and that he had two piles of manure to pass. She wanted to see him pass three piles within 24 hours and then he would be basically out of the woods.
Then, she said that we needed to get water into him because he was dehydrated. She got a long clear tube, a small hand pump and filled a metal bucket with water. She explained to me what she was going to do. She then proceeded to put the tube up his nose and down his throat. You could see it in the side of his neck/ throat; very strange but interesting.
She pumped water into him and then let it run out to see if there was anything in his stomach. After a few times of doing that, there was nothing concerning. So she pumped a bucket of water into him and wouldn't allow it to come back out.
When she was done, she pulled the tube completely out. It gave him a bloody nose, poor guy.
   After all that was done, she said that he should be feeling better real soon with the pain meds and water in his system. But we needed to walk him every two to three hours and let him graze a little bit while taking him out to walk. The motion of grazing, moister from the grass and fresh grass itself would help his system a lot.
As he was still a little drugged he went over to his feeder and started eating. The vet pulled him away and said he shouldn't eat. She didn't want him to eat for awhile and didn't want the dry hay in his system.
   Well, we walked him three times that night and let him graze. As the night went on he looked better and better. Slowly but surely he was pulling out of it. In the morning he passed one of the piles of manure. That made me happy. I continued to watch him all that day and take him for walks. Later on in the day he passed another pile of manure and by that night he passed the third. He was doing much better and was almost out of the woods!
 Why did he colic? Well, the last couple days had been really warm. That day I took him out and worked and rode him. He didn't drink any water while we were playing and then I left him out in his pen until that evening. (I don't think he drank any then either.) At that time he was really barn sour so all of his meals where hay. Not much water that day plus dry hay in his system makes for not a good situation. Thus, colic.
  The vet said he couldn't eat any hay or grain for twenty-four hours. She said we should get some pelleted feed and soak one pound in water and he could have that. Thankfully we already had some so I soaked some and gave it to him the next morning. He wasn't too thrilled about that. ;)

The vet left and said that we could call her anytime. We went inside and breathed a sigh of relief that we didn't have to put down our sweet pony.

Thus, I now have a deeper for love for my sweet boy Chester. And I am SO thankful for the horse God provided and gave me; allowing me to have him for this long and every day I have with him.
May we never take for granted those things that we so earnestly prayed for, God provided, and we now have as a privilege to take care of while we and they are alive on earth.

                                         Medical papers and a pain reliever.

                                Keeping the colic away with grazing and walking.

                                                         Lots of water!

                                                This was a few days before.

//Sun Rays//

Heyyy! I have a new layout and header! Woohoo! I am very excited about it! Though...I know what you are thinking. It's really summery. I know, that wasn't on purpose but I worked on it for a long time trying picture after picture and background after background. And this is the one that I finally went with. So it's staying for a while! :)

I also updated my About Country Girl page. Mainly just the pictures, but it's updated.


Here are the most recent, nice, pictures of Chester. This day I had cleaned him up real nice and he was happily eating out in the field so I took some pictures of him.

                                                     Hot summer day...

                                 "I heard a noise Malory, should I be worried?"
                                    "No, just hold it right there though."

            He got some dapples this summer! I really wanted to get a picture of them.

His tail is really long again. I need to cut it. (Though the grass is fairly long here too.)

 

"I'm moving!"

                                             "Hmmm, right here's good."

                                                      My pretty boy. . .

                        "Are you done yet?! You've taken a million pictures!. . .

                                              . . . I'm done and outa here!"

           His color's though!

                                                 Kind of a cool picture.

                                  Here we are! He's like, hey, I was eating!

                          Oh pony! What horse doesn't think of it's stomach?

I think I will just post pictures now and then of our summer. I have tons so there's no lack of adventures to blog about.

Hope you all have a good week!
Happy Trails!

            ~Mal and Chester~

When Autumn Dawns And Summer Fades...

It's been a while since I have written anything for this blog. It's been months. A summer full of adventures, smiles, trials, tears, laughter, pictures, memories and much more. I thought often of my blog, all summer long. 

Ie. "Oh I would love to post about this on my blog. This would be a great picture for my blog!" 

But, I never sat down and took the time to share with you. I am sorry for that. That was never intended. I promise! A warmer breeze came and carried me away into blissful summer adventures.  

 I am starting to think of this blog as my journal. And that is what it truly is. A journal that I can look back on. One that you guys can read, be encouraged by or encourage me. (I have loved getting encouraging comments from my faithful followers.) :)

I made a video of my summer. It's a mixture of horse pictures, family pictures and what not. It will give you all a fly-over of my summer. I want to share the adventures I had this summer and the many pictures I took of Chester. I'm still trying to decided how I want to do that. Whether to post them all at once or post them slowly once a week. (What do you think?!?)

I am going to be redoing my layout- It's in much need of a makeover. As I'm sure you all agree. :)

Here's the video!

 (If you open it up on YouTube you can view it bigger.)

                                      

Mr. Fuzzy Ears

A little bit ago I went out with my phone and took some pictures of mr. fuzzy ears. It was a sunny day and I think the round pen was wet to I couldn't do anything with him. Right after I took these pictures, I let him out to graze right outside his yard. I had put up the white fence so then I would leave his main gate and another section open. Allowing him to go back in if he wanted to. Which, a few times he ran back in. =)   

                                                            Mr. fuzzy ears himself!

                                                                ~Day dreaming~
 (I love this picture!)

                                   "Did you get the picture, or should I look back again?"

                                                   A little blurry but a unique picture.

 He wants out so bad! He would undo the gate if he could! ;) Sometimes he stands there and knocks the gate trying to get it open.

This was a few weeks ago so he is now a lot less fuzzy. He's shiny now! I will get a post up with more recent pictures real soon!

