Pack Rat Mentality

When I was looking for old photos for my dad's birthday post last weekend, I came across my old scrapbook.

It was started for me by my Nana when I was around 7 years old. I couldn't resist wiping the dust off and flipping through the thick, yellowed pages.

I can' t believe I still have this ad! It is nearly 30 years old. Holy cow, that makes me sound old. It is the actual "for sale" ad for my very first pony. We found it hanging on the bulletin board of the grocery store my family shopped at when I was a kid. I've always thought the ad was cool because the owner had hand-drawn the pony instead of attaching a photo. I don't know what made my parents say "maybe" to that pony, but we took the ad home and called the number.

About a week later, I was the exuberant owner of this black Shetland pony. He was one of the most beautiful ponies I've seen. He was like a Friesian..... on the legs of a basset hound.

After I outgrew Black Jack and passed him on to my sister Paint Girl, we purchased Shannon, a young gelding, from the same woman. This was the Welsh/Appaloosa pony that I was jumping in this picture. Yes, I know that outfit I wore probably had you laughing for days.

That pony turned out to be a bit much for this greenie in the end, so I was on the hunt for another pony. I saw a pony listed in the classified section of the local newspaper. I called the phone number and wrote down this information on a piece of yellow legal pad paper. My dad took over the call at one point, writing down directions to the owner's home on the right.

I ended up getting that pony, Saberdance, an Arabian/Appaloosa who was well-trained and one of my favorites.

Here is my homemade, self-decorated exhibitor's number and second place ribbons (I think Paint Girl got the blues on her Appy mare) that Saberdance and I won at the neighbor's play day. You can see the picture in the middle, we are high-tailing it for home after running the poles or barrels.

I love strolling down memory lane. I wonder, is it weird that I still have all of these mementos after all of these years? I guess my mom always called me a "pack-rat" for good reason.

Anyway, I'm off to pack away more things I plan on keepin' for the next 30 years......

I Wonder About Paint Girl......

When Paint Girl told me she was goin' public with her blog, I said ooh, ooh, let me interview you! Then everyone can learn a little more about you and the great stories you'll write about!

And really, I just like to interview people. What can I say, I was a journalist-publishing-mogul-wannabe when I was a teen.

A great interviewer always needs a great location. It was too nice out to sit inside at Paint Girl's desktop. Besides, after a very adrenaline packed hour-and-half of Appaloosa Vaccinations and Teeth Floating Rodeo, we settled for nothing less than Gatorades, sunscreen, and the warm sun on Paint Girl's deck.

Every great journalist needs an assistant, and Simba the cat was more than willing to help out.

I should add, just for you Paint Girl, I put in some of my favorite photos I've taken of your pets.

Pony Girl: If you weren't into horses, what would you be doing more of?
Paint Girl: Well my house would be cleaner! No, really, probably riding Quads, shooting guns, playing more sports like basketball or horseshoes (Paint Girl is not a girly-girl, no siree!)

Pony Girl: If you could live someplace else, where would it be?
Paint Girl: I researched this place in Colorado, I think near the city of Pluebo, maybe southeast Colorado? Where it is sunny 330 days of the year. I would live there!

Pony Girl: What has been your scariest moment with horses? (besides getting a vet bill.)
Paint Girl: When I was 15 I took my horse on a camping trip with my friend and her family and I rode my horse in the water and almost drowned. (Okay sis, you will have to tell us the whole story on your blog one day!)

Pony Girl: What do you like best about me?
Paint Girl: (Pauses. A little too long. Just kidding.) I like that we share a passion for horses and can spend time together enjoying them. I like that you are easy to talk to.

Okay so this guy isn't really her pet, but he lives on the farm!

Pony Girl: I know you practically have a zoo at the Painted Creek, but what animal would you like to have that you currently don't?
Paint Girl: Let's see....no cow. No pig because I'd get too attached and couldn't eat it. Maybe a bird, a big bird. Like a blue and gold macaw. (This is interesting. When Paint Girl and I were kids, our family had a blue and gold macaw named Chico. He loved bananas and french toast with syrup and was very, very loud. Paint Girl, do you remember how loud he was?)
Or chickens. We could do those, it'd be nice to have fresh eggs.

Pony Girl: What would be your next breed of dog?
Paint Girl: A Boston Terrier. Or another Australian Shepherd, but I'd check into the breeding and temperament of it's parents better next time.

