Monday, September 30, 2013

I promise, last Heidi update for a little while!

     Took Heidi out again today, this time with the Riser pad,  a bit better than with the half pad but something's still off. 






     So I might have to start looking into saddles again for Miss Heidi, but at least she stood very nicely for the vet, two shots and drew blood for the Coggin's.  Pricing wasn't bad for everything.  Took a look at her 'wart' and said it's not something that he'd worry about.   With all her shots she has the next day off, at least no saddle.  We might try a few bareback times just calm and easy as we go.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Fun Bareback day!

     I'm quite sure everyone's probably getting tired of my updates on Heidi.  At least I'll admit she does tell me in the most gentlest of ways that something's bothering her.  She's been ill behaved under saddle for a few days/weeks.  This way I know something bugging her.  She's normally very good about standing at the mounting block and she hasn't been, I'm usually lucky to get away with just moving the block twice before actually getting up.  So today after the usual fight with her, I got down before I got tossed down.  She hasn't ever tried to dump me but I'm not going to push my luck.  So I ripped the saddle off, and tried a little bareback instead, just to see if the saddle was the problem. 
It appears as if it was.
     Stood like an angel at the mounting block- for which I was SUPER happy.  I don't think I could have ever done anything like that if she had been fidgeting!  Stood stock still for me to swing my leg over and sit back up.  Then we rode around, she was way more relaxed.  I think I'm going to bring the gullet bar back up to the 4x. 




     So maybe the 4x gullet will help.   I've made the choice and I'm moving ahead with the sale of several of my rabbits.  While I worry about them going to bad homes I know I can't keep them all, I really want to focus on Heidi much more.  Now that I think I know what's going on I really want to make sure this works through! 

Randomness of my world

     A total bit of randomness that has been going on here.  I've decided to cut back to 24 rabbits.  Total.  I'll have 6 torts, 6 blues, 3 steels(Connie being counted as a steel despite she's black), 3 chocolates, 3 Chinchillas, the 2 Holland lop bucks and Keisha(who is a steel but retired) as my show/pet rabbits.  It does bother me to a point that several juniors that I kept for one reason or another will be sold on as they don't fit in the scheme of things. 
Torts: Dylan, Corbin, Della, Hope, Faith, Jeanie's daughter
Blues: Michelangelo, Marcie, Matilda, Zelda, Alura-leaving me room to get a new blue buck.
Steels: Natalie and Connie- leaving room for a Mel/Anna buck to come in for them
Chinchillas: Eliot, Belle and Ora.
Chocolates will be breeding on what I have and keeping offspring, As soon as Count drops his testicles I'll be breeding him with Marie and Terra and keeping chocolate babies out of them, then Frisky I don't know what to do about her right now.  Breed her and move her to try and fill out the pedigree as she wasn't fully pedigreed.  But she would have to wait until later on to be bred by Count and I don't intend to let him hang around THAT long.  He should be dropping his testicles here shortly. 
Then my literal pet bunch: Gabriel, Speedle and Keisha. 

     This leaves me a LOT of bunnies to sell on, a few that I don't really want to but I will if I have to, to keep control of my numbers.  It'll certainly be a lot few cages to clean over the winter!  I still have to borrow Aunt Lisa's pressure washer and clean these cages thoroughly(and hopefully not break any of the rusted wire) and then spray paint them so they are cleaner on the paws. 

     Now down to the horses. I'm not sure what is going on, Heidi's been ugly to Honey and it's been longer than a horses heat cycle so it's not her being in heat.  I'm going to pull the two of them(Heidi and Phoenix) to my side for today and put out a bale of hay for them to eat and see if that helps with riding Heidi later on.  Also going to try to loosen up the flash so she can chomp and chew on that bit all she wants.  I did get my new stirrup leather's on my saddle but USPS f-ed up so I didn't get my stirrups.  So I'll have to wait to try my new stirrups out, still riding in the normal 5".  Heidi had no desire to be away from Phoenix yesterday so even trying to get her to graze was a cruel joke.  I don't know what's going on.  I really wish I could find the AniHist but it's not available without a prescription.  The  CoughFree I had gotten for her she doesn't like, I might try it again with a few other things to hide the taste for her but I don't know if it'll work or not.  Worth a try at least.  Hopefully next year they'll get the AniHist back out on the market again. 
     Tamarack has their ad up on CL for Full/Stall board at $450 a month, oh how I wish I could do that, but I know what happens in November and December at Nestle, we stay half the month on unemployment or they screw us out of hours so we can't get unemployment.  I don't think I could afford $450 a month on unemployment and keep my other bills paid. Maybe if he still has stall room come January I can afford it and move her up to it.  Right now is to get her there and get her working again.  I did take her out for a ride yesterday, mom was napping and we rode all the way over to Alfie's into the Hay field and watched the men working on the church for a few minutes then rode back.  Maybe I can put the boots back on Phoenix and we'll take him with us today.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Disconnected Feeling