Summer Showed It's Face, We Jumped For Joy!

I decided to put up my original layout, as I was kinda stressing out on trying to figure out a fun nice header for summer. I will make a new one but I really wanted to get rid of the snow!

Now onto more interesting things!
Summer decided to show it's face. Chester and I were like, "ground work, riding, hanging out together, everything!!" Then, of course the rain came back and my round pen turned into a swimming pool last Monday. Oh joy! Here's the thing, it rains, the round pen gets MUDDY and has standing water, it stops raining and starts to dry up. As the weather gets nicer I do what I can with him where I can in the round pen. I can do ground work with him in about 80% of it. But that's not a big enough area to ride. I also rake it as it's drying out to even the ground. Well, the sun comes out, drys it about about 90% and Chester and I are getting really excited and doing lots of stuff.....then drip, drip......Swoosh! It pours!! Then I start the process all over again!
Two weeks ago I took Chester out on Thursday, it was around 75 degrees. I had worked on ground work three or four times over the past week so I was ready to ride! I tacked him up and even used my new saddle pad. (He looked so purty!) It was a really warm day so we were both laid back. (We had like three days where it was 70-82 degrees and that was super hot for April. Also, it just jumped up there; it wasn't gradual.) Meaning we were like, "man it's hot out here and the flys are awful!" The bugs were pretty bad.

Anyways, you get the picture! So we wandered down to the round pen and I tighten the cinch. I sent him in a lunge circle and he was really calm with no bucks. He went in two or three more circles and then we were done. He was doing fine and I didn't think I needed to lunge him. I tightened the cinch again and stepped in the stirrup.....SLIP! The saddle slid sideways. So I made the cinch tighter and tried again.....SLIP! The saddle slid sideways again! By this time it needed to be adjusted because it had slid off his withers and I wasn't using a breast collar. I undid the cinch and fixed everything. This time before I got on I stuck my figures between the cinch and his girth area. It was quite tight! Once again I lifted my foot and put it in the stirrup.....SLIP! I was ready to chuck the saddle and ride bareback. But, I wanted to use the saddle. After hollering, "Oh this saddle!" my mom came over and asked what she could do to help. I asked her to go get my other saddle pad in my tack room. My thought was, my new saddle pad was so clean and new that it was just plain slipping!
All this time Chester was calmly standing there, almost falling asleep. I will admit though, when I was tightening up the cinch a few times he was like "hey" and would walk forward. So he did move around some. He has improved so much though, from being really hyper to almost falling asleep! He is definitely back to his normal self. Calm, yet ready to rock and roll!

After I got my other saddle pad, it didn't slip as bad and I was able to get on and ride. Chester was excited and was ready to go but since I didn't have a whole lot of room to ride I stayed at a trot. He was really responsive to leg cues and neck reining. He kept wanting to turn sharply. Like around a barrel. So I pulled my right rein across his neck and started bumping his right side. He responded really well and started going in a circle and then even pivoted at one point. I think if I worked with him, he could totally spin. He definitely knows how to pivot. Sometimes if your riding him and you all of a sudden turn him he will pivot. It's really cool! I feel like a professional! =P My horse knows how to do lots of stuff, I just need to learn how to ask him correctly.
Back to the ride, he did want to go to the gate, but I would turn him and go the other way. Once the round pen is totally dry and I can go in a circle around the whole thing, I will put him to work by the gate so he won't want to go there. =)
He did fabulous though and we both had a grate time! We even cantered a tiny bit....only a few strides. But we didn't have the room too so I slowed him down. After we walked, trotted around and practiced stopping and backing up and had a grand time, we called it a day. I got off and then walked around and he followed me. It was SO cute! I loved it! I will admit he did turn towards the door a couple times but I grabbed him and turned him back to me and the he kept following me. =) It was a good day!

                                                                   Here we are!
(Please ignore my white arms. =/ The poor things haven't seen the sun since last summer.)

                     "Back up, we're not done taking pictures yet." Look at those ears!! =)

Oh ya, and I was going to use my hackamore bridle, (I had cleaned it a few months ago so it was all ready) but once I put it on him, the little buckle on the neck part was rusted open. And I couldn't get it shut! So I put his halter back on.

Here are some pictures from the day before. I just worked him from the ground a little bit. It was more hot than the day I rode - so I took it easy.

Walking down to the round pen. Ah! Isn't he purty!! (No...no I'm not biased.) ;p He looks like a bigger horse here. He is coming up a little hill.

"Papa's taking a picture of us Chester, your supposed to be looking at the camera!" Oh well, he's cute looking that way too!

We're getting our priorities straight! (Or he's eating a tiny sprout of grass.) I usually brush him before I take him out. But why brush him....if he's going to roll!

                                  Dude, just roll! It has to be the perfect spot, you know.

                                                                  Here we go!

                                                           Oh ya, that hit the spot!

                                                                  Up we go!

                                                          Now we have to shake!

                                                            Aw that feels good!

QOTD: How do you break in a new saddle pad?
And, if I'm not using a breast collar and the saddle is slipping backwards, does that mean my cinch isn't tight enough??

Times Ticking.....I know.

I think I need a new header. You agree? I am working on that right now so hopefully real soon I'll have a new summer one for ya'll!
Quick note, I put my instagram up on the side bar. You can look through those if you like. I do post pictures of Chester. But I also post other random pictures as well. It's an all around account.
I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying spring! Yesterday was the hottest day yet and it was about 82. That was a special treat for us! That's usually a really nice summer day. So to get that in April was a blessing!
I have been working on ground work with Chester, when the weather allows. He is doing great! I am going to be getting a post up real soon with some pictures of him. =)