Pony Girl: What is your dream job?
Paint Girl: Working with animals. (Paint Girl is currently not working with animals. Well, maybe of the human kind. Meaning, she works in retail.)

Pony Girl: What is a goal you have for your horses?
Paint Girl: I would like to have my horses finished and not perpetually greenbroke. Oh, and I have one for my other half (Paint Girl's cowboy.) I'd like him to learn to tack up his own horse! (Oops, I mean Paint Girl's boy. I think cowboys can saddle their own horse.)

Paint Girl Short Takes:

Beer or Margarita? Beer
Wrangler or Cruel Girl? Cruel Girl
Saddle Seat or Hunter/Jumper? Saddleseat (I'd do country pleasure on an Arabian.)
Mexico or France? Mexico
Chocolate or candy? Candy

Alright folks, that's it. I hoped you learned a little more about my sister. I tried to be nice and not drudge up any really embarrassing stories or factoids. I figured I'd let her decide what crazy tales she wants to share on her blog. But trot on over and say howdy if you haven't already!

Love you lots, little sis!


P.S. In the end, Simba was not such a great assistant. Her note-taking abilities were hindered tremendously by her falling asleep in the sun!

Movie Magic?

As you may know, I watch a lot of westerns and cowboy movies. From cinema movie productions to made-for-television movies and series.

There is something random lingering on my mind. No surprise there. Often these movies feature scenes where horses are running. Not just running, but full-on dead galloping. Maybe it's an outlaw scene- the bad guys chasing the good guys. Or, the Indians chasing Gus McCrae. Regardless of the specifics, I can't help but wonder how those movie horses run so hard without injuring themselves.

I mean, consider the ground they are running over. A horse running on good footing is one thing. But it appears to me that many of these movies are filmed on location, in wide open spaces, on a range, or in large pastures. Sometimes, the ground looks pretty wild and rough and tumble. I just imagine the jutting rocks, dips and valleys, and potential holes in those fields. How do those horses manage to run hard across that land and not turn up with a stone bruise? A broken leg? I'm just askin'.

The same question goes for herds of horses. In the movie Broken Trail, a large herd of horses is running quite frequently as they are being driven across the U.S. by the main characters. I saw a scene where a horse appears to trip and fall in the middle of the herd, getting ran over by other horses. I suppose they could have edited that to look that way. But it was so quick, if you blinked, you missed it. I think it just happened by accident when the horses were herded into a run.

I know that animal rights groups patrol movie production sets featuring animals, making sure they are cared for properly and that they aren't injured during filming. The days of tripping horses with wires to get them to fall in scenes in the old westerns are gone. But I can't help but wondering.....

Maybe it's movie magic. Maybe the horses aren't running as fast as they look? Maybe the ground is carefully chosen to be of solid footing so that no equines are injured?

And and one last thought. Why oh why, do movie horses whinny every chance they get? Like every time a bullet is fired or something dramatic happens, the horses scream a neigh in protest. They are constantly whinnying! My horse doesn't say a word unless he's calling for his hay.

Ah, I guess that's why they call it Hollywood!

Polo Pony Ponderings

Last month I was reading Buck Brannaman's book The Faraway Horses and came across a chapter where Buck describe his foray into training polo ponies and riding polo.

Buck said that many polo riders rode horses in a variety of gimmicks (tie-downs and harsh bits, for example) and these horses were ridden and handled quite hard, partially due to the nature of the game itself, and partially due to players who just didn't know any better and lacked horsemanship skills.

I can only imagine the kind of mental and physical state these polo ponies end up in after a few years of playing the sport. So my wonder of the week is....what ever becomes of these ponies once they are retired? You hear of "off the track Thoroughbreds"....what about "off the field polo ponies?" Where do they end up? What kind of riding or discipline would they best be suited for using the skills (or lack of) gained from being a polo pony? Do they need rehabilitation? Are they any different at the end of their game, in terms of usability, than say, a champion reining horse or hunter/jumper?

Help me out readers. Do you know anyone that rides polo? That has ever owned a retired polo pony? What breed of horse is it, and what do they use it for now? I worry about these horses, galloped hard on all over the field. I worry that they don't go on to live productive lives once their career as a polo pony is over.

But thats me. I worry too much.