     I woke up late today, I needed the sleep that much I knew but I'm feeling very disconnected with my friends as of lately.  I felt seriously disconnected today as I'm so far off right now I am unsure if I even want to continue with my show rabbits.  To flip my schedule for shows is a pain in the arse.  I'm sure having a different work schedule would help with the desire to continue with some of them.  I'm hoping and still searching for a better job, I intend to talk to Dr. Ben when he comes out to do Heidi's shots and see if he knows of any vets that are looking for an assistant.  I'm sitting here, I've tried to raise a few of them online to chat and thus far they've all ignored me.  So I give up.  Maybe I'll make some new friends at the barn when we go. 
     I've also meet our new neighbors.  They're actually quite nice folks.  I'm glad we didn't end up with bad neighbors.  Part of me's ready to start with the future plans for Miss Heidi.  I've got so much mentally planned for her that I'm ready for

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Very Happy Person right now!

I am one seriously happy person right now, I'm glad Anita suggested that particular half pad for me and Heidi.  It worked so well and we were so good together I just felt so happy! 













Half pad HUGE success, I'm one very happy person right now. She's been such a good girl as I bumble my way through with her.  She didn't even spook at anything today.  In 11 days she'll be getting all her shots and that ugly wart on her leg removed(hopefully!) 
She just continues to amaze me with her patience and understanding. 
Honey's got a potential companion home for an older quarter horse gelding that just lost his OLD companion that he had(as in older than Phoenix) and she wasn't looking to spend much on another horse.  I asked her some good questions and told her about Honey's situation with her hock and being a western pony- me being English it wasn't working out well between us. The lady was very happy that I told her all she had to do was find a trailer and move her, she was free to a good home.  So hopefully she finds a trailer ride for her.  Honey would be in a home that she'd still get trail ridden and she'd get spoiled rotten!  Hopefully it all pans out, it's an awesome home for her.
I've gone ahead again and listed the other saddle back up for sale.  I want to put the money towards an actual Dressage saddle for Heidi.  The Wintec Wide's seem to be good for both of us, so get a Wintec Wide Dressage, she's currently in a Wintec Wide AP.  I need to start settling down for the night, I'm just VERY, VERY happy with today over all. 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Educational ride!!

     I decided that I know Heidi doesn't need the riser pad so I tried a double saddle pad first. 
Heidi's face tells it all- Was not happy with the double pad so I tore it off and tried just the plain pad
     Heidi didn't much care for that either.  So tomorrow we'll try the half pad if it's not raining, see if that's any better.  But I got down since no half pad and no riser pad she as not comfortable at all so we moved to lunging. 
     So I'm hoping that I can get a little time to work with her tomorrow and at least TRY the half pad.  I'm VERY much so hoping that it fixes the basic problem so I can continue to keep working on her at least until we can get to a trainer.  I really hope today doesn't set us back and we can get somewhere tomorrow. 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Missing tid bit

     Apparently last night's posting got cut off when the internet got wobbly.  But I have several rabbits that have made the cull list- and two have come back from being smoked.  Bit strong a hickory flavor on them but they're good none-the-less.  Now to take a few of them off the website.  I found out that I *should* have had the chocolate's pedigrees a week ago.  Now both Rachel and I are pissed that Missy lied.  She's got a couple of days to get them to me or I'm going to demand half my money back.  I bought and paid for 4 pedigreed rabbits.
     Anyway, they'll end up on the cull list if I don't get their pedigrees and she's already on my list of  people/breeders to never sell to/buy from ever again.  If I could get Rachel to do it, I'd never even help her again, she wants to be a good breeder, let her figure it out just like we had to.  I don't like it when people screw me over at all.  Anyway, I have Jeanie's litter with open eyes now so I did some gender checking and I've got 3 girls, 3 boys. Very nice for first litter.  The boys are the ones that I know for sure are mismarks. 
     I still haven't heard anything from the job applications and resume's I put out.  I just have to keep trying.  The more I try and push the more eager to get out of Nestle I get.  I just want out of there, it's killing me time wise.  Just a meager short update that should have been apart of the post yesterday.  

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Plucky little red mare

Well I tacked Honey up for today's mini excursion and she's a western pony.  I won't go into detail my main blog has that.





     She's sure a good pony, I'll admit, but not something I'd be interested in, nor something I'd want for Aunt Lisa to deal with.  She's got a very nice 'Go' button and not a very good 'Whoa' policy. 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Interesting Information

