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Our Jim in KY is affected by the terrible ice storm in Kentucky!
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It's a great show to watch the horses out the back door. Marg has various weight blankets for those that need it. Speedy, the white, Welsh pony, doesn't need it unless he gets wet. The barn isn't heated, but it is positioned to catch the morning light & not to catch the prevailing wind unless we open the side doors. The tack room in the barn is heated. That's where we store all the saddles, bridles & such. It also has hot & cold water, including spigots of both to the wash stall outside the barn.
Cutter was a 'hot house' horse from Florida where he was kept in a heated/cooled stall. He has the most trouble with the cold, but he's getting over it.
Marg only buys good blankets for them. I think they run $200 each or so. I don't really know & don't want to know. Part of our deal is that she pays for her animals, I pay for the rest. It's the only reason we don't have something rivaling the Bronx Zoo here. She can't afford it.
Jim wrote: "I forgot the ice pictures, but had some others from the first day of the storm. Looking out the patio door from our dining room, we can see the barn. Speedy & Topaz were playing, so I snapped som..."Loved the pics of Speedy and Topaz, Jim. Commented elsewhere about them. I sent the link to Eddie. We started discussing whether ponies were considered horses.
I love your view and property! In fact, I'm very jealous. (g)
Yes, Nina, sometimes there is beauty in being outside and enjoying the crisp cold air and the blanket of white or the crystal-like ice. But don't fall down and go boom! :)
In Louisville, where I work, we got maybe an inch of snow that was off the roads well before I left. When I got about 10 miles west of home, the roads started getting covered. By the time I was 5 miles from home, they were covered. A fine snow on top of black ice from the melt. Marg couldn't get her bus in the driveway so we went down the road & parked it next to a friend's dairy barn. There were 41 accidents in Lexington reported on the 5pm news. In other words, it's another freaking mess. At least we have power, although it flickered a couple of times today. I'm just praying we keep it.
The temperature went from the mid 20's down to 11 now in a matter of 3 or 4 hours. The snow is drifting all over as the wind has picked up. We were driving through foot high drifts on the way home. The worst thing is the snow greases up & hides the ice. Walking outside is not for the faint at heart.
Did all of Marg's elementary students get met at the bus? Or did she have to wait at each stop? She must dread driving the bus in slippery weather. Are the roads hilly?Sounds like Marg loves her animals. My older sister always has about 4 or 5 dogs and several cats. Some people are like that.
I guess those horses are used to the cold weather by now. Glad they have good blankets.
Jim, Talk about bad on top of bad...Hang in there best you can. We traveled your roads in lovely weather and what a pleasant place to be unless there is snow and ice and cold. My daughter is like your Marge; two horses, one cat and one Jack Russell. She has had in the past; two horses, one mule and two Great Danes. Not easy to handle the latter two when they got old and incontinent. I will continue praying for better weather. nina
Another day of bad weather there, eh, Jim? That black ice is treacherous. I'm sending good vibes your way. Take care.
Nina, our jorji became incontinent at the end. He couldn't hear and he became blind. We finally had to have the vet put him to sleep. It was such a sad day.Up to the end, before he lost his appetite, we kept him in a large pen in the middle of the living room with a thick sheet of plastic and paper towels under him. We didn't want to let him go. But then we knew it was the best thing to do for him because he was having trouble breathing.
I held him in my arms until the doctor gave him the needle to put him to sleep. We missed him for months until we decided we needed another dog and then we got Romeo. It's so good to see a young, energetic dog running around like jorji used to do.
It is so sad to let them go. My husband was not feeling well one evening and not to my knowledge he got out of our bed and climbed the stairs to another bedroom so as not to disturb me. Our Irish sensed something was wrong so she climbed the stairs to lay beside his bed. Her heart gave out. My husband called me to come upstairs. So she gave her life to be with him. I still miss her. nina
That's very sad, Nina. Yes, we never stop missing our precious pets, do we.They really touch our hearts.
I made it in to work today. The first 5 miles was bad - 4WD at 25mph all the way. The next 5 miles was iffy, but after that it was clear sailing. Getting out of my lane was the really interesting part since it is a sheet of ice covered by a 1.5' snow drift. Luckily, it's very light snow & we kept power! Yay!!!
Jim wrote: "I posted some pictures of the ice storm.http://www.wysiwygwood.com/icepicture...
"
Jim, have enjoyed all your photos. Even though ice and snow can be destructive it certainly looks beautiful too. Thanks for sharing.
Dianne
Jim wrote: "I posted some pictures of the ice storm."http://www.wysiwygwood.com/icepicture...
Thanks for the great pics, Jim. You have a beautiful piece of property there!
