Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Horse Personality Quiz #1

I decided to take some horse personality tests. This is for one of my horses. Can you guess who?

Your horse is ... DECF  (dominant, energetic, curious, friendly) The Rock Star

















The Rock Stars are confident and charismatic. They are expressive and strong minded. They love to show you what they know but are hard to get to focus on the small details of the task. They are found in many competitive arenas, usually at the top of their field.


Do
Pamper their egos
Allow them to shine
Allow them to teach you
Work them regularly
Treat them with dignity
Pet them, love them
Respect them

Don’t
Coddle them
Pick at them
Be a perfectionist
Bore them
Be a taskmaster


It's Yalla! And I think it fits her rather well, don't you?

Go here for some more information on horse personalities.



Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sunday stills (Self 11-29-10)

This week's challenge was to show the mug behind the camera.


as promised, more pictures...


Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sunday Stills (11-21-10 Low Tech vs High Tech)

Today's challenge is Technology- old versus new. I decided to show the progression of traditional wooden pencil to mechanical pencil to calculator.

Then I thought about phone calls. At work, I have the old fashioned phone with handset, the newer cell phone, and now, Oovoo video conferencing on the computer. You can see me on the screen.
 

For more Sunday Stills, please visit here.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Black and White

I found this video on YouTube and had to share it. It compares Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas
 with Juan Manuel Munos Diaz and Fuego XII during the 2010 WEG Freestyle. Juan finished fifth with only an 81.45 while Edward scored a winning 91.8. I was really surprised with that score because once Totilas broke into a canter at the start of an extended trot sequence. Hmmmm.

Anyway, you can decide who's better. The only flaw I see with Fuego is that his legs are way under him in the Piaffe (trot in place).They are both gorgeous!


When I clicked on the next video available it was Schweppes. You gotta watch it!



Black and White - song: Black Tie, White Noise, artist: Davbie Bowie, album: Black Tie, White Noise

Friday Foto

I found this guy on my patio this morning. I don't know if he's dead or frozen. The temperature was 29 degrees.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

But the Food is Cold

This post is for Lytha, especially. She asked how I make the beet pulp mash so I decided to give instructions on how I do it. "Your horses are so lucky to get such fancy meals! although i really wanted to see nadia's portion. do you drain your beet pulp? how do you do that?"


Nadia and Annie need it for weight management whereas Yalla! and Scout get it as a supplement and a treat.

Start with a sack of beet pulp pellets. I've been paying about $12 for a 50 pound bag at my local feed store. Then a couple of weeks ago I was charged $20 for one bag at the same local feed store. I was in shock and asked what happened. She said there was a shortage. The next day I went to the feed store across town and bought three  40 lb bags at $12 each. I basically got a bag for free with the old prices even though I sure didn't want to spend that much. I usually only buy one bag at a time. Jeez, I've never had anything go up that much in price before.

I've heard that you can feed them dry but they swell so much that I am hesitant to try it that way. I do give the horses a pellet or two as a snack sometimes. It's fun to watch them crunch them up.

I use a 2 pound coffee tin or you can use a feed scoop which is about the same measurement. I scoop out 2+ coffee cans of pellets into a bucket.
Then I add water to the pellets. I always add about double the water in proportion to the pellets. I figure it'll help with their hydration if it gets too wet. We do live in a desert, after all. I just scoop the water out of their water buckets because it's easier than using the tap. You could use warm water if you want but it still takes some time to break down the pellets so I just use cold water. Originally, I worried that the mash would freeze. It is really wet and cold, but so far, the horses don't seem to mind eating cold porridge. lol.

Never mind that the water looks so strange in my photo. This picture was taken in the morning with poor light and there is a layer of ice on top giving it a strange look. The white thing is my hand holding the can and dipping in the water.
Then I pour the water over the pellets...
 and set it aside for several hours. I find that by feeding the mash each morning and then starting the next batch at the same time works best for me. I've left it as long as 48 hours before and it doesn't spoil in the cold weather although high temperatures can make it go rancid. In the summer I make it in the evening and feed it in the morning.

This is not a fast feed. It must always be planned and made well ahead of mealtime. That is why it's taken so long to feed sometimes, if my son feeds for me, or something happens, because I won't ask him to feed it. It's too much work and then having to keep the horses separated is another issue.

Here is "tomorrow's mash" getting ready for tomorrow. I cover the bucket to keep mice out. Those are empty feed sacks that I need to throw away.
This is what it looks like when it's fully reconstituted, kind of like "shredded" bran meal. Sometimes, the last bit is watery but it's not too bad. I don't ever drain it. As I've said, I think it's good for them to get the extra wetness. The mush has an interesting smell, kind of nutty? My horses like it plain but, of course, they prefer it with grain added.
 I get all my feed buckets ready and then I scoop:
 1 scoop (2 pound can) each to Scout and Yalla!
Because I'm crazy, I use a certain mix of grains for each of my horses. I give Scout and Yalla! each 3 handfuls of cracked corn and 3 handfuls of sweet feed mixed grain. Then I add antihistamines to Scout's mix. 
Here's Yalla!s mix. Scout's is the same in the black tub.
For Annie, I'll give 2-3 scoops of beet pulp mash, 4 handfuls of cracked corn, 4 handfuls of Senior mix and a handful of sweet feed. Nadia gets the same proportions of grains and the rest of the mash which comes out to about 4-5 scoops. I like to add vegetable oil too. My vet said it was a great weight producing food and you can't ever give them too much. For Nadia and Annie, I'll add a cup of oil each and for Scout and Yalla!  1/4 to 1/2 cup. I also like to add Calf Manna or some other kind of vitamin supplement.

