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Put the Pieces Together
1 day ago
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Trust But Verify
If you are thinking of getting a tattoo of your favorite equine figure, verify the talent of your artist first.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Shades of the Morning
When I stepped outside to feed the horses Friday morning, I was stopped in my tracks by the beautiful color of the sky. I grabbed my camera so I could capture the sight before it disappeared; the light and colors change so quickly as the sun rises.
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| The first shades of morning. |
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| Shades of pink emerge. |
Misty: "Quit lookin' at the sky. Can't you see I'm starvin' here?!"
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| My favorite shades of gray. |
(And you can see that Misty is far from starvin'.)
SaraJane LOVES her Progressive Diet Balancer pellets. After scarfing down her pellets in her stall next door, she visits Misty's stall to Hoover-up the few pellets Misty always leaves behind in her grain bin.
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| SaraJane: "As long as I'm here, I might as well help myself to Misty's hay too." |
The girls get some loose hay in their troughs and a larger portion in their individual Porta-Grazers, to slow them down a bit. They go back and forth between the stalls, nibbling from both slow feeders and troughs.
Barn chores done; horses fed; manure scooped.
 | |||||
| Shades of gold are joining the pinks. |
 |
| Shades of gold chasing shades of pink. |
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| The gold has consumed the pink. |
It's time for me to go inside and get ready for work.
What a great way to start the day.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Attack of the Killer Kidney Beans
Ok, I've watched too many low-budget horror movies lately.If the Halloween zombie horses didn't get you, please tune in for the following announcement.
Beware the Red Kidney Beans
Tis the season for warm soup, stew, and chili. Prepare these comfort foods with caution if they call for red kidney beans. Canned, processed kidney beans are relatively gentle, peace loving legumes. But dried red kidney beans are armed and dangerous. They must be frisked at the kitchen door and rendered harmless before you invite them to dinner.
I attended a Halloween party last weekend that included a popular Fall culinary event: The Chili Cookoff.
The buffet table was lined with 20 or more crock-pots containing a variety of chili concoctions. I sampled three of the chili dishes. A few hours later I became ill - violently ill - like I've never experienced before.
I suspect I fell victim to kidney bean poisoning.
Dried red kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin. This toxin is present in many types of beans, but the red kidney bean wins the prize for packing the highest concentration. It only takes a few unfit beans to make a person very sick.
One of the most sinister methods of cooking dried red kidney beans is to slow-cook them in a crock-pot (or slow-simmer on the stove). The temperature may not get high enough to kill the toxic agent. In fact, slow cooking may increase the potency of the toxin.
The raw beans must be boiled for at least 10 minutes.
If you ingest toxic kidney beans, your tummy will expel the ghastly substance as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
The process is absolutely miserable!
But good for a rapid 2 pound weight loss.
Suggested steps to prepare raw beans before using them in a recipe or crock-pot:
- Soak raw beans for at least 5 hours.
- Discard the soaking water.
- Place beans in clean water; bring to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Interesting resources:
Bad Bug Book: Phytohaemagglutinin (Kidney Bean Lectin) from U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Beans! Beans! The Poisonous Fruit! from davesgarden.com
Red Kidney Bean Poisoning from foodreference.com
P.S. Horse Owners: Beware the White Kidney Beans too.
Abstract from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15086107
Thirty-four mixed breed horses from two separate farms showed signs of abdominal discomfort, pyrexia and dehydration after being exposed to a new batch of 14% complete horse feed. A new batch of cattle feed from the same manufacturer resulted in dairy cows showing depression, a drop in milk production and diarrhoea. Examination of both diets revealed the presence of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). Inclusion of raw beans of this genus in animal feeds is to be avoided.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Beware the Zombie Horses
I have several Breyer horse models atop an armoire in by bedroom. I may be sleeping with one eye open tonight.
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Misty's Monday Muse - Slicker Training
My Lady and I plan on enjoying lots of trail rides together. The weather can change quickly in Colorado, so its a good idea for riders and horses to be prepared for rain.
While I was at school this summer my trainer, Andie Lee, taught me that rain slickers do not eat horses. They flap around and make rustling noises, but they don't bite. I kept my ear on that slicker, but I was very brave and did not get silly or overreact.