Gee, Pixie looks so small... just a little puppy. Loved seeing your family and the horses. I wish I could be friends with a horse like I am with my dog. (Is that at all possible?)
It sure looks like a Winter Wonderland! Thanks again for letting us see your pics.
Glad you liked the pics. The weed that has ice coating it about 10 times its size is something else, isn't it? I love the way the icicles were crooked to the side, too. Very pretty. Some of the best shots were just not picked up by the camera, though. I took a lot up into the canopy of the trees because there was a rainbow of light, but not one of the shots showed it.
I have a beautiful daughter, don't I? She's so cute dressed in my shop coat that's incorrectly buttoned. Well, I wasn't too pretty after 3 days of no electric, either.
Joy, you can't get as friendly with a horse as a dog. They're dumber, prey animals & too big to hold in your lap, although the way Erin cuddles with them sometimes I wonder.
Yes, Pixie is small, but ferocious, energetic & stays warm with her double coat. She chases everyone else away from food dishes now. Amber's feeling better & starting to pick at her stitches (I'll take them out tonight) so those days are numbered. It's funny how the grown dogs will back off from a puppy but not from another adult. Someone is going to put her in her place soon, though.
The pic of your daughter was cute, but some day perhaps you'll show us a clearer pic. I'll bet she has you wrapped around her little finger... Daddy's Little Girl.The ice-coated weed is proof of how great your ice build-up was. We have huge, thick icicles hanging off our house. We had insulation blown into the attic, but I guess it hasn't solved the problem 100%.
About the horse being a "prey animal", I was curious about that. So I went to Wiki. The following excerpt interested me:
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"A prey animal exhibiting the "Fight Instinct" will exhibit signs of self defense in the form of stomping the ground with front foot, charging the predator, head butting, rearing or even defensive grunts, bugles, roars and other sounds including snorting (making noise by forcing air through the nostrils in a sudden way)."
Above from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prey_drive
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I've seen horses stomp their feet, but is that always a defense mechanism? Same for snorting, whinnying and neighing. Why do they do that?
Keep us posted on Pixie's antics. I wonder if she'll learn anything when she gets "put in her place" by a grown dog. Poor Pixie. :)
Hi Joy,You mentioned icicles. When we lived in Milwaukee one winter I had to warn my children not to walk beneath them as they were five to six feet in diameter hanging from our house above the sidewalk around the house. It was cold that winter. Perhaps yours are just as large. nina
Another winter memory. When I was in the French Alps one winter my grandchildren used to walk up to the roofs of houses with their sleds and slide off the roofs. nina
They do indeed stomp & jerk their heads way up. They look big & threatening that way (they are!). They can bite too & do. Topaz, Erin's horse, caught me under the arm one day when I was tightening his girth. I still have a scar. All the horses have lost hair patches from where they've had it done to them too.They'll often rear with striking hooves at things they are scared of. I got caught under one one time & it cracked my cheekbone & broke my nose when I was trimming its hooves. They're very fast & hard. (The two people who were supposed to be holding the horse let go of the halter instead of hanging on & holding it down as they promised the would. Young, dumb, ill-mannered horse with dumber owners.) I've seen them kill a stray dog that way.
They'll also wheel & kick with both hind feet like Speedy is doing in one of the pictures. He wasn't really trying to get Topaz, just playing, but we'll occasionally find one with a bruise on their chest or rib cage when it isn't playing. That kind of kick is usually for knocking things down, then they'll wheel & savage it with the front end.
In other words, you better teach them manners at an early age or else you can be in a world of trouble. a 1/2 ton of bad horse isn't something that's easy to deal with. Ponies tend to be smarter & can be meaner, but aren't as tough to teach. More managable size.
We caught our first pony, Spice, wild when she was 4 & she leaped across the stall at me with bared teeth the first time I entered the stall. She decided shortly after that wasn't the best thing to do. Marg went on to tame her down to where Erin used to crawl into her paddock & hang on to her leg & tail before she could walk. (She crawled out the dog door on us twice!) Spice wouldn't move her leg even though she was stomping flies with the other one & she kept reaching back with her head to steady Erin.
Erin's always had a thing with Spice. Her first stitches were from climbing the fence & trying to jump on Spice. She goofed & landed on her face on a rock. Didn't stop her from trying & succeeding often thereafter, though. When she was a little older, 3 - 6 or so, Erin often went missing at horse shows. It freaked Marg out the first time. They looked all over for her. Finally found her fast asleep on Spice's back in the horse trailer.
Nina, that sledding off the roof was something I always wanted to do! I've seen those roofs in movies & I can imagine any kid would just have to.5 or 6' icicles! Ugh. No thanks. I'm not that fond of winter.
