Scary stuff

Has everyone been as busy as I have? Wow time flies. This past weekend I was able to get my trailer down the "Field road of doom" and take Scotty on a field trip. The Mounted Patrol unit that I ride for was having a sensory practice so I thought it might be fun to take Scotty and see how he would fair against all the scary obstacles. I would lead him from the ground of course as I am nursing a severe case of tennis elbow (funny, I've never played the game in my life). Better judgement being that I should not hop on the back of a track-broke 4 yr old TB who had been kept in a stall all night, with a sore arm, and ride through a scary course. So I led him through it. Scotty was fantastic and did everything I asked. We had a teeter totter, large ball, a "car wash", tires, mattress etc. He actually seemed to enjoy himself. Attached are a few pics of our adventure.Enjoy!

Spring is here??

I don't like the cold. I frequently complain, whine, and pout when temperatures fall below 40. I am also a fair weather rider and my horses pretty much get the winter off. Last week we had sub zero temps - today is nearing 60.

The warm weather brings unwanted side effects:

1.) The "Field Road of Doom". The field road has now turned to cankle (calf-ankle)deep mud in places and I now have to walk out to the barn. Luckily I was able to get Scotty's alfalfa, grain, and shavings back there on Saturday, nearly getting my truck stuck on the way out. Luckily there is a small subdivision on the east side of the barn where I can park and trek in. Muck boots are now my primary footwear as even the pastures are soggy now.

2.) Horse hair in the mouth. Two things I cannot stand in my mouth are hair of any variety (especially when found in my food) and tiny fish bones. I nearly throw up in my mouth just thinking about it and actually start gagging and dry heaving when they wind up in there. Shedding ponies result in hair in the mouth no matter how hard you try to avoid it. I'm thinking of investing in some of those surgical masks. As far as fish bones are concerned - I thought I learned my lesson - the fish I like are the Filet O Fishies at McDonalds. Last Friday I had a walleye sandwich at a restaurant. Supposedly boneless, you can imagine my surprise when I bit into a tiny little bone. Luckily I was able to keep my composure and unnoticeably spit my mouthful into a napkin. I did not finish my sandwich. I hate that.

3.) Flooded Barn. The runoff of melting ice usually turns three of the four stalls in our barn into swimming pools. Saturday Scotty's stall began to flood. I frantically chipped at the ice around the back door creating a drainage channel into the pasture instead of into the barn. So far so good. Three of Four stalls have been saved.

4.) Spring Fever! Fresh horses usually mean unscheduled dismounts. I've been lucky with the past few years *knock on wood*... but I just realized I have a 4 year old Thoroughbred who is off the track, feeling healthy, and has recently shown me how much pent up energy he has by racing around in the pasture and throwing bucks that would make rodeo horses jealous.

5.) Stuck trailer. Refer to #1 reason. My trailer is parked at the barn and removing it from the barn requires the quarter mile journey down the "Field Road of Doom". Currently it is not driveable, barely walkable and resembles that of quicksand. It is frustrating that I have opportunities to trailer my horses different places to ride now that the weather is warmer - but can't get them out at this point. Poor planning on my part - I should know better, however my trailer doubles as Scotty's alfalfa hay storage in the winter. I'd have no place to put his hay. I'll just have to wait for it to dry out in a couple of weeks.

So there you have it... my top 5 undesirable side effects of spring and warmer weather.

Scotty is well - yesterday we played "tag" in the pasture. He'd follow me for a treat and I'd duck behind the round bale feeder and pop out the other side. He'd paw and snake his head and trot after me. We both found this quite amusing for about 5 minutes, then he got bored and walked away. Scotty also enjoyed playing in the water tank. I caught him submerging his face and splashing around. I just love his little quirks. Today the farrier (bless his heart) is hiking down the Field Road of Doom to trim. I love spring!

Equine Massage

Sorry for not writing lately. Sometimes I just get so busy with other things to even manage a few minutes to write. Sometimes I just forget.

Scotty is doing well and he had his first massage the other day. I had never seen this process and found it very interesting. I think Scotty seemed to like it. He's a fidgity horse and doesn't like to stand still much so I'm sure it was a challenge. He enjoyed his legs being rubbed and had the most unusual reaction to the "tail pulling". He looked surprised and confused, then when she released he hunched his back and lifted his legs like he was stretching or readjusting. Since the massage he seems to be moving more freely. His hindquarter nerve damage is going to take some work though. I'll be lining up a few more massages as cash permits.

If you are in the Southwest metro area of Minneapolis and are looking for equine massage, please check out Holly Chumas. Her website is www.neoblumassage.com . I highly recommend her - she is the sweetest lady, is extremely good with horses and she does a lot of racetrack work. I can't say enough about her.

