Saturday, April 23, 2011

Needs riding!

So it's been raining, yuck! I woke up at 4 am Friday morning to a very strange sound and it took me a little while to figure it out - rain, on my roof! It rained off and on all day Friday and today. I should've sucked it up and rode, but (whine!) it was cold and my horse was exceptionally filthy from getting rained on and rolling in the sand. So instead I washed clothes and caught up on my shows. I am now up to date on Justified, Glee, and Doctor Who.

Dr. Who paragraph: OMG, the Who writers are consistently the best at coming up with utterly terrifying monsters. Rory has really grown on me and I am glad he appears to be a real Companion now, and I've always stubbornly liked River Song. Of course Amy's awesome, that goes without saying! I don't want to spoiler it for anyone who hasn't had a chance to see the new episode yet, but feel free to spoiler in the comments.

Justified: Why don't yall watch this show? It's amazing! The characters in it are fabulously three-dimensional. And some of them are really hot. And they talk right, i.e. like me. It's just really well written and acted.

Anyway, back to the Dixie horse. She is, more than ever, like a ball of controlled energy. She seems very alive and alert and focused on me. I can't describe it without sounding all gooshy and touchy-feely, but it is true: we have a deeper connection with each other.

I went out for an armful of wood around dusk and heard snorting and thundering hooves. I walked over to the fence and videoed her acting like an Arab. I think this clearly indicates that she needs to be ridden! I know you English people hate the long manes, but surely you have to admit it's utterly gorgeous at liberty.

Dixie needs riding from Funder on Vimeo.


After I ended that video, she came prancing around the corner of the run-in and started begging for carrots:

Dixie needs carrots from Funder on Vimeo.


I took pity on her and got her some carrots. After she ate them she licked my hand for a while



then hung out by the gate.

I think she is roaning out a little more every year. That little white spot on her jawbone is growing. Her sire is another roan paint, but he's SO roan he looks grey. It'd be pretty cool if she ended up like that.

Anyway, she was clearly giving off "scratch me" vibes so I scratched her neck for a bit and she licked my hand. Then I slipped inside the paddock and scratched her for about 15 minutes, all over, in places she's never wanted scratched before. Not just her crest and withers, but all down her neck and shoulder and up by her poll. She's been such a tough nut to crack, but there really is a sweetie under there. :)

White Horse Pilgrim asked why I avoid feeding grain. I think it's just something endurance riders take for granted, and non-endurance riders don't consider unless they have a problem with sugar-sensitive (feet or brain) horses. In between riding and cooking duck confit tomorrow, I'll see if I can't hack together a post about why I avoid grain.

19 comments:

  1. I love that Justified show. My family is from Harlan County, so we enjoy it. And the Raylan Givens character is HAWT, lol.

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  2. Mikey - totally agree. Raylen's delicious!

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  3. Wow! Dixie is feeling great. You are ready for another 50!

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  4. I was thinking about the reasons why people should not eat grain. I get through a lot of muesli and would like to know if this is bad for me!

    I used to feed my trail horses corn as hard feed - much less silliness than with oats or barley. The energy lasted for longer too.

    Danielle watches Justified a lot, and I see parts when I'm not too busy. The characters seem really plausible. Do you think that there are parts of the US quite like that?

    I grew up with the original Dr Who which was (and is) a real cultural icon. It has lasted so well.

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  5. Her nose looks a little arab, too. She is beautiful. I think she is saying "we did a 50!" as she is rambling around the corral.

    I've reached that "point" with my mare that you mentioned: we are a team and the bond is definitely there. She tells me things that only I can understand. Sounds cornball but those who have it with their horse know exactly what I mean.

    Sun is shining here today finally. But I am wondering if last night's frost was the kiss of death for my ornamental trees...

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  6. Im a Dressage rider and my main dressage horse is Rosie who is a Percheron. She has full mane and tail. I do a 'weave' sort of braid and refuse to cut her mane. her forelock comes down almost to her nostrils.

    Dixie is gorgeous!

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  7. "Why do they still have their guns out?!"

    "They're American."

    ....

    So River can work the TARDIS much better than the Time Lord, yet that Time Lord taught her how sometime in his future/her past. It would take away some of the charm of the doctor if he learned to work the blue box properly, yet at some point he must. Well... I can see him knowing how to do it, but still bumbling with it because he's the Doctor and he knows a little ineptness (is that even a word?)makes him much more relatable to his companions. He already knows that he drives with the brake on, after all....