Summer Dreamin'

Do you ever see a photo of yourself and say, hey, I actually look pretty darn good there? Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in the closest mirror, lightly gasp in shock, lean in and rub that smudge of mascara from under your eye and try to flatten down that stray gray hair twangin' up on your part line and think oh Nellie, I need a foil, a good night's sleep, and some tan freckles on my nose? A lot of us let ourselves go a bit in the winter. At least, I do. I don't do it intentionally. But why not, when we're covered in long johns and scarves and down jackets and stocking caps and muck boots all season long. Whose to see anything, anyway?

Interestingly enough, I was browsing through some photo files last night and found this head shot of My Boy. And I went WOW. Is that my horse? My Boy looks really striking in this picture. I'd kind of forgotten that! I know, I know, I'm sorry boy.

This picture was taken right before sunset and it had been about 104 degrees that day. I think I can still feel the humidity.

I've noticed that the hundreds of photos I've downloaded of my horse recently are of him at the height of his fuzzy, thick, yak hair coat. Which is typically curly from being rain stained. He's never quite trimmed up- has whiskers a bit too long and sporting a blossoming Mohawk bridle path. His socks are brown with mud. He reminds me of an old forgotten pony you might find nibbling meekly about the backyard.

Don't get me wrong, I would love him no matter what he looks like. Green spots, missing tail, it wouldn't matter to me. I just do this every year. In the midst of winter, I remember a summer hide, sleek and copper and speckled with white. A delicate velvet snip, perky little ears, and a kind Appy eye with a little bit of white around the edges. I sense a glimmer of hope for sunny day trail rides and leather damp with sweat under the soft smell of the evergreen trees. And I think wow, my horse is really pretty. Oops, I mean- handsome.

Sorry again, boy!

As for me? Well. We'll see what the summer brings. Hopefully, at least, some tan freckles on my nose.

Let's Talk About Blogging

It seems amazing that a little over a year ago, I didn't even know what a blog was. Goodness that's a good thing, or it would have taken over my life a lot sooner!

It is the perfect creative outlet for me. It has replaced a lot of my television time. And unfortunately, reading time. I am still reading, but I tend to read online more then I do books and magazines these days. Call me crazy but sometimes, I really just miss the smell of a magazine or book fresh off newsstand. Computers don't quite have that effect do they?

I often wonder about this unique world blogging. Everyone has their own style, their own approach, their own things to write about. And no matter what people write about, someone will read it and find it interesting. There is a blog for about everything out there. I have yet to really explore blogs outside of the realm of horses, families, pets, mommy blogs, photography and some home decor/interior design blogs, or some that focus on everything about life in general. Now that I type out that list, I see I have visited quite the variety of blogs!


Have you ever noticed that a blog that you enjoyed reading....just up and disappeared one day? I have, a couple of times. I always wonder what happened. I hope nothing bad happened to them, and they just lost interest in blogging or had things come up that prevented them from continuing to blog.

Most bloggers I read have been around just a couple of years. That makes sense, as blogging is a fairly recent invention. Do you think we will still be blogging in five years? Ten years? Twenty? Do you think you will be blogging for a long time?

I wonder how blogging will change? Will it become more interactive? It is such a great place to be entertained, to network, to make friends, and to find information. Some people use blogging to make money and are very successful at it. Others don't. Yet others might like to make money off their blogs, but aren't sure how to go about it. It doesn't matter to me what someones intent for blogging is. As long as I enjoy what I am reading and seeing, I am happy, whether the blog is full of advertisements or not. Do you ever click on ads on blogs?

Blogging is contagious. It tends to have the ripple effect. First I read a few horse blogs. Then I started mine. Then my sister Paint Girl started hers. She has a private blog for friends and family. I think it'd be great if she went public as she always has funny animal stories to tell. But with 13 pets to take care of, a full-time job, and her own cowboy, she is a busy gal. Maybe someday I can convince her to give it a go! Many of my other family members are now blogging as well, as many of you may know. Note: At times I may claim to not be related to them! I will take a DNA test to prove this! But seriously, it's a great way for us to keep up on each other's lives, since we don't get together as often as we'd like, especially with our horses.

I'd better stop there. I can talk about blogging all day. I'm sure many eyes would roll and yawns would be stifled. What are your thoughts and questions on blogging? For you, is it just a hobby, a paying enterprise, a paying hobby, or, like it is for me, an obsession? And do you think you could quit cold turkey? Is there anything you wish would change about the blogging world? Has your own personal path of blogging changed since you've started, and where would you like to see it go?

Happy blogging, everyone!