PS Jim,Yes, you have a darling daughter. nina
Nina, yes, we do have icicles that long. I've been meaning to take pics. I do have some pics from other years. I can't wait until all the icicles are gone.Jim, your description of the horses was fascinating. I'll keep my distance from them!
Erin must be quite a horse-woman... is that the term? Anyway, she must be very good with horses considering her background. I enjoyed your stories about Erin and Spice.
Erin has lots of ribbons & took the state in one division this year, I think. Might have been 2d. When it comes to riding, she's done lots. She was practically born on horse back, quite literally. When my wife was 3 months pregnant with her, she rode in the Ladies Race at the Voss Races. At 7 months pregnant, she hopped on a large pony that was giving my son a hard time. The pony got to bucking & I came home to find Marg in bed with her feet up - a position she kept for another couple of months since she'd lost the plug.
There are some more pictures of the family, mostly of Erin here:
http://www.wysiwygwood.com/erinpics.htm
And, yes Joy, she always has had her dad wrapped around her little finger. It's just one of those things.
What a great bunch of pictures! Thank you, Jim.You must be so proud of Erin, and with good reason.
Tell me, where did you find Spice? I didn't realize there were wild ponies around there. How do you catch a wild pony? With a lasso? How did you know how old he was, from his teeth?. What kind of pony is he?
You may take all this knowledge for granted, but it's a new world for me.
I took a brief look at Wiki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony
You've spurred my interest!
Yes, Spice was aged by her teeth. There's a ridge or something that's accurate around 5 years old. I can't age them that way, but Marg, Mom & the vet can.There was an old man who owned a farm near us that turned a few ponies out back in the 50's. He did nothing but toss salt blocks & hay into the field for years. He died in 1985 or so & had 60 ponies in the field. His daughter wanted to get rid of them, so she offered them free to anyone who could catch them.
There were old barns attached to the field that we managed to herd & block a few into. To catch them, we'd crowd them into a corner & I'd jump in & put a headlock on them & drop my weight down. Another guy, Doug, would grab the far front leg & we'd put them down on their side. Margaret then put a halter & shank on them & all three of us would drag them into a trailer.
Spice had a foal, Nutmeg, at the time. Nutmeg was about the size of a medium dog. I carried her out in my arms. Probably didn't weigh 60 lbs.
Sounds easier than it was. Spice wasn't too bad, but one mare was crazy & in a concrete area bordered on one side by a barn that had siding like roof shingles. Doug & I lost a fair amount of hide to the concrete & shingles as we tried to bring her down.
A stud (stallion) was inside a block building but a tractor had hit one of the interior walls & it exposed the rebar. We came close to getting spitted on it a few times. Loki, the stallion, was the last one we caught - the biggest (400 lbs?) & the toughest. He bit, kicked, dragged & generally beat the hell out of us. Doug & I looked like we'd been stomped by a gang of bikers by the end of the day - felt like it too!
Marg's brother & sister-in-law, Anna, took the stud & the crazy mare. We took Spice & her foal, Nutmeg. Spice died last year from old age. We gave Nutmeg to Anna about 10 years ago & maybe 5 years ago she died. Don't recall why or how. She was a top driving pony for Anna, but not as good with the kids. Nutmeg was Brandon's (my youngest boy) pony. Those two were made for each other. Ornery!
LOLJim, you have such a great history with horses! Too bad you didn't videotape* all those sessions capturing those ponies. You sound pretty courageous!
What does a pony like that cost if you buy one?
Gee, I wish we could forward these posts. Eddie would enjoy reading them. That's the good part about posting at newsgroups. The messages can be forwarded... and cc'd as well. Oh well, we can't have everything in one package.
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* PS-Speaking of videotaping an adventure, I think you'll like this videotape our son, Bill, and his wife made (if you haven't seen it before):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpPVek...
It shows how they built a dock at home and transported it to his lake. Of course, our grands are in it too. (g) The music is fun as well. (Lower your volume. LOL)
Nina wrote: "PS Jim,Yes, you have a darling daughter. nina"
Joy,
You mentioned having icicles five to six feet long also in your place but these ones I was talking about were five to six feet width at their top. Am wondering if yours were like that??? nina
Thanks, Nina. I think so. 6' wide icicle? You need to move!I guess they made video cameras back then, but we couldn't afford one. I'm kind of glad we didn't have one. No first hand evidence of how much of a fool I could be. When I think back to it, it's a wonder we survived. Loki was tough. Marg says he weighed about 350 lbs, not 400. She says he would have won if he had that extra weight. As it was, Doug & I together weighed about what he did.
Cost of a pony depends on the pony; type, breeding & skill set. Spice was probably about worth what we paid then. Marg & Anna have sold ponies for several thousand though. Erin turned down $20,000 for Topaz. I disagreed, but not my call.