Here's Nadia's portion. It's hard to see but there is some corn and other grains mixed around in it.
I have been leaving Nadia in the barn by herself with extra hay so she can browse leisurely without the pigs other horses taking it all from her. She is old and chews slower than the others.  I hate keeping her in the barn because although she has a 24 x 48 run she doesn't move around much. After all, she's 27 years young.  I had hoped the big pasture would help her fatten up but she didn't seem to get enough to eat there and it was only for a couple of months until Annie hurt herself anyway. 

Here's a photo of Nadia a few months ago. Notice the bony points and loss of muscle tone.

This is from this morning.
I know, they're terrible photos, but I'm happy to say that she is looking much better now. Even though the angle is awful, you can see that her backbone isn't as prominent and her rump is rounding up more. Of course, she has a hay belly but she's always had that. I can really notice the difference when I sit on her bareback. She was getting kind of bony, now she's just swaybacked, like your favorite old chair: comfy but droopy.


But the Food is Cold - song: Repetition, artist: David Bowie, album: Lodger

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sees the Pictures of Herself

Just playing around with Yalla! and the camera for some self portraits...
.


 Too bad the color in this one is so washed out. Look how grown up Yalla! looks!

Juliette of Honeysuckle Faire enhanced the photo for me using her software. What do you think?
When photos don't turn out quite right, there's always black and white
 or a variation of such.

Which one do you like best?

Sees the Pictures of Herself - song: Maid of Bond Street, artist: David Bowie, album: David Bowie

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Sunday Stills (11-14-10 Coffee)

Today's Sunday Stills challenge is cups of Java and tea.

One of the hottest office "toys" around nowadays is the Keurig coffee brewer. It makes coffee one cup at a time and everyone is delighted to experiment with all the different flavors available in the little individual K-cups. All you do is fill the water reservoir and turn the machine on. Then you pick out your K-cup, place it in the machine by lifting the handle in front and PRESTO- coffee brews into your cup. Add cream and sugar and it's ready to drink.
I generally choose decaffeinated coffee but some of my favorite blends are pumpkin spice, cinnamon roll, and Kona island with a hint of coconut. The K-cups are available in Hot apple cider and all kinds of teas including chai.


 Or if I'm hankering for a cappuccino, our local quick stop gas station mini mart has a Manic Monday special- any size coffee for 79 cents. I usually get a 24 ounce caramel macchiato cappucchino topped off with some decaf. It lasts me most of the day. 
My favorite cup at home is the tall and skinny kind. I think of this one as my Christmas cup because of the colors. My cat likes it too. She always drinks my coffee with me.

I waited all week to get shots of Terra and Simba going after my coffee and it didn't happen until after I made my Sunday Stills post. Anyway, here are my coffee thieves.

Notice Buddha in the background?
 

For more Sunday Stills, please visit here


Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

Thursday, November 11, 2010

In the '14-'18 war I went to sea

Veteran's Day is the day to remember all the veterans of our World Wars.

 It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) from wikipedia


This video is an interesting history of Veteran's Day.


Here is a big heartfelt Thank You to all the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the world, especially during war times.


In the '14-'18 war I went to sea - song: Rubber Band, artist: David Bowie, album: David Bowie

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

What is this?

What the heck is a Knox Box and an F. D. C.?

 
From the Knox Box website: The KNOX-BOX® Rapid Entry System provides non-destructive emergency access to commercial and residential property. More than 10,500 fire departments and government agencies use Knox key boxes (keybox, keyboxes), vaults, cabinets, key switches, padlocks, locking FDC plugs and electronic key retention units for safe and secure rapid entry.

Interesting!!

I found it at our downtown train station which is built in the style of the old Alvarado Hotel that was torn down several years ago.
This old freight house is the real deal however.


Monday, November 8, 2010

Two Horses

This has been going around the internet email and I thought it was worthy of a posting:


Two Horses  
Author Unknown

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. 





From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.
 
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
  His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. 


This alone is amazing.  If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.  Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
  It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back,
Making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. 



Like the owners of these two horses, our mates don't throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

They watch over us and even bring others into our lives
To help us when we are in need..

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who are placed in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good friends are like that...
 You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.. 
* Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours, and remember...
 

Be kinder than necessary-
 
Everyone you meet is fighting
Some kind of battle.
 

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.......
 
                                         
 
FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
   

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sunday Stills (11-7-10 Meal Time)

I was raised in the "three foods on a plate" club. It rounds out the meal to have a little variety- color, texture, food group; they all play a part. However, more often than not, nowadays, I serve up quick meals, often with only one or two foods because I'm the only one eating and I want to eat quick. Heck, one of my favorite suppers is a bowl of ice cream and a cut up banana (two foods!) Anyway, I really thought about it and, because Ed said no archives, this is what I had for dinner last night- Cole slaw, Cantalope, and Chicken (Country fried!). Can this Count for "C" Cuisine too?
This morning when I went to feed the horses, I realized that I serve them threefers all the time: cracked corn, c-o-b sweet feed (corn, oats, barley), and rehydrated beet pulp mash.
 Of course, I mix it all up together when I serve it to them.
Scout and Yalla! only get a little, Annie gets more, and Nadia gets a full bucket (not shown) to help keep her weight on.

Here are some of my favorite snacks: raisins, nuts, and M & Ms. Yummy!

 I like them best all mixed together and by the handful
or in my mouth! 

For more Sunday Stills, please visit here.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen