Wilma here.
My Friesian friend, Sasha, who lives on the other side of the trees in our Forest Reserve, got very sick about two months ago. On May 27, she died.
I will miss her wisdom and playfulness, even though I know she is now gamboling joyously and will return in a new, strong body.
Farewell, friend. See you back here soon.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Walkabout
Wilma here.
My friend Willow is a bay quarter horse. Even though she is not a Friesian, I still like her because she is kind and gentle. She has had an interesting life, although not all of it was great. When she was younger, she was a "roping horse". She told me what that meant was she and her partner ran very fast after a cow, the partner would throw a rope and when it went around the cow's head, Willow would put on the brakes and keep the rope tight until the partner could finish whatever it was he did with the cow.
Willow was very fast, and she was proud of her work. It was her life, just like in my earlier life I was a broodmare, and proud of making such beautiful babies. Her partner liked her, too, but it always seemed her partner wanted her to go faster; no matter how hard she tried, she was never quite good enough. She was well cared for, but she was a "working horse". I'm not sure what that means, but I do know it takes her a long time to trust the humans because as a "working horse" and "roping horse" she was always told what to do and when to do it, and it seemed the work never ended. She didn't get a lot of free time, or chance to make her own decisions. She didn't get loved on that much, either. She just did her job.
When she got older, the "roping" stuff took a toll on her body, so she was sold. At some point she developed a problem with her front feet, called founder, that caused her a lot of pain. She had to wear special shoes and was on something called "bute", so she could walk. She says the shoes always made her feet feel tight.
Eventually she came to a family who bought some quarter horses to breed and ride. They were completely new to horses, though, and didn't understand them very well. The family discovered that having six horses was a LOT of work, and they didn't want to work that hard, so Willow and her five companions ended up standing around in pastures. Willow had her shoes taken off, which helped her feet feel less tight, but she was being fed food that was not good for a horse who had foundered. The people weren't cruel, they just didn't know any better.
Willow's feet got so painful she could barely move. Her trust in humans was pretty much at an all-time low. She was wet, cold, her feet hurt, she was standing in mud up to her ankles, and her back itched. She wondered what was going to happen to her next. It was a long way from her glory days as a "roping horse". At least then she felt useful. Now she just felt useLESS.
I'll continue Willow's story later. It's time to take a stroll around the pasture and make sure the other horses are behaving themselves. Part of my job as lead mare at Harmony's Heart is keeping the peace.
My friend Willow is a bay quarter horse. Even though she is not a Friesian, I still like her because she is kind and gentle. She has had an interesting life, although not all of it was great. When she was younger, she was a "roping horse". She told me what that meant was she and her partner ran very fast after a cow, the partner would throw a rope and when it went around the cow's head, Willow would put on the brakes and keep the rope tight until the partner could finish whatever it was he did with the cow.
Willow was very fast, and she was proud of her work. It was her life, just like in my earlier life I was a broodmare, and proud of making such beautiful babies. Her partner liked her, too, but it always seemed her partner wanted her to go faster; no matter how hard she tried, she was never quite good enough. She was well cared for, but she was a "working horse". I'm not sure what that means, but I do know it takes her a long time to trust the humans because as a "working horse" and "roping horse" she was always told what to do and when to do it, and it seemed the work never ended. She didn't get a lot of free time, or chance to make her own decisions. She didn't get loved on that much, either. She just did her job.
When she got older, the "roping" stuff took a toll on her body, so she was sold. At some point she developed a problem with her front feet, called founder, that caused her a lot of pain. She had to wear special shoes and was on something called "bute", so she could walk. She says the shoes always made her feet feel tight.
Eventually she came to a family who bought some quarter horses to breed and ride. They were completely new to horses, though, and didn't understand them very well. The family discovered that having six horses was a LOT of work, and they didn't want to work that hard, so Willow and her five companions ended up standing around in pastures. Willow had her shoes taken off, which helped her feet feel less tight, but she was being fed food that was not good for a horse who had foundered. The people weren't cruel, they just didn't know any better.
Willow's feet got so painful she could barely move. Her trust in humans was pretty much at an all-time low. She was wet, cold, her feet hurt, she was standing in mud up to her ankles, and her back itched. She wondered what was going to happen to her next. It was a long way from her glory days as a "roping horse". At least then she felt useful. Now she just felt useLESS.
I'll continue Willow's story later. It's time to take a stroll around the pasture and make sure the other horses are behaving themselves. Part of my job as lead mare at Harmony's Heart is keeping the peace.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Anybody Home?
Wilma here.
My granddaughter, Marieh, has quite the sense of humor. Our human partners set up an area around the house so we could eat the grass. They call it "mowing the lawn." There is a deck at the back of the house, with steps leading down to where we were eating.
Marieh got tired of eating all the grass, and decided it might be interesting to see if anyone was in the house, so up the steps she went. Here she is, looking into the dining room.
"Marieh tested, family approved. The partners' builder built a good deck!"
My granddaughter, Marieh, has quite the sense of humor. Our human partners set up an area around the house so we could eat the grass. They call it "mowing the lawn." There is a deck at the back of the house, with steps leading down to where we were eating.
Marieh got tired of eating all the grass, and decided it might be interesting to see if anyone was in the house, so up the steps she went. Here she is, looking into the dining room.
"Marieh tested, family approved. The partners' builder built a good deck!"
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Something to Say
Wilma here.
It's been a while, but now I have something to say.
My partner went away for a week. When she came back, she was changed. She feels different. It's a good different.
Then, I got a new saddle. It is sooo comfortable, much better than the other one! I can go for a long time with this saddle on.
My partner has started riding me, really riding! We went for a ride down the road with Twister, a young gelding in the next pasture who needs some road miles. I led the way because my partner said I was calm and sensible. Then the Friesian club had their meeting near our house and my partner and I directed a trail ride for some of the club members and their horses. It was a lot of fun being out on the trail with all the other Friesians. We were a gorgeous parade.
Another day, my partner and her mate took me on the trail. My partner rode me first, and we even did some trotting. That was great. I could feel how quietly confident my partner was, and that made me more confident. We went to a picnic area where I got to graze for a while. Then my partner's mate rode me home. I like taking him for rides. He is just learning, and I'm helping him build HIS confidence. Soon he'll be riding his own horse, my granddaughter, Marieh.
This new feeling partner is very nice. I've waited a long time for it. I knew she could do it. Patience has paid off. I love being a riding horse. Here is a picture of me and my partner on the day of the Friesian ride. It's a goofy picture of me, I look like big-head horsey, but you see my new saddle very well. Don't my partner and I look wonderful together?
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