     I finally figured out why Honey's been cribbing, or at least I think I have.  The cribbing can be a direct symptom of tummy problems which could have partially spawned from stress.  She's had quite a few stressor's in the past couple of weeks.  First was the other horses running her through the fence and damaging her legs(both in the spring and this one recently), her momma(Sheri) being gone for quite some time, then everything being stressful over there due to lack of funds to get hay and feed, her feet had to have been hurting (that shoe I yanked this morning was BADLY put on!) so she's had a few stressors then to add that to a new human, and new herd and she's cribbing.  So I've cut her off-cold turkey from anything sweet feed- no more senior, no more sweet and no more cookies as they have molasses.  She's regulated to straight oats and I have alfalfa oat hay cubes to give her for treats and hopefully that will help settle her tummy until I can get some Purina Equalizer or Enrich 32 and give her a round of that to complete her belly and get her balanced back out, then she should be pretty set to go.  She'll have to keep a diet of plain oats for a while probably but oats are far cheaper anyway than buying any special kind of feed for her.  If I hadn't mowed my field down I'd have brought her back to my side and let her stay solo for a little while.  Now hopefully she can relax now that I have her tummy going back in the correct path. 
     I couldn't do anything with Heidi today it was just plum too hot. It'll be hotter tomorrow and Michael will be here Tuesday morning- got a text about 11 pm tonight- so they'll get good feeties on Tuesday.  Honey's walking better now that she's gotten that shoe off. and I did manage to cut back some of that hoof a little bit to help her balance some more. 
     Well tomorrow should be hotter than today so I'm hoping by getting up earlier I might be able to get Heidi out again under saddle and a little more work again. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Irratable Schooling

     Well today was a short schooling and working session for Miss Heidi.  Plus I *had* to try and see how the new mounting block worked out.  It's much better, much, much, much better than the 5 gallon bucket. 




     We still have a long way to go, No one saw much of anything since dad was over at Aunt Lisa's cutting up a tree- I was waiting for a call from Michael to see if he was going to come and trim today(which was a no go), and Mom was napping.  But she was being hard headed and mare-ish  and just not willing to listen in the slightest since Phoenix was screaming across the road. We struggled through until she learned to listen to me and ignore Phoenix and Honey calling.  Then as mom came out I was just kicking my feet out of the stirrups and walking to start cooling down.  Then I sponged her down and got her a snack for being good at the end.  We will have to try again tomorrow.
     Then I settled down and started to think about the bunnies again and I have an ever growing list of show rabbits that will be for sale this coming fall.  I have technically two does that are due on the 9th, but only one I can palpate babies on-which is the blue.  The tort may still have a baby or two hiding that I can't feel but I don't know for sure. I'm still heavily leaning on selling a couple that I know are nice show rabbits. 
     I have a couple shots and I'm thinking of pulling out my sketch book and drawing again.  I'm watching Season 9 of CSI Miami and I am switching to the sketch book from the laptop! 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Horse musing

     I know this hasn't been updated in a while, neither has my other blog.  But to any case-in-point, I brought a friends older QH mare to my place on the 31st-Honey.  She's a good girl, she will not bond over to me, part of it's I'm not letting her and I'm very willing to bet she doesn't want to.   She has some serious hock damage from being run through barb wire fence and her hind right is atrocious looking.  I'm willing to be it's mildly infected, no heat though.  Saturday I just let her settle in, she was in my pasture, Phoenix and Heidi across the road.  Sunday morning I went ahead and put her out with them, lots of running around chasing ensued- instigated by Phoenix.  So I pulled Heidi out and put her by herself to get Phoenix to understand that he needs to stay with the new girl.  He won't.  He still wouldn't let her all day Monday either. Stood there in the blasted heat and humidity sweating because he wouldn't leave where he could see Heidi.  So this morning, I didn't want Heidi to get lonely, I put her over with Honey, and took Phoenix out.  Heidi and Honey are doing well with each other, a tiny little bit of quiet squealing but the two are together, and ignoring Phoenix's cries.  A few days of this and Thursday I should be able to put Phoenix over there and not have too much in the way of problems making him accept her, cause Heidi will ditch Phoenix and go with Honey.  That's the theory. 



 
     I still am trying to figure out exactly what I was thinking when I offered to take Honey.  I mean I know that I don't intend to have any horses here over the winter.  I fully plan on bringing Heidi to Tamarack so I have access to the indoor and outdoor arena's to work in. over the winter, but what do I do about Honey if I can't find her a home?  I really don't have an answer to that.  I'm hoping by the way her hock is coming along that it should be well closed up and healed- hopefully by Halloween.  I may just contract with the guy down the road with the sub-par hay and get a few round bales saved for winter just in case and just keep Honey here.  Sheri told me she was good with Goats and cows so bottle calves in the spring shouldn't be a big deal for her.  Mentally I am not attached to her, nor do I really feel like I want to, Heidi takes up a VAST majority of my time and what little is left over I have to spread between Phoenix and the rabbits, now to add Honey to that list.
     That's the other thing I noticed very much so within myself.  I haven't spent hardly ANY time with the rabbits.  We had a long holiday weekend off from work and the biggest thing I did was dump and hose the last of the trays for the rabbits.  Dad, Allen and I never even got to the cull block  and I've got so many right now that have no names, that it's clear that they don't mean as much to me anymore.  I don't know if it's where Rachel and I just aren't talking anymore or what it is.  I find myself very distant with her and Michelle right now.  I don't have time to dwell on it, if it's meant to be, it'll stay together, if not we'll just drift apart, like I have with so many other people.