Susan Acree's Blog

Remembering Our Trip to The Kentucky Derby

By Susan Acree   Charismatic-1999 Kentucky Derby Winner   Back 1999, my husband made it possible for us to attend the Kentucky Derby. Of course, this was one of the top things on my Bucket List.   That first Saturday in May of 1999 was indeed memorable. One of our funniest memories is that between the two of us we had made wagers including 10 different horses and combinations of win, place, show finishers.   Charismatic was the eventual winner in an exciting running of the 125th Kentucky Derby.

Beautiful Thoroughbred Farms of Kentucky

By Susan Acree   Our first day in Kentucky was wonderful!  We started the morning with a beautiful drive to Louisville to tour Churchill Downs. Our tour guide, Barry was so fun.  He told stories of his favorite Kentucky Derbys and funny memories of sneaking in as a teenager to watch the races.   One year he came in for the Derby through a hole in the fence, watched a few races and then decided to head home to watch the Derby on TV because the crowd was so huge he couldn’t see the track.   It was

The Mustang Million-2013

By Susan Acree   I recently returned from a phenomenal event in Ft. Worth, Texas.  It was called The Mustang Million.   I was looking for an excuse to take a trip back to the Dallas area to visit my friend, Kim, and other friends I had made during my six year stay.  I ran across an article in Western Horseman about last year’s winner of  The Extreme Mustang Makeover.  The article mentioned that the event for 2013 was renamed The Mustang Million and it was taking place at the Will Roger’s

Guy McLean sends heartfelt poem to Dan James

By Susan   After hearing of the untimely death of Dan James’ mustang, Punk, Guy McLean sent Dan this poem.  All of us that have lost a horse, feel it’s power and love.   Personally, I wrote a book, The Horses I’ve Loved, A Memoir, to help heal my broken heart.  I’ve sent a copy to Dan in hopes that he will find some peace and comfort.   Guy sent this to Dan:   I share this poem today in honor of a great Aussie mate of mine who had to say ‘Goodbye’ to one of his beloved horses, way before their

Happy Birthday, Race!

By Susan Acree   Today would have been my beloved Race’s 21st birthday.  It is hard to believe he has been gone almost eight years already.  I still miss him.   I remember when I first got Bonus, as a five year old OTTB, I would be brushing his tail and forget it was Bonus, and slip into a daydream and feel like I was brushing Race’s tail.  Even though they are different in body color. Race was dark chestnut and Bonus is more bright chestnut/sorrel, their tails are almost identical.   As I move

Kindle Countdown Deal on My Book!

Hey Friends,
Amazon is running a Kindle Countdown Deal on my book, download for kindle for only 99 cents today and tomorrow!
As the week goes on the price slowly increases back to the regular price of $4.99 for the download.

If you would prefer a signed and personalized paperback copy, go to thehorsesiveloved.com and order directly from the author.



Happy Reading…

Susan
Kindle Countdown Deal on My Book!
Natural Horsemanship Info - Respectful Horses and Polite Humans, Naturally!

The Thoroughbred and The Psychic

I was recently told a story that actually gave me chills.  This is an amazing story!

Because of some health issues I was having, my daughter, an equine veterinarian and acupuncturist, encouraged me to see an acupuncturist.  I had some friends that had told me about a young man in our town that was phenomenal and was highly regarded and recommended in our community.

During my first session, as he was letting me relax after the first few needles were set, we were talking about horses and he told me this story.

He had a friend who was a horse chiropractor and also very active in the rodeo circuit.  She had a friend who was an equine veterinarian that specialized in dental care for horses.  He had started a clinic/school, specifically for training dental expertise in horse vets.

A desperate horse owner brought a horse to him as a last resort to figure out what was wrong.  The horse was a very expensive thoroughbred show horse that he had recently purchased and planned to continue to show.  However, shortly after bringing his new horse home, the horse started losing weight at an alarming rate and was flighty and nervous all of the time.  This was an abrupt change from the horse he thought he had purchased.  He took the horse to several different vet clinics in hopes of finding the culprit of the sudden changes.  Each time, only disappointed to be told, that the doctors could find nothing physically wrong with the horse.

As a last desperate measure, he hauled the horse several hundred miles to the equine dental clinic/school mentioned above.  This story was relayed from the dental school veterinarian to my acupuncturist’s friend, the horse chiropractor.

After explaining one more time, the odd changes and frustrating search for an explanation, the horse owner admitted that he even consulted an animal psychic.  He chuckled with embarrassment when he told the veterinarian, but said he was willing to try anything, but had not heard back from the psychic since he had sent her some of his horse’s mane, “so she could gain a connection, with the horse.”

After another even more thorough examination of the thoroughbred, the owner was again given the news that there was nothing physically wrong with him.  The vet asked him to let him know if anything changed or he heard back from the psychic.

He took the horse home, frustrated and defeated.  He finally heard from the pet psychic, she told him the horse had communicated to her that “The little people were terrorizing him.”

