Now, for the important news!  I promised you all a celebration last week, in honor of my 100th (and some change) post!  It got delayed a bit, by a skinny little dollfaced mutt that Fate dropped in my path on Monday to welcome me back to Florida.  More on that as it develops, but suffice it to say that I am a sucker for a sorry dog.  Anyway, I want to thank everyone who commented on my celebration post, and the lucky winner selected by the random number generator is………

Paint Girl from Adventures of the Painted Creek Farm!!!!

Paint Girl, email me with your contact information and I’ll send out your horsey surprise!  Thanks so much for playing, I had fun doing it.

Have any of you had a bad hauling experience?  Touch wood, I have been relatively fortunate given the amount of hauling that I’ve done.  We’ve had a couple of close calls, but nothing like this ever before.  I hope they do a follow up on this to determine exactly what caused this unfortunate incident. 

Thanks to Liz for posting on this story!

I am excited about the next few months, which will bring profiles on top trainers, health topics, contests, and extensive coverage of the upcoming Equine Affaire event in Columbus, Ohio that I will be attending.  In addition, I will be unveiling a secret that all pet bloggers will be able to enjoy!  I can’t wait to share, but for now I’ll just say that you’ll definitely want to jump on board if you have a website!  

As always,  thanks for visiting and happy riding!

Photo courtesy of Petronella02, Photobucket

Have you ever taken one of those quizzes that ask, “What animal most closely represents you?”  I was driving home from the barn last night pondering this very topic, and surprised myself with my revelation.  I have answered this question, or some variation of it, many times over the years.  Maybe I never thought about it that closely, or maybe my perspective has changed.  Either way, last night I realized that if I were asked that question right now, my answer would be the horse.  I am transparent and cannot be dishonest – one look into my eyes and you can see right through me.  If you communicate clearly and fairly with me, only then will I “get” what you truly want from me, as I don’t understand games or agendas.  Put me in a wide open space and I will run and play, but when it’s time to bridle up and work I’m focused and ready.  I am strong and powerful and can carry a friend for miles if I need or want to.   Yet I am delicate – a wrong step and I might break, anxiety will find my belly churning.  I might kick out if you approach too fast and if you restrain me too firmly, I’ll surely pull back, break the ties, and be gone before you know what went wrong.  But my heart is pure and my spirit is strong and I would trek through the desert with no water for the partner that appreciates that about me.

 I wonder, do I identify these traits in horses because the qualities represent me or do I connect so strongly with horses because they mirror my soul?  When you think of the essence of the horse, do you think of the same images as I do?  Would you say that the horse represents you better than any other animal?    If so, do you think that you are drawn to horses because you have those similar traits or does your relationship with your horse develop them?  If you’re not a horse person, do you feel that your traits mirror those of your favorite pet?

We continued on through a series of woodland trails and sand roads, heading toward our ultimate destination of Lake Harney.  Along the way we spotted many birds and lots of pretty foliage.  We had great fun snapping shots of our tracks in the sand!  

Photo courtesy of Hazem Behiry

Hoofprints in the sand

Lake Harney is a huge lake – about 6,000 acres –  that is very near Tiny’s barn.  I used to take Grady and Bella to the beach there to romp and play and we would walk the trails that pepper the woods along the shoreline.  Once, we saw an owl swoop down and grab a snake right in front of us!  The lake is always a good place for wildlife sightings and the water is teeming with alligators and fish.  It’s hard to believe that in the heavy rains we had last year, this whole area was flooded under several feet of water for almost a month.  

Tiny isn’t a fan of the water, but she does like to look around and see what is going on out here.  There is always something fun – airboats, birds, fisherman.  Not too much going on this day, just a man and his metal detector, scouring the beach. 

Although we didn’t see much wildlife on our trail ride this time, it was the perfect day to spend some time with my girl.  I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did! 

Photo courtesy of Hazem Behiry

Photo courtesy of Mike Tungate

Happy Holidays everyone!  I hope that for those of you that celebrate Christmas, today finds you fat and happy.  For everyone else, I hope that you are enjoying a long weekend to relax and spend time with your loved ones!

As you can see, I received a very special surprise for Christmas this year!  My cousin-in-law, Roberto, has been helping me with updating my site design and we took it live on Christmas Eve!  I am so excited to finally have a design that reflects a horsey theme!  Give me some feedback – do you like the new layout?  Is it user friendly?  Any quirks? 