    Or was he seeing how much she actually knew? Hmmm.

    .......

    I agree, faboo monster. The wait for part 2 will be rough (I'm not sure what the brit viewing schedule is, but I'm watching on BBC America. There was just so much good suspense all around.

    .....

    I must say that I loved the Easter Island mention. I maintain that Smith looks like Frankenstein's monster with no eyebrows, but he also has a cracking resemblence to the Easter Island statues.
    ....

    Dixie looks great! Why can't Peanut grow a mane like that? Maybe his refusal to do so is his one clinging shred of masculinity? And, I may be surrounded by the english world, but I never liked a pulled mane and think the whole process is... well... soapbox time.

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  8. Wowsa! That girl's got some MOVES! Doesn't look like 50 miles slowed her down at all.

    I love how the two halves of her face are so totally different--Maddie's got a little bit of that going on, but with Dixie it's so striking. And I happen to like the flowing mane look.

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  9. Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!

    go gurl!!!!

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  10. oh she's gorgeous! and feisty!

    i have no idea about current tv shows ..poor me *whine*

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  11. Yes, Steven Moffat is the best! You know he wrote most of the episodes over the last couple years that won or were nominated for awards, right? So, it only goes to say that the season he took over will totally ROCK!

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  12. I checked your blog last night just before we watched Doctor Who. We had it recorded as we weren't home when it first came on. I saw the Doctor Who paragraph and immediately clicked off. No spoilers for me!

    I think the new season is going to be great. I will have to watch part one again because it seemed convoluted and I really wasn't following too well. Might be because it was midnight. :) Love the Stetson though.

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  13. You got me..I haven't watched any of these shows.

    Dixie looks phenominal. She puts on quite a show.

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  14. Yesterday I got show like that, too. We woke up to 28* and nine inches of new snow. When I took morning feed to the horses, one was acting a little colicky, so after his person had a halter on him, I dropped the top fence rail and reached for the bottom one to let them out of the pen. Before the bottom rail could hit the ground, Jesse had sailed over it behind us and gave us a great testament of her idea of freedom. After many, many laps around the livery yard, up to the lodge (but not crossing the road), back to the stream and along the corral fence line, she deigned to let me put her halter on her and put her back INTO the corral. All that snow was not going to stop her fun! For a good 15 minutes all I could do was laugh at her bucking antics - and no camera. Bill says she's tired of being left behind on the rides. Guess I'd better use her next time out. Aren't mares wonderful; you gotta love 'em.
    Juanita

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  15. Since we don't have TV, I can't comment on the shows. TV free since 93!
    But Dixie looks great, I love long manes & tails. Maggies bangs are almost down to her nose! Her mane is so thick it took me 40 minutes to detangle it, but I won't let anyone cut it. Told them it was for fly control! No grain fed here. If Ritzy even smells it she starts gaining weight. Poor girl, I know how she feels...

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  16. EG - I think we'll be ready when our next one rolls in. It won't be til June; G is coming home the weekend of Washoe. I'm half sad to miss it and all happy to see him :)

    WHP - Oh yeah, I'm sure there are. Maybe not as over the top 100% illegal, but there are plenty of counties in TN and MS that are run by a sketchy family.

    Tammy, I'm rooting for your trees!

    Jeni - you're so lucky to have a Perch with a tail! I used to have a Perch and Dixie's mane is almost as thick as his was.

    I have been a huge fan of Steven Moffat since "Blink." That's the point where I really started paying attention to who wrote which episode. I did love RTD and his super-campy stuff, but Moffat ... dude, British parents must hate that man. Any time he writes something the kids get the terrors and climb into bed with the parents!

    Can't wait to see what Neil Gaiman wrote!

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  17. Juanita, I love it!

    D&T, I think Dixie's mane helps keep her neck warm in winter. That's my excuse ;) I should buy stock in Cowboy Magic!

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  18. Love her mane! My Arab mare has a fabulous long mane like that and my gelding did as well but his mini horse seems to be wreaking havoc on it. I want to keep my mare's mane fabulous but it turns itself in dreadlocks magically overnight! And to brush it out a lot is pull out hair..ahhh..I too should buy stock in Cowboy magic though! Who doesn't love a fabulous mane.
    Congrats again on the 50, clearly you did well and your horse looks so happy and healthy. I am looking forward to my first 50!

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