Don't I look good in yellow?
Ready to hit the trail,
While I was at school this summer my trainer, Andie Lee, taught me that rain slickers do not eat horses. They flap around and make rustling noises, but they don't bite. I kept my ear on that slicker, but I was very brave and did not get silly or overreact.
Don't I look good in yellow?
Ready to hit the trail,
Monday, October 10, 2011
Misty's Monday Muse - Cool Cows
Hello there! It's been awhile. I've been a busy mare; going to school and on trail rides and playing with cows.
You read that right.
I, Misty the Percheron, am now a cow horse. Well, sort of. I can confidently say that I'm not afraid of cows and I like moving them about and manipulating them.
My Lady and I were scheduled to attend a 2-day clinic this past weekend. Saturday was "Ranch Riding and Patterns". But we missed it. Know why? Because it snowed!
It snowed so much that the roads got dangerous and My Lady loves me too much to risk my life. So we stayed home. That was fine with me, but My Lady was bummed. She stayed in bed and watched three movies and ate Fritos corn chips all day.
The snow finally stopped and the roads cleared, so we made it to the 2nd day of the clinic: "Introduction to Cattle". But it was very cold.
It was 26F/-3C when we rolled out of our driveway. 36F/2C when we arrived at the clinic.
Do you know what a cold metal bit feels like in your mouth at 36F?
Me neither.
My Lady wouldn't do that to me. There was a microwave in the rider's lounge, so she used this cute bit warmer that was hand made for us by Dreaming over at Living A Dream.
Thanks Dreaming. It worked great!
You read that right.
I, Misty the Percheron, am now a cow horse. Well, sort of. I can confidently say that I'm not afraid of cows and I like moving them about and manipulating them.
My Lady and I were scheduled to attend a 2-day clinic this past weekend. Saturday was "Ranch Riding and Patterns". But we missed it. Know why? Because it snowed!
It snowed so much that the roads got dangerous and My Lady loves me too much to risk my life. So we stayed home. That was fine with me, but My Lady was bummed. She stayed in bed and watched three movies and ate Fritos corn chips all day.
The snow finally stopped and the roads cleared, so we made it to the 2nd day of the clinic: "Introduction to Cattle". But it was very cold.
It was 26F/-3C when we rolled out of our driveway. 36F/2C when we arrived at the clinic.
Do you know what a cold metal bit feels like in your mouth at 36F?
Me neither.
My Lady wouldn't do that to me. There was a microwave in the rider's lounge, so she used this cute bit warmer that was hand made for us by Dreaming over at Living A Dream.
Thanks Dreaming. It worked great!
My Lady says it's also a handy neck warmer for the kink in her neck that she got from scraping ice off the windshield of the truck.
We warmed up in the indoor arena and then all of us horses and our riders gathered at one end of the arena while they brought 8 cows through the gate at the far end. My Lady wasn't sure how I would react, so she was going to dismount and stand on the ground with me. But she found her cowgirl spirit and stayed in the saddle. (She's learning that I've matured into a trustworthy mount.) I was very curious and had my head and ears on high alert, staring intently at those creatures as they came into the arena. But I wasn't scared at all. The cows walked in slowly and huddled in a little-cow-clump-in-the-corner.
Then the whole group of us, 10 horses & riders, walked up to those cows and slowly drove them around the arena, each of us taking turns at the front so we could be close to the cows. I like how they move away from me; it makes me feel empowered.
Then we paired off with another horse & rider and picked 2 cows to separate from the little-cow-clump-in-the-corner and we drove them down the arena wall.
After lunch we broke into two teams and tried to play cow hockey. The offensive team of horses & riders would try to drive the cows across the goal line, while the defensive team tried to block the cows and prevent the other team from scoring. But that got a little crazy when the cows un-clumped and started running this way and that, and some of the riders with more cow experience got competitive and wanted to chase them, and some of the younger horses got a little too excited. So our trainers switched us to a slower game. The cows re-clumped into the corner and each team took turns separating 4 cows from the little-cow-clump-in-the-corner and driving them down the arena and into an imaginary pen that was marked by orange cones. I did a good job of this because I can walk right up to those clumped cows, pick some out, and drive them calmly down the arena and not scare them into a trot. Slow and steady is the polite way to move cows around.
