Monday, April 27, 2009

My Boy Monday

Where did all this water come from? It hasn't rained in days!

When I got to the Painted Creek on Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised. Paint Girl's other half had cleaned out the horse troughs! This is a big spring task for us and it was nice that the tanks were gleaming silver again. I guess I'll be baking him batches of thank-you brownies.......for the next two years.

Last weekend I bought My Boy a toy. A "busy ball." It is supposed to keep him, well-busy. You can see how well it is working:

Actually, I got a call on Saturday that he was spotted playing with it for the first time! It was evident by the dried goo on his muzzle today that he had indeed been attempting to get a taste of the corn, oats, and molasses treat. I was hoping to catch him playing with it yesterday and get some video or pictures. No such luck. My Boy was too busy nibbling on the green grass blades poking up in his pasture. He keeps the fence line nicely mowed.

I am recovering from a cold virus and didn't have the energy to ride. I decided to just turn My Boy out in the arena and free longe him. I took off his halter so we could work on "catching" in the arena. Different scenario than in his pasture, but catching and haltering still the same.

It was warm out and he was not feeling very energetic. I wanted to snap some pictures, but found that photographing my horse and motivating him at the same time was nothing short of hilarious. Picture me running around with a carrot stick in one hand, my Nikon in the other, making clucking sounds like a chicken. Let's just say it didn't help my runny nose nor my attempt at a mellow day with my horse. And every time I stopped to frame a picture, he stopped moving and faced up, too. It's kind of how he's trained when free longing.

My horse is always willing to stop. It's his favorite thing to do. Maybe that is why he was a reining horse?

As feeding time approaches, the horses are famous for their stare-downs. Paint Girl's mares give me the look.

There is nothing but hope in those eyes, I tell ya. If their thoughts could be verbalized, they'd be saying something like is it time, is it time, is it TIME???

Other than the fact the angle of this shot makes my horse's hiney and belly look incredibly huge, I had to laugh at his perked, expectant ears. I know exactly who he's watching! I drew a little arrow in to point out "the feed man" (Paint Girl's OH) coming out of the garage.

After we feed, Paint Girl, her OH, and I always watch the horses settle in and eat for a bit. I observed that the pasture mud had really dried out since last week. That flies were crawling across my horse's forehead (hatch fly predators, hatch!) That the late afternoon air still had a tint of warmth. That the neighborhood was filled with the sound of humming lawn mower engines.

I think that spring is finally here.


23 comments:

  1. I've been thinking the same thing lately! Seems like it's FINALLY officially Spring. Hope you're feeling better soon to really enjoy it! :)

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  2. well, whether or not you got the shots you wanted, he's still beautiful and you still took some great photos!!
    i'm SO glad it's finally WARM!!!!

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  3. Sounds like you had a nice day despite having a cold. Hope you're feeling better soon!
    xoxo

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  4. Hope your cold is better soon - I had one of those a few weeks ago and they're no fun. Love your pictures - the one of him looking for the feed man is funny! Let's enjoy spring while we've got it!

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  5. My dogs give us the same stare down around supper time, and it is hilarious! The disapproving thoughts rolling from those little doggie heads at the fact that we have let them feel the pangs of hunger; its enough to make one feel she should turn herself into the animal cops for doggie abuse :D

    I LOVE your blog! I LOVE horses and so wish I could take riding lessons. I look forward to following your adventures!

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  6. oou, a spring cold and allergies are a hitting all around, and me too some ~ drat!
    I so love your new gorgeous pictures of everyting! Feel better and you'll be a riding in no-time-flat!
    Kac

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  7. your baby has a nice eye...he looks like my first lesson horse, oscar. i hope paint girl is going to be ok...just read her blog...so very sad. you all seem like a really cool family. prayers to you guys.

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  8. "My Hungry Boy"...that's cute! Is My Boy wearing mascara in that first picture? His eye looks so pretty.

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  9. I guess Paint Girl's guy comes in handy around there. That is one chore I would not want to do!
    Hope you are feeling better!

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  10. I always get bummed out when I buy a new toy for my horses and they just don't seem to be interested in it. I am glad he is kinda into it. I am sure he will really get into with a few more licks!!

    I hope your cold gets better soon! I hate having that cold in your head thing. It makes my head feel like it's going to explode. I hope you feel better soon.

    And I would have loved to have seen you with your carrot stick and camera clucking around after Your Boy!!

    Get some rest and feel better!

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  11. So glad you finally got some good weather up there in the PNW! I will be haeding home soon and would like for you all to save those sunny days for my return! Wher did you find that "oat ball"???? I think my cribber may like to have one!

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  12. Sorry you're under the weather. You made me laugh with the photo of how the Busy Ball is keeping your boy engaged. Yeah, not so much. I bought mine a jolly ball and they looked at me like I was nuts. I took it to Heather's for the foals.

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  13. Hope your feeling better! I wish someone would come here and clean water tanks for me! *whine*
    Im so happy, your blog uploaded right away for me...I HAVE DSL! woo hoo I can leave comments! Sorry - I'm just so excited, now I can read all about your boy easily!

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  14. Cool toy , hope he learns to like it,I really like the photos on todays post ,he looks wonderful!

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  15. I almost forgot to comment! I read earlier and since I have been such a space cadet lately, how can I forget my own sis?
    I couldn't believe my OH cleaned the water troughs, we usually help but I guess next time we won't get out of that chore!
    I was happy to hear your boy was playing with his busy ball, ever since we bought one for Fritzy, she LOVES it, miss busy body herself! Than Brandy started playing with it and we are now on our second one! Oh yeah, that dried "goo" doesn't always come off so well!

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  16. Horse time is always a great time! Glad you got to spend some time with My Boy! Great looking troughs!

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  17. I bought Denali a Uncle Jimmy Ball (Same you have I think. I put it up against a wall so she'd have some pressure. I tried hanging it up, but it would swing and hit her. She didn't like that. Once I had it next to a wall she spent days playing with it. BUT! Be warned! The sticky stuff DOES NOT COME OFF! I couldn't get it off ot save my life! I had to wait weeks! I'm sure someone smarter than I could get it off, but then again Denali doesn't stand still!

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  18. {Denali}~ Yes, that sticky stuff is awful! And it's not easy to wash a horse's face anyway. If anyone has any good tips, that'd be great! I don't think My Boy will use the ball enough to warrant me buying him another one. It's not that he's bored, he's in a small pasture not a stall, he's just rather inactive and I thought something to encourage more movement and entertainment during the day would be good! :)

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  19. From a warm season perspective here in West Africa, that water looks very inviting!! :-) Looking forward to your final say on the toy. Thinking of bring one or two to the fillies so they have something else to chew on than our trees and their mothers' manes!

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  20. We thought it was spring here, too, until the temperature dropped something like 27 degrees in 10 minutes on Saturday night!! But it is getting better, isn't it???

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  21. Ha Ha thanks for the laughs!!! I hope by now you are feeling 100% better!!!

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  22. That does sound funny! I find myself trying to take pictures doing the darndest things. I think we have a sickness.

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  23. He is such a cutie! I do the same wth our horses. It is hard to get good action shots :)

    I like the shot of him waiting for his dinner. It is like he is saying "talk to the butt, my dinner is coming!"

    I tried to send you an e-mail a couple weeks ago. But it bounced back for some reason. Picnik is not a download you use it as a site and upload your photos onto the site. Give it a try you will like it!

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