Roberto and I have also been cooking up a new surprise for all of you bloggers, too!  Stay tuned in the next few weeks and we’ll hopefully be able to share it with you soon…. I think you’ll like!

Whatever your beliefs and practices may be, I hope that you enjoy the last days of 2009 and are ready to hop into the next decade and make it a great one!  Best to all!

Image courtesy of Dave Walker

Because they don’t talk back, yet you’ll often find an ear cocked in your direction as you speak 

Because they accept what is and never look back

Because you can view your soul through a horse’s eyes

Because there is no high like the one you feel when you have just perfected an intricate maneuver on horseback

Because of the strength and flexibility the body has as a result of riding

Because it feels powerful to charge through the woods at a gallop, ducking branches and feeling the wind whip around you

Because of the partnership and trust that is shared between a horse and rider

Because nothing soothes the edges of a rough day like a warm, hay scented breath blown on your cheek

Because they are so powerful and yet so fragile

Because equestrian friendships transcend age, religion, and sexuality.  The language of the horse is enough to sustain a lasting bond

Because horses are the best teachers and if you listen there is always something new to learn

But mostly, because horses are in my soul.  They have been from the day I was born, long before I ever laid a hand upon one.  If you have ever been lucky enough to experience that feeling with anything, then you might understand.  There are just some things you can’t explain, and trying to rein them into words diminishes the greatness. 

So I’m with Jane.  Why horses?  Because I like them.

Many of you have met Grady before and know what a charming little goober-flinger he is.  Bet you didn’t also know he’s a personal friend of the Easter Bunny (thanks to the Tampa Humane Society for the photo!) and a certified therapy dog!  The photo on the top right is Grady and I at Give Kids the World Village not long after his certification was completed.  Grady LOVES children and this venue gave him a great opportunity to mingle with tons of kids and their families.  It’s a lot of fun and for a great cause.  Every weekend the Village (which is a resort style complex that is a fantasyland for terminally ill children) hosts a street party in the square with dancing, music, and food.  Children sing and dance and forget their troubles for a short while and it’s great fun for everyone involved.  The bottom photo is Grady getting his butt whooped by his sister, Bella Dog.  She doesn’t live with us anymore, but she may turn up now and again around these parts! 

Milo is definitely the more photogenic of my two cats.  I have tons of photos of him in goofy positions or doing strange things.  You never know quite what you’ll find with him.  In fact the photos of him wrapped up in the sheet were just taken this morning as I watched him flopping around in there trying to free himself.  As you can see, Grady was not particularly amused.  The bottom left photo is Milo as a kitten rubbing noses with my old Neo, Otis.  When I got the kittens, Otis was elderly and infirm.  He didn’t get around well and he served as an excellent jungle gym for baby Milo and Bella.  This photo is one of my favorites of the two of them together. 

I had a lot more trouble finding good photos of Bella.  She’s so independent and low-key that she tends to fly under the radar a bit more than the others.  I’m hoping that changes now that we’ve moved.  I have been so pleasantly surprised with how she’s dealt with it – nothing at all how I expected her to!  She’s willingly given up her freedom (they were indoor/outdoor cats prior) and now languishes in her various spots around our tiny little apartment.  Her favorite place is curled up on the cable box or my lap.  I’ll be sure to get more photos of Bella for future Zoo editions. 

And now…just in case you’re not yet convinced of my insanity, check out the former zoo in its entirety.  Before the four of us moved in July, we lived with a total of 6 cats, 2 dogs, 1 horse, and an occasional visitor of some variety (whatever creature came to visit via the cat door, or needed rehab for some ailment).  I know it seems crazy to have so many animals in one house (and yes, it felt crazy sometimes!) but I love each and every one of those guys and I miss them dearly.  Check out a somewhat common kitchen view:

From left: Bubba, Frankie, Milo, Minge, Bella Cat, Bella Dog, and Grady. Tiglet is AWOL.

Anyway, enjoy and hope you get a giggle out of her too!  I can’t recall ever having a horse with a tan line before…oh, and I wish my full body photos had turned out better.   She actually has strap lines from her fly sheet on her rib cage!