Cows are Cool,
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Equine Identification and Microchipping
I've been thinking a lot about equine ID lately, especially as I get ready to do more trail riding.
I watched an ACTHA video recently that suggested attaching an ID tag to your horse's mane whenever you go trail riding. So today I'm dropping by PetSmart to pick up an ID tag to braid into Misty's mane when I go trail riding. Engraved upon it will be Misty's name, my name, and my phone numbers. I think I'll doubly attach it to her mane with a leather string and an alligator clip.
Attaching ID to the horse's mane is suggested because tack can break and it is possible for a loose horse to rid itself of bridle and saddle. Having ID on both horse and tack increases your chances of getting everything back should you become separated from your horse while trail riding. Heaven forbid this ever happen, but it is good to be prepared.
SaraJane came home last weekend and while she was out for training, her rescue had her microchipped. She came home with a brand new, pretty pink halter with her name written on one side and "Microchipped Horse" written on the other side.
This morning I saw the news report below about Willow, the microchipped cat found after 5 years! This amazing story really presents a good case for microchipping.
Do you microchip your pets or your horses? Do you have identification on your horse when you trail ride?
Colo. cat, missing 5 years, is found on NYC street
By JIM FITZGERALD Associated Press The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:21 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — A calico cat named Willow, who disappeared from a home near the Rocky Mountains five years ago, was found Wednesday on a Manhattan street and will soon be returned to a family in which two of the three kids and one of the two dogs may remember her.
How she got to New York, more than 1,600 miles away, and the kind of life she lived in the city are mysteries.
But thanks to a microchip implanted when she was a kitten, Willow will be reunited in Colorado with her owners, who had long ago given up hope.
"To be honest, there are tons of coyotes around here, and owls," said Jamie Squires, of Boulder. "She was just a little thing, five and a half pounds. We put out the `Lost Cat' posters and the Craigslist thing, but we actually thought she'd been eaten by coyotes."
Squires and her husband, Chris, were "shocked and astounded" when they got a call Wednesday from Animal Care & Control, which runs New York City's animal rescue and shelter system.
Willow had been found on East 20th Street by a man who took her to a shelter.
"My husband said, `Don't say anything to the kids yet. We have to make sure,'" Squires said. "But then we saw the picture, and it was Willow. It's been so long."
ACC Executive Director Julie Bank said a scanner found the microchip that led to the Squires family.
"All our pets are microchipped," Squires said. "If I could microchip my kids, I would."
The children are 17, 10 and 3 years old, so the older two remember Willow, Squires said. As for the 3-year-old, "She saw the photo and said, `She's a pretty cat.'"
The Squireses also have a yellow Labrador named Roscoe, who knew Willow, and an English mastiff named Zoe.
"We had another dog back then, too, and I remember that Willow would lie with them as they all waited to be fed," Squires said. "She thought she was a dog."
Squires said Willow escaped in late 2006 or early 2007 when contractors left a door open during a home renovation.
Since then, the family had moved about 10 miles from Broomfield to Boulder, but it kept its address current with the microchip company.
Bank recommended that all pet owners use microchips.
She said Willow, who now weighs 7 pounds, is healthy and well-mannered and probably has not spent her life on the mean streets of Manhattan. But there are no clues about her trip east or anything else in the five years she's been missing.
Squires seemed a bit worried about a possible New York state of mind.
"I don't know what kind of life she's had, so I don't know what her personality will be like," she said. When Willow disappeared, she said, "She was a really cool cat, really sweet."
The ACC and the Squireses were trying to arrange for transportation back to Colorado and health certificates and said it might be two weeks before the reunion. Willow may spend some time with a foster family in New York.
"The kids can't wait to see her," Squires said. "And we still have her little Christmas stocking."
I watched an ACTHA video recently that suggested attaching an ID tag to your horse's mane whenever you go trail riding. So today I'm dropping by PetSmart to pick up an ID tag to braid into Misty's mane when I go trail riding. Engraved upon it will be Misty's name, my name, and my phone numbers. I think I'll doubly attach it to her mane with a leather string and an alligator clip.