On a side note: Race trainer Justin Evans, responsible for ruining Scotty,(along with drugging & injuring numerous others) is now licensed in New Mexico after being suspended from training at Turf Paradise in Arizona. I'm wondering when the Racing Commission will wake up and stop licensing these cheaters? I can't wait to see if he returns to Canterbury this summer. Heaven forbid he run into me on the backside.

A girl and her horse

I saw the eagle again yesterday while I was in the pasture hanging out with Scotty. He flew about 10 feet above our heads. I could see every little detail of his wings. Absolutely amazing!! Seeing him as frequently as I do now makes me wonder if it's not such a coincidence as I had once thought it was. Perhaps eagles are just more frequent these days and this one has a nest nearby. It's just strange that in all my years living in this town, never to have seen one until Scotty came around. And my goodness, how close they come!

My daughter was also out in the pasture giving Scotty his daily treats. I was able to catch it on camera and thought I'd share.

Happy Friday!

Nothing of consequence has happened around here lately. Nothing blog worthy at least. It snowed here yesterday, a total of about 5 inches which is not totally unbearable. It all seemed to come down at once though, making the driving less than desirable.

Scotty spent most of the yesterday inside, munching on his hay buffet. Winds and small ice pellets made me feel more comfortable keeping him inside. After all, I'm fresh out of bubble wrap and heaven forbid he get another injury. I did let him out to stretch his legs for about an hour while I cleaned his stall. Boy did he stretch his legs!

Once the field road of doom is plowed and some of the snow is gone I will bring Scotty in to the vet for his knee xrays. He will be sedated and also have his teeth floated, perhaps spring shots will be in order as well. I am mentally calculating just how many Venti Skinny Carmel Latte's from Starbucks that equates to. Ramen Noodles are on the menu for the next few months for sure. Many of you have emailed asking how to help and where to donate: Again, I'm not one for soliciting donations but apparently Scotty has touched so many lives that some of you feel compelled to help.....

All donations can be sent directly to the vet clinic, and yes they do accept Credit Cards via phone.

Cleary Lake Vet Clinic

952-435-8387

18577 Natchez Ave

Prior Lake, MN 55372

Attention: Scotty c/o Annie Gallus

Happy Birthday Scotty

Never in all my years of owning horses have I ever thrown one of them a birthday party. It seems silly to me, actually. Just another day to Scotty. For me though, this one is a big deal.

On December 6, my friends and I physically lifted a severely emaciated 3 year old chestnut horse into the trailer. I remember preparing myself for the worst. Chances were slim he would even make it the 30 min trailer ride, much less survive overnight. He was so weak that his muscles trembled and he wobbled back and forth. I went into the mindset that he would most likely need to be euthanized but at least this way he'd die a dignified death. We couldn't get him into the vet clinic for two days so it was important for me to spoil him during that time. At least he'd know he was loved , if only for a short period of time. We blanketed him, fed him numerous small meals and all the hay he could handle. He was kept in a stall so he wouldn't expend energy. Slowly, over the next two days he began to come around, his eyes brightened, and his appetite increased. It was then I promised him I wouldn't give up on him.

Scotty has come a long way over the past 3 months. Certainly a cause for celebration.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTTY!!

It's a bird... it's a plane...

Yesterday was a nice day. I spent most of it at the barn grooming and doting over the horses. Not much to do really when the entire barn, pastures, and field road are glare ice. We've started dumping the used shavings into the pasture as the horses were having trouble walking up the slope to get to the water. It's horrible and I'm terrified something will happen to Scotty (or my other boys). Last winter my daughter's pony slipped on the ice and fractured his pelvis. This past weekend I took a digger outside the barn, landing on my hip and bumping my head. A minor concussion and a rather attractive bruise were the results. I almost feel I need to stuff my Carharts with pillows and and wear a crash helmet when I go out there these days.

I was taking pictures of the ponies yesterday as I usually do on the weekends. As I was shooting, I hear a noise from above. Off in the distance I see three Paragliders coming my way. Now, Minnesota is not the best place for paragliding. We have no mountains to catch the thermals and such. These turned out to be motorized paragliders - the same glider wing, only with a motor to keep them aloft. They preceded to fly in formation directly over our pasture and over my head at only a few hundred feet. How absolutely awesome is that? You just don't see such things in my neck of the woods. Of course the first thing I thought of was my friend Scotty Marion (my horse is named after him) and how he loved paragliding, ultimately losing his life doing it. I watched in awe as they passed over head. Only one of the 9 horses bothered to pay attention- Scotty (the horse) was busy burying his head in the round bale. His chestnut butt is next to the horse that is blanketed in the picture.

Call me crazy but since this horse has entered my life - I've experienced some strange things, all of which force the memory of my friend to the forefront of my mind. It's almost as if Scotty himself is saying "Hey, I'm still here".