Jim,Thanks for showing the pictures. I so enjoyed seeing your family after the stories of them. Yes, what a pretty daughter now that you can see all of her. I am like Joy and wish I could forward the animal pics to my daughter, Megan. Megan by the way is only one year younger than you. We got her a horse for Christmas the year she was fourteen and she has never been without one since. But we weren't a horse family like you so she mostly had to learn on her own. She had a good trainer though. He had trained animals for movies; including some in John Wayne ones. He said the smarter the animal the harder to train. He said the hardest ones he had to train were zebras. And as for horses; the hardest were Arabians. You might not agree with him. Anyway she wiil be pleased to learn you have an 18 year old Jack Russell. Hers is about eight years. And the picture I sent to you of her horse, Sugar, and my grandson was not taken by me but by my grandson, Tim. a friend of mine is doing a portrait of it and I'm giving it to my daughter and son-in-law for their wedding anniversary. Are you thawed out yet? nina
Hi Joy,I loved the boat dock episode especially the pics of the little Helpers. Looks like fun in spite of the work involved. I am now off to spend the night with a friend who had a heart attack last night. I don't know why they sent her home from the hospital but she isn't to be alone for twenty four hours. Hope we don't have to make a flying trip to the hospital tonight. I don't mind staying at all just hope she is OK. Wish me luck. nina
Jim, I don't blame Erin for not selling Topaz for that price. I don't think I could part with our dog Romeo at any price. To me, it would be like selling one's child.Where did Erin get Topaz?
As for your breaking in those horses, I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Sounds like you wouldn't be doing that today! (g)
Nina, I'm happy to say our icicles aren't 6 ft. wide at the top! LOLHope your friend will be OK. Good luck to all.
Nina, we're not thawed out yet, although we've made a start. Marg could get the bus in the lane yesterday & the low this morning was 23, about the same as our high yesterday. The temp & ALL are looking up!I've never worked with Arabians, but those I know who have said they're worse than TB's for being flakey. Hard to imagine.
Our favorite performer is Tommy Turvey. http://www.equineextremist.net/ Erin wanted to work for him, but college got in the way. I've never known anyone who worked with zebras & always wondered why they weren't used more.
Can't you just send your daughter the link to my page? Or is she like my wife & won't touch a PC?
I don't recall where Erin got Topaz. I think she sold Sam for the money to buy him, but it might have been Briar. Anyway, it was a pony she loved & rode for years.The idea with the horses is to buy cheap, train them, & sell dear. She got too attached. I would have put my foot down if the guy had tried a little harder. That's almost 2 years tuition & she's now talking about going for 5 years. (My wallet wound up hiding under my bed & whimpering at the news...)
I'll try to get to the video in a bit.
I have a cartoon of a father and mother standing next to their college graduate.The college graduate is wearing a cap and gown.
The father and mother are wearing barrels. (lol)
Loved the video at the Tommy Turvey website:
http://www.equineextremist.net/
Thanks for the link.
How does one go about training a horse to do tricks and to be so docile?
The part with the horse on its back is amazing.
I hope there's no cruelty involved.
I can relate to wearing the barrel! I would doubt very much if there is any cruelty involved in training the horses. I haven't the foggiest notion how he does it, which was why Erin wanted to work with him. I'd guess it's like training a dog - treats & showing them what to do.
PS-Jim, sometimes I copy and paste your posts and email them to Eddie. He says "Wow" about what you do with horses.
Jim wrote: "...I would doubt very much if there is any cruelty involved in training the horses..."Jim, I hope you're right about the horse training methods.
I always feel so bad when I have to spank Romeo for doing his business in the house. I use a soft cardboard tube from our used paper towel rolls. And I yell like hell! Poor baby... but how else will he learn?
Watch how a herd or pack punish other members sometime. We're a lot gentler. After I took Amber's stitches out, she was feeling kind of sorry for herself & the puppy wanted to play. A couple of fast nips, lots of growling & Amber rolled the pup across the floor & stood over her daring her to mess with her again. No blood drawn, but that pup was scared to death & left Amber alone for the rest of the night. Oh yeah, she's a bitch - the word is well used!
LOL - That's a cute story, Jim. The poor pup!I guess Amber had PMS (post-motherhoood syndrome). (g)
My wife, a school bus driver, called to tell me:
1) The roads were worse today than yesterday, yet they started on time today.
2) Yesterday 6 or so buses had to be towed out after getting stuck.
3) the expected 1 - 3" of snow today was 1" here in Louisville & 2.5" in Frankfort & still coming down.
4) School officials decided to close schools early - by 15 minutes! Note that Elementary students must be met by an adult or they can't get off the bus.
They must be huffing exhaust fumes.