This made no sense to the owner as he had no children around his barn.  The horse was not at the track where jockeys could be the little people the horse referred to.  Passing off the psychic as a quack, he didn’t think much more of her statement, but he did call the dental vet to pass on what the psychic had told him.

Since the communication made no sense, the vet recommended setting up a camera in the barn, to see what mischief might be going on.  The horse never ate in front of his caretakers, but each morning, his feed bucket was empty, so they assumed he was eating after everyone left the barn for the night.

What they saw on the videos stunned them.

In the dark of the night, four monkeys, presumably from a nearby backyard zoo, entered the horse’s stall.  One of the monkeys frightened the horse to the corner of the stall and held him there by waving his arms and shrieking at the horse.  While the first monkey terrorized the horse into staying in the corner, the other monkeys ate all of his feed.

I told you it was chilling.  I have always wondered about the ability of some, to communicate with our four legged friends, and wished I had the gift and/or capability.

Whether true or not, it makes you wonder.

I hope you all are having a wonderful spring with your special equine friends.

Naturally, Susan

 

Susan
The Thoroughbred and The Psychic
Natural Horsemanship Info - Respectful Horses and Polite Humans, Naturally!

Happy Birthday, Race!

Today would have been my beloved Race’s 21st birthday.  It is hard to believe he has been gone almost eight years already.  I still miss him.

I remember when I first got Bonus, as a five year old OTTB, I would be brushing his tail and forget it was Bonus, and slip into a daydream and feel like I was brushing Race’s tail.  Even though they are different in body color. Race was dark chestnut and Bonus is more bright chestnut/sorrel, their tails are almost identical.

As I move forward with my horse life with Bonus, I never forget my special Race.  When I was looking for a horse after losing Race, some of my main criteria was that the new horse must have a kind eye and loving and loyal disposition.  Bonus has all of these qualities.  So as I spend time with him,  I feel Race’s spirit within him.

Race was the inspiration for my book The Horses I’ve Loved, A Memoir, and as I travel the country sharing my experiences and my book with like minded horse people, he is never far from my consciousness.

So, my first thought this morning, as I noticed the date on the calendar, was “Happy Birthday, Race, Wish you were here, I’ll love you forever.”

 

 

Susan
Happy Birthday, Race!
Natural Horsemanship Info - Respectful Horses and Polite Humans, Naturally!

The Thoroughbred and The Psychic

By Susan Acree   I was recently told a story that actually gave me chills.  This is an amazing story!   Because of some health issues I was having, my daughter, an equine veterinarian and acupuncturist, encouraged me to see an acupuncturist.  I had some friends that had told me about a young man in our town that was phenomenal and was highly regarded and recommended in our community.   During my first session, as he was letting me relax after the first few needles were set, we were talking about

Feeding my Horses this Morning…Take Two.

Okay, this is a first for me.  Going out to feed the horses and forgetting to feed the horses!  What is wrong with me?

My morning started out as any other Monday.  I got up about 7:00, had coffee with my husband and saw him off to work.  I usually then, bundle up with coveralls over my pjs, scarf, hat, down vest and work gloves.  My dogs, Twix and Annie, excitedly wait for me to say “Let’s go feed the horses, girls!” and we head to the barn.

I get to the barn, roll up the heavy overhead door, greet Bonus and Baile and have my greeting returned with anxious nickers.  I open the tack and feed room door, scoop Baile’s pellets and Bonus’ pellets plus supplements into their respective containers.  They each are in their own stall on opposite sides of the barn aisle.  I dump the pellets into their corner feeders, clean each stall, then they each get a big flake of alfalfa/grass hay.  I don’t lock  my horses in their stalls, they have complete free choice whether to come in to the stalls or stay out in either the adjacent corrals or adjoining pastures.

I do feed them inside so that the feed stays dry and doesn’t get wasted on the ground.  In nice weather, they both do their business outside in the pastures and corrals, however, if it is raining, they will tuck themselves inside the barn and poop in the stall once in a while. So, in the winter and spring, scooping and sweeping out the stalls is a twice daily chore.

This morning, after pouring the pellets, sweeping the stalls, and giving them each a rub to loosen the mud on their furry coats, I say “Have a good morning, enjoy your breakfast,” and out of the barn I go.  I meander past the garden, pull a few dried up weeds from the soft mud, and ponder whether to go for my daily 2 mile walk.  It starts to sprinkle a bit of rain so I decide to wait on the walk.

Then, after just barely getting back to the house, taking off the layers of winter wear and starting to check my email, I see Bonus walking up the pasture by the back yard.  I think “Wow, he wasn’t very hungry,” then it dawns on me that I forgot to give him his hay.

What the heck is wrong with me?  I blame it on the weather.  Warm enough to give me spring fever and distract me with thoughts of riding and yardwork, but still winter enough to not really be able to enjoy it fully.

Or, if not the weather, I guess I’m just getting old and forgetful    So, back to the  barn, re-bundled up, to feed my sweet and patient ponies.

Hope you all have a wonderful and productive week,

Naturally,

Susan

Susan
Feeding my Horses this Morning…Take Two.
Natural Horsemanship Info - Respectful Horses and Polite Humans, Naturally!