Attaching ID to the horse's mane is suggested because tack can break and it is possible for a loose horse to rid itself of bridle and saddle. Having ID on both horse and tack increases your chances of getting everything back should you become separated from your horse while trail riding. Heaven forbid this ever happen, but it is good to be prepared.
SaraJane came home last weekend and while she was out for training, her rescue had her microchipped. She came home with a brand new, pretty pink halter with her name written on one side and "Microchipped Horse" written on the other side.
This morning I saw the news report below about Willow, the microchipped cat found after 5 years! This amazing story really presents a good case for microchipping.
Do you microchip your pets or your horses? Do you have identification on your horse when you trail ride?
Colo. cat, missing 5 years, is found on NYC street
By JIM FITZGERALD Associated Press The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:21 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — A calico cat named Willow, who disappeared from a home near the Rocky Mountains five years ago, was found Wednesday on a Manhattan street and will soon be returned to a family in which two of the three kids and one of the two dogs may remember her.
How she got to New York, more than 1,600 miles away, and the kind of life she lived in the city are mysteries.
But thanks to a microchip implanted when she was a kitten, Willow will be reunited in Colorado with her owners, who had long ago given up hope.
"To be honest, there are tons of coyotes around here, and owls," said Jamie Squires, of Boulder. "She was just a little thing, five and a half pounds. We put out the `Lost Cat' posters and the Craigslist thing, but we actually thought she'd been eaten by coyotes."
Squires and her husband, Chris, were "shocked and astounded" when they got a call Wednesday from Animal Care & Control, which runs New York City's animal rescue and shelter system.
Willow had been found on East 20th Street by a man who took her to a shelter.
"My husband said, `Don't say anything to the kids yet. We have to make sure,'" Squires said. "But then we saw the picture, and it was Willow. It's been so long."
ACC Executive Director Julie Bank said a scanner found the microchip that led to the Squires family.
"All our pets are microchipped," Squires said. "If I could microchip my kids, I would."
The children are 17, 10 and 3 years old, so the older two remember Willow, Squires said. As for the 3-year-old, "She saw the photo and said, `She's a pretty cat.'"
The Squireses also have a yellow Labrador named Roscoe, who knew Willow, and an English mastiff named Zoe.
"We had another dog back then, too, and I remember that Willow would lie with them as they all waited to be fed," Squires said. "She thought she was a dog."
Squires said Willow escaped in late 2006 or early 2007 when contractors left a door open during a home renovation.
Since then, the family had moved about 10 miles from Broomfield to Boulder, but it kept its address current with the microchip company.
Bank recommended that all pet owners use microchips.
She said Willow, who now weighs 7 pounds, is healthy and well-mannered and probably has not spent her life on the mean streets of Manhattan. But there are no clues about her trip east or anything else in the five years she's been missing.
Squires seemed a bit worried about a possible New York state of mind.
"I don't know what kind of life she's had, so I don't know what her personality will be like," she said. When Willow disappeared, she said, "She was a really cool cat, really sweet."
The ACC and the Squireses were trying to arrange for transportation back to Colorado and health certificates and said it might be two weeks before the reunion. Willow may spend some time with a foster family in New York.
"The kids can't wait to see her," Squires said. "And we still have her little Christmas stocking."
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tough Times in a Desperate Horse Market
I dipped my toes into the horse market recently and found the waters to be cold and uninviting.
Many of the online advertisements make me feel wary and I'm reminded of this icon from my childhood:
A couple weeks ago I came upon an ad that didn't conjure up images of the Lost in Space robot. My trainer and I went to see the horse and ride him. We both liked him and the seller suggested I take him on trial. The ideal situation was to take him to the training stable where my trainer could evaluate him and give me lessons on him. But the training stable required a rabies vaccination, which this horse did not have. I offered to pay for the vaccination and the seller agreed to get the vaccination and draw up a pre-purchase trial contract. A couple of days went by. I left a voice message for the seller. Then at 8:30 that night the seller called in a panic, in need of money because of an ugly divorce situation, and said I had to buy the horse tomorrow or the horse would be sold to a cattle rancher with cash in hand. Wow! I was stunned. I was disappointed. But I will not be pressured into a rapid purchase like that.
