Misty's Monday Muse - Diet Riot

It's me, Misty, and I wrote a poem for Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus #99.
 
This week's word count is exactly 100, including the five word prompt. The prompt is:  I'm living the dream, man.

I hope you like my poem.  It is based on a true story; my story, past and present.

Diet Riot

I was born in North Dakota,

on a strange kind of ranch*.

Auctioned as a weanling,

so I might have a chance.

No longer a little filly,

the buyer didn’t keep me.

Relinquished to a horse rescue,

forever family yet to be.

Adopted by My Lady,

she is my biggest fan.

She feeds me and she loves me.

I’m living the dream, man.

Feeds me, she does;

a little too much.

No longer are my ribs,

lightly felt with a touch.

The vet said I’m fat.

She prescribed me a diet.

Less hay in my belly,

I’m ready to riot!

It's true, I'm fat.  I'm on a diet and I don't like it.  But I'm going to fat horse camp where I will get daily exercise, and that will help.

* I was born on a PMU ranch.  (PMU stands for pregnant mare urine.)   Estrogen from the urine of pregnant mares is used to make hormone replacement drugs for women, such as Premarine and Prempro.  My mom was one of those mares.   Foals are the by-product of the process.  Lucky ones like me find good homes.  Some aren't so lucky.  You can read more about it at The Animali Farm.

Diet is a four letter word,

 (It's no coincidence that the M in my signature looks just like my butt. )

 

Hobby Horse Blog Hop 5: Shopping Spree

1. What are your thoughts about providing hay for your horse when you trailer him/her?
   
   I always hang a "small mesh" hay net for Misty.  The openings are very small, so she can't grab big mouthfuls of hay while in the trailer, but she can nibble.  If I'm going to have the windows open or driving at highway speed, I will put a fly mask on her to protect her eyes from debris that may blow around.
   
   Many years ago someone hauled a 2 year old filly of mine who was inexperienced and nervous about being hauled.  The hauler put alfalfa cubes in the manger of the trailer to keep her occupied.  When my filly came out of the trailer, she had foaming saliva dripping out of her mouth.  I immediately called the vet and he asked me what she had been eating in the trailer.  When I told him hay cubes, he knew right away that she had one stuck in her throat and couldn't swallow.  I could feel the hard cube stuck in there.  He instructed me to give her water through a hose in her mouth and massage her throat until the hay cube dissolved.  It worked.  This was a long time ago and I don't know if that is the recommended method today.  If this ever happens to you, call your vet. Better yet, never feed hay cubes in the trailer.  That experience made me cautious about feeding in the trailer and that's why I use a "small mesh" hay net.  Even with loose hay, I don't want Misty to gulp down big mouthfuls in the trailer.
    
2. You have just won a 2 minute shopping spree at a tack store. What store are you in and what will you grab?
   
   I really need a new saddle for Misty, but I'm kinda broke right now.  So I would go to a tack store with a very large selection of saddles, probably Brighton Saddlery, and grab as many saddles that might fit Misty.  I'd keep the one that fits and sell the rest.  If none fit, I'd sell them all and use the money to buy a custom saddle to fit my full-figured gal.
   
   
3. What plans do you have for the weekend?
   
   I'm getting up very early Saturday morning to bake blueberry breakfast bars to take to our blogger brunch. I'm looking forward to it.  I will have to do a little shopping on my way home (probably just window shopping ... did I mention I'm kinda broke right now?).  If I get home early enough Saturday afternoon, I will ride Misty.   On Sunday I will go to church.
   
   Somewhere in the weekend I will have to make room for some laundry and a little housekeeping  (Well, we'll see about that.  My intentions are always good, but the weekend has a way of slipping away before all the chores are done).

My question for you:  What is your favorite grooming tool?

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Week 4

1. Have you ever been a victim of the weather when you were riding, or participating in some other sport?
   I'm mostly a fair weather rider so my mind took another direction as I recalled getting caught out in good weather with my Thoroughbred gelding, Woodhollow (barn name: Woody) when I was in my early 20s.
   
   I usually rode in an arena and took riding lessons from a German trainer who owned the stable where Woody was boarded.   I was new to riding English and was beginning to show in English pleasure and amateur hunter classes. We didn't do any trail riding at the stable, even though we had access to miles and miles of trails near Folsom Lake in California.
     
   One summer day, after finishing a lesson, I decided to take Woody out for a short walk on the trail to cool him off.  It was a beautiful northern California day. The trail delighted me with new sights around every turn.  I was having a lovely ride and became very intrigued about what I'd see around the next bend, or over the next hill.  I lost track of time and just kept going and going.   My short cool down walk turned into a trail ride of several hours.  I finally forced myself to turn Woody around so we could get home before the sun set.  I met my trainer on the trail.  I was gone so long that he became worried and saddled up a horse and came looking for me.  (Ya know...long before the days of cell phones when I could have called him and told him I was fine.)
   
