monday musings by shyloh #39

Well, since Allie seems to have taken a long absence (without my permission), I guess I have to prepare for this weekends show all by myself.

What are your show tips so I can win?

I'll just be munching wheelbarrow hay while I await your tips.

~Shyoh

my sanctuary

The barn is my sanctuary. It is the place I like to go to unwind and relax from my job and life in general. I like that I can be the only person there, surrounded by horses and nothing else. I actually missed the smell of hay, manure, and horse on my work trip! Who would have thought?

Miss this? Never. . .

I may have become selfish with my time at the barn. I choose when I want to talk to people and sometimes it is nothing more than a mere hello or good bye. If I feel like engaging in conversation, I do. Otherwise, I do my thing with Shyloh and leave. Sometimes, after a particularly challenging day at work, the barn is just what I need to recharge myself for the next day. The last thing that I want is the barn to be a place that is stressful. I need my barn and my Shy time. 

Which is why I find it fun to just goof off with Shy on a regular basis. I teach her how to honk, to wave, to kiss. I just hang out with her in her stall. I watch her in the pasture. I take her for little trail walks on the property and play ball with her in the arena. I don't have her take a lesson for 3 (!!) weeks. . .oops. Oh well, we are in no hurry.


From past vacation experiences, I was not under any impression that Shy would be excited at my return. When I went to get her from her pasture, she was near the gate and let me walk up to her and put her lead rope on her muzzle. Maybe not jumping for joy, but at least she wasn't running from me! Improvement. 

We have a show coming up next weekend and I wanted to practice the mane roll. I have a better idea how it is done, but we are not quite there. . .yet.  This attempt was better than previous attempts, but still we are missing some step in the process. I'm going to keep trying. I also ordered a show halter. We are going pro, haha!

This weather is insanely hot! It was 90 degrees today, and it is not even June! I hosed Shy down to cool her off. Silly girl was drinking water from the hose. During her bath, I discovered that she is rubbing her lips on her muzzle and they are getting raw. 

On another note, her whiskers grow fast!!

Poor girl. I made arrangements with Beth to keep Shy in the short, short grass pasture so she can heal from her muzzle rubs until I can figure something out. . .any ideas? This way she will be wit her herd when they go to that pasture and she will still get outside when the rest of them go to the pond pasture.

I took wet Shy in the arena to apply her "fly deterrent". Rolly pony time!

Adding just the right amount of sand. . .

Apply to both sides, and done!

Then we went outside to dry off. And Shy got a chance to perform all of her tricks for another boarder! Happy me. . .I mean us. . .

Wish her mane would grow like her tail

No one wanted to hug her today after she applied her fly deterrent. . .

Now I am going away again for the Memorial Holiday. Everyone have a great weekend! When I get back . . . show boot camp. We will be square and hold our heads up. We will back up through an obstacle. And we will do the best we can!

Hobby Horse Blog Hop #14

Here are the rules:

Answer one or all of the prompts. Link back to Living a Dream's post. Visit other blogs. And don't forget to ask a question of everyone else!

1. Imagine that you are once again 8 years old. You have just received the best present, ever. (Ponies and pets are not included on the gift list!) What is it?

At 8, it was probably these: 

Boots and blades. I was a competitive figure skater for many years and I remember these being the best of that time. Eventually, I got a pair, but not until a few y ears later.

2. What kinds of toys do your animals enjoy playing with?

Shy has a jolly ball, but I have never seen her actually play with it. Only when I give it to her. . .I have seen her pick up cones and whips and push a big blue ball. 

3. I know you have seen some sort of recreational activity on TV, or in real life, that you would just love to try. What is it?

Scuba diving!

My question: If you could imagine your horse doing one human sport, what would it be?

monday musings by shyloh #38

Allie said something about Minnesota and Mall of America yesterday. I am taking that to mean she is off traveling and I get to be a wild pony again!  


Which is kinda good news for Allie. See, the cows came back next door and the bull does not like her at all! He has a ring in his nose and a chain hanging from that ring. It also looks like he had udders underneath, but it is not udders. . . Anyway, he grumbly moos every time she comes around! And he makes all the other cows move away. When she leaves, he stops. It's kinda funny! I think he wants to charge her! She better be careful. . .

But back to me and my free week! I love being a wild pony! Oh the things I will do. . .

Sandy! 

I made my own version of fly spray! Allie thought she would be "nice" and hose me off to cool me down. It was really hot out. . .but after I got hosed, I promptly rolled. No flies will penetrate the sand barrier that I have created!

What else will I do when Allie is gone? What won't I do is more like it!

Wear my fly mask? Not if I can help it!!

Run barrels? In your dreams!

Eat grass? Now you are speaking my language!

That is more like it!  Too bad I only got a few bites of this deliciousness!  I plan on enjoying my week of wild pony-dom. No baths, no braiding, no working, just fun! 

P.S. Any body who comes to my barn. . .Allie left my special treats right on my door. Feel free to feed me!!

What would you other horses do if you didn't have a two-legger stopping you?

~Shyloh

Don't forget to check out my Facebook page for my 50 photo challenge!

happy-linger: part 2

Of course, I say to myself that Shyloh is happy. Just thinking that she is happy makes me happy. But the logical, part of me wants proof that she really is happy. Actually, I wish Shy could just acquire the English language and speech capabilities to say one compound sentence, "Yes I am happy and yes I love you, too." Is that too much to ask?

Smile? Or a big screw you?

For a horse it is, so I have to look to other signs. The most notable sign lately is her eyes. Shy has gone from frequently showing the whites of her eyes (scared eyes) to much softer eyes. They almost look sad they are so soft. She has relaxed considerably. 

Soft eyes

I have to believe that Shy is happy in her little herd of horses. She has the horses that she likes, the ones she really likes, and the ones she loves. It is so cute to hear her nicker at the horses (Chick, Ryleigh, Casi) that she loves when they walk by her stall. She is funny about her horse friends, too. Chick is her love, Ryleigh is her stall love, Casi is her buddy, Notch is her trailer love, Rambo is her show love (even though the last two are not at our barn). At the same time, Shy does not have a problem being by herself. 

Whoa grass! Shyloh's heaven

Although Shy does not come running up to me when I call her name to get her from her pasture, I think she likes me. She certainly puts up with me and has not tried to purposefully hurt me! Shy is learning that people are not bad and that they are generally an excellent source of food. I hope she looks to me as a leader. On the ground that is not a problem (usually), but she struggles with that under saddle, as do I. We are both working on trusting each other.

Loving the itty bitty grass!

Is Shy happy learning to ride and drive? Well, she likes to succeed and she like a mental challenge. She has not tried to buck me off (knock on wood). The problem arises because she likes to work on her own terms. It is yeah, you can ride/line drive me, but this is how I want to do it and where I want to go. I would have to think that if Shy was unhappy with what we are doing she would concoct some way to get out of it. I don't include the scooting, going behind the bit, and the new getting her tongue over the bit part of this being unhappy. I think if it more as tactics to do what she wants, like not use her rear end. Every time, she stands perfect for getting tacked up, no fuss. And I do really think she enjoys dressage work. . .

Running with the breeze

So based on everything I can think of, the changes I have seen since I got her, and her behaviors, Shy is my little happy-linger! I think that I have created a safe and happy place for her to be a horse and be my horse. She is able to be in her herd and do all the horsey things she wants, yet when it is time to work, she is right there with me. 

And she has not tried to run away from the barn, yet. Ha! But maybe I am just trying to make myself feel better. . .  so, you tell me, do you think Shy is happy?