I summoned up some courage and looked at more ads today and it was sickening. I saw ads placed by desperate people trying to unload their horses "ASAP". I feel sorry for the horses because the most likely person to respond to these ads is the kill-buyer.
Let me tell you about a couple I just read. I don't want to copy and paste them here, so I'll just give you the gist of them.
Ad #1 offered a "FREE" 2 year old "Polomino" quarter horse stallion. The seller pleaded, "Please rehome him ASAP...he is FREE." While the horse is free, his tack costs $300.00 and has to go with him. The free "Polomino" horse and tack is $300.00 today only. If you wait until tomorrow "the re-homing fee becomes $500.00" for horse and tack.
What the heck is a "re-homing fee" on a FREE horse? Now, doesn't that make you want to rush out to the nearest ATM?
Ad #2 offered another free horse. A 16 year old, "broke to ride" quarter horse that is "not a push button horse, but is a good horse." The horse "hasn't been ridden in awhile", but the seller put her kids on it and theysurvived "are fine". Seller needs to re-home the horse "ASAP" because the power has been shut off at their vacated farm. Her rotten husband is in jail and she moved out and is raising their 6 children and didn't have the money to pay the utility bill at the farm. You can have this horse for free under one condition...when you pick up your free horse, you need to pick up its pasture mate and return that horse to its owner in another town. The seller can't return the pasture mate to its owner because her husband did not renew the registration on their truck & trailer before he became incarcerated. Lace up your track shoes, you lucky horse shoppers, because the race is on. The seller says "preference goes to whoever can get to my place first."
Too bad my horse trailer is in the shop for repairs right now. I lose again.
Times are tough and I feel badly for people who are in difficult & desperate situations.
I feel most sorry for the horses who are the innocent victims. Those two "free" horses probably ended up on a truck bound for a slaughter plant south of the boarder.
I don't think I'll look at any more ads today.
Many of the online advertisements make me feel wary and I'm reminded of this icon from my childhood:
A couple weeks ago I came upon an ad that didn't conjure up images of the Lost in Space robot. My trainer and I went to see the horse and ride him. We both liked him and the seller suggested I take him on trial. The ideal situation was to take him to the training stable where my trainer could evaluate him and give me lessons on him. But the training stable required a rabies vaccination, which this horse did not have. I offered to pay for the vaccination and the seller agreed to get the vaccination and draw up a pre-purchase trial contract. A couple of days went by. I left a voice message for the seller. Then at 8:30 that night the seller called in a panic, in need of money because of an ugly divorce situation, and said I had to buy the horse tomorrow or the horse would be sold to a cattle rancher with cash in hand. Wow! I was stunned. I was disappointed. But I will not be pressured into a rapid purchase like that.
I summoned up some courage and looked at more ads today and it was sickening. I saw ads placed by desperate people trying to unload their horses "ASAP". I feel sorry for the horses because the most likely person to respond to these ads is the kill-buyer.
Let me tell you about a couple I just read. I don't want to copy and paste them here, so I'll just give you the gist of them.
Ad #1 offered a "FREE" 2 year old "Polomino" quarter horse stallion. The seller pleaded, "Please rehome him ASAP...he is FREE." While the horse is free, his tack costs $300.00 and has to go with him. The free "Polomino" horse and tack is $300.00 today only. If you wait until tomorrow "the re-homing fee becomes $500.00" for horse and tack.
What the heck is a "re-homing fee" on a FREE horse? Now, doesn't that make you want to rush out to the nearest ATM?
Ad #2 offered another free horse. A 16 year old, "broke to ride" quarter horse that is "not a push button horse, but is a good horse." The horse "hasn't been ridden in awhile", but the seller put her kids on it and they
Too bad my horse trailer is in the shop for repairs right now. I lose again.
Times are tough and I feel badly for people who are in difficult & desperate situations.
I feel most sorry for the horses who are the innocent victims. Those two "free" horses probably ended up on a truck bound for a slaughter plant south of the boarder.
I don't think I'll look at any more ads today.
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