   Woody was a special horse to me and parting with him was very hard.  I get sad thinking about it, so I don't talk about him much.  I can't find my photo album that has most of our good pictures, but here are a few photos I found loose in an old shoe box.
    
    
   
    
2.  If you could take a lesson with anyone in the world, who would that be? The very trainers and riding instructors that I'm working with now.  I'm very happy with the help I'm getting from a few local professionals that have really clicked for me and Misty.
    
3. Which season is your favorite?
   A few years ago I would have immediately answered "Fall!"  But owning horses in Colorado has changed my idea of seasons.  They come and go quickly here.  Sometimes we experience all four seasons in a single day.  It's crazy!  So now I'm inclined to say that my favorite "season" is any warm, sunny, wind-free "day" that I can be "caught out in good weather" on a beautiful trail ride.  Know what I mean?

My question for you:  Who is your favorite equine actor of television or movie fame?

Click and hop to week 4

I Love Lucy

Jenny at Saturday Centus says "good things come in fives."  She challenges us to write a story in 5 sentences of 5 words each, for a total of 25 words.

I almost didn't play because I've been too busy to think this week.  But I awoke this morning at 5am (on my vacation day!) with this little rhyme brewing in my head.

Darling please feed the horses.

Will you feed them now?

Darling please feed the chickens,

But never mind the cow.

She's dining with the sows.

Read about Lucy the calf,  and another confused farm critter, in their post: A Goat Named Pig.

Thank you Rachel at Vermillion Farms, for giving me permission to post this photo of Lucy and her dining companions.  Good things do indeed come in fives.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Week 3

Last week was very busy and I'm late to the hop again.  Work was stressful and kept me very busy (as usual).  Then I spent Friday and Saturday at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo.  Had a great time. Heard Temple Grandin speak.  Watched some good horse training demos.  Ate too much.  Bought the cutest denim jacket embellished with a little western bling.  Great weekend.  I'm tired.   But I'm hoppin' onto the hop. Click the hobby horse to view week 3 rules.

1. You are the lucky winner of the "Extreme Barn Makeover"! Lucky you! What things are top on your list to be remade, changed or upgraded? (Sorry, this makeover does not entirely replace barns and/or add indoor arenas!)
   
   I would love to add a finished, climate-controlled rider's lounge to my barn.  It would have a sink, microwave, refrigerator, television, and comfortable furniture.  I'd practically live in the barn.
    
   
2. Why do you treasure a particular piece of tack or equipment?
     

   

   Source: Amazon

   I keep a Weighmax digital postal shipping scale in my barn and use it every day to take the guesswork out of feeding time.  The weight and density of hay bales varies so much, that I cannot accurately judge the weight of a flake of hay just by holding it.  So I weigh my hay at every feeding. (Easy with just 2 horses to feed.)
   
   I put a bucket on the scale, turn the scale on to zero out the weight of the bucket, then place the flakes on the bucket.  This particular scale holds up to 150 pounds so I can weigh an entire bale if I'm curious about the weight of bales coming from a particular grower.
    
   
   
   
   
3. What is the best day of the week for you?
   
   Saturday for sure!  I love sleeping-in until 6:00am and not having to rush through morning barn chores.  Any other day that I can take as a vacation day from work to play with the horses is a good day too.  As the saying goes, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office."  Applies to equine related recreation too.

Bye Bye Birdies

Today's Saturday Centus is saying goodbye.

The prompt: Saying goodbye was harder than she thought
Number of words: 100 plus the prompt for a maximum of 107 words

 

They come every spring,

to our barn with delight.

They labor and toil,

with all of their might.
 

They feather their nest,

to cradle their clutch.

Adding horse tail hairs,

for a decorative touch.
 

They soar and they swoop,

they zig and they zag.

They chase after bugs,

in a fast game of tag.
 

They raise their babies,

from summer to fall.

Til' the chill in the air,

doth send out the call.
 

It's time to fly south,

in search of warm weather.

They leave little behind,

but a lingering feather.
 

Farewell dear swallows,

you'll be missed a lot.

For saying goodbye,
was harder than she thought.

We enjoy hosting swallows in our barn, although we do hope to limit occupancy to one family at a time.  They first found us in 2010 and caused a lot of drama.  Read about it here.  They joined us again in 2011 (with less drama) and we are looking forward to their return this year.