sticky gram and shamed

I found this neat little website that will take your Instagram photos and turn them into magnets! I just received  mine in the mail and I am pleased with the results. 

How they come in the mail. Of course I NEEDED magnets of Shy, Cooper, and Maggie.

It is super easy to do. First, you need an Instagram account. If you don't know what it is, it's a photo app than can apply filters to your photos to change the effects. This app can be downloaded for free on any smartphone. My Instagram name is alliebyars if anyone wants to follow. 

Any photo you take with your phone can be added to Instagram. The photos can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, or Foursquare. 

After you pick your photos, you can go to Sticky Gram and connect with Instagram. (Dang, you would think I am getting paid to promote Instragram or something. Trust me, I am not.) Sticky Gram makes your photos into magnets. Nine photos fit on a sheet and you can pick whatever photos you want. I think it's a cute idea. It would make a cute little gift too. 

On my fridge

It's quick and simple and you can get some of your photos in print. How many photos do you take that stay in your phone? Or end up on the interweb? Almost all of mine do! I actually did not have a photo of Shy in my house until this December (bad horse owner!). And they make it a magnet, so you can stick them on your fridge or file cabinet at work. They are located in the UK and shipping is free worldwide! Can't beat free shipping. Anyway, just thought I would share this neat little website I found.

Also. . .

Shy is taking part in a Horse Shaming contest over at Kate and Lucy's blog.  Kate and her OTTB Lucy are going through their own adventure, which is very different than ours (being as Shy is not an OTTB), but very interesting. Kate is also quite creative has a website called Polar Square Designs. Check it out and give us a vote! Winners get a single-sided hand-painted saddle pad or a custom 8x10 portrait of their horse or dog, done by Kate!

more muzzle misery

Shyloh has accepted the grazing muzzle! Since I was working at the barn today, I decided to put it on her and turn her out in a pasture with more grass than her current pasture. That way I could keep an eye on her to too if  she gets the thing off. 

Shy's initial reaction today was not as severe as it was with the first two muzzle attempts. She still tried to get it off, but it seemed half-hearted. Almost like she would not be a true horse if she did not at least try to remove the muzzle. But, before long. . .Success! It stayed on and she discovered that she could get some grass through the little hole. 

While Shy was experiencing continued torment from the muzzle, Cooper refused to leave my car! I brought Cooper to the barn and this silly dog wanted to sit in the car the whole time! So strange. . .he loved going to the barn with me in the fall. 

Making sure he doesn't get left behind?

Before I even got Shy outside, I noticed another gash on her head. Shy keeps hitting her head on something in her stall and I cannot figure out what it is! It is the same spot right above her eye, every time.

Ouch!

I looked everywhere and the only thing I can figure is the bars that hold her water bucket in on the door part of her stall. But those are so low to the ground, so I don't know. . .Anyway, I put some duct tape on the edges and hopefully that helps. As for Shy, I sprayed her cut silver to keep the dirt and bugs out.

All better! And shiny!

After I mucked all the stalls, I tacked Shy up and did some in hand dressage work outside. We worked on bending and backing up. She is getting pretty good, in my mind! 

Three more days to Equine Affaire!! 

every animal but me. . .

. . .got a pedicure today. The farrier came out to the barn to trim hooves. I riddled him with questions about Shy's feet, since I have been noticing differences because she has been mostly stall bound due to the weather. Where these her bars growing out? Why does the front of each hoof look like it's flaking by the coronet band? Her frog and heels are peeling, is that okay? Is she thrushy? Did she founder? Is this white line disease? Is that a bruise? Why has she been giving me trouble lifting her back right leg? Are her other feet sore?

Farrier butt. . .Shy was licking it.

The farrier politely stopped me and asked me if I subscribe to Equus. Of course I do! Doesn't every one? He laughed and said that Equus feeds into their reader's hoof paranoia. Every time a new article on hoof care/problems come out, he gets a ton of questions from his clients, but he said he does not mind answering. 

She also licked his neck. She does not leave the gentlemen alone!

He then patiently answered all my questions and reassured me that Shy has some of the best hooves he has seen. Yes, her bars are growing out, it happens.No, she is not thrushy, she actually has very nice frogs. The flaking at each hoof is comparable to our cuticle, it is just retaining moisture. Her peeling frogs and heels are just from standing on the wet ground. No, she is not thrushy, her frogs are quite healthy. No, she did not founder. No, that is not white line disease. No, that is not a bruise. She might be giving trouble with her back leg because it is her kicking leg and sense she is in a new herd, she might be in a protective mode, so no her other feet are not sore. Whew. Peace of mind.

When I got home, it was time to trim the dogs' nails. So they each got a little trim, too. And then there are my feet. . .sans pedicure.  But, I guess since they are stuffed in boots 90% of the time, it doesn't really matter. 

Maggie toes!

day at the barn

Remember last weekend when I said I was sore and exhausted? I was mistaken. . .last weekend I had not just ridden a horse for the first time in months and worked the barn the next day. Ouch!

I started my day at the barn with this!

Good Morning!

I have formed an hypothesis regarding Shyloh's behaviors. The hand full of times that I have visited Shy in the morning, she has been very pleasant and almost cuddly. I think that when she is stalled overnight, she becomes civilized. But when she gets turned out all day, she returns to being feral, so by the time I arrive at the barn to work, she just want to be free. And she tells me this by her head tosses and sassy attitude. I may be completely wrong about my hypothesis though. . .

Interesting events of the day:

• Shy got stuck under her stall guard. Apparently, we were taking too long to turn her out and she attempted to take matters into her own hooves.
• I brought Cooper to the barn with me.

• His instincts kicked in and he tried to "herd" the largest herd of horses in the pasture. The horses were not having any part of that and they turned on him! He got a slight kick by one of them, but he is fine. I think he will sleep for days after his day at the barn.
• I caught Ryleigh napping!

I dream of the day Shy will lay down when I am around!

• While taking two horses in, I almost fell in the mud between the horses! I am so sick of mud!
• Kathy gave Shy her first taste of dried peas. She loved them!
• Shy and Ryleigh continued their stall flirting.

Give me kisses!

• While taking Shyloh and Ryleigh in, my boot got stuck in the mud and my foot almost came out! Shy was such a good girl and stopped and waited for me to get myself back together. Ryleigh was a good boy, too.
• Shy broke her hay bag. . .it didn't even last a week

Pouting. . .not really. . .

Tomorrow it is back to the barn to work again!

birfday birfday!

Today is my birthday!! It's a big one. . .dirty thirty! And let me say, today has been an odd day. . .but a good day.

to me!

But it ended with some Shyloh time. I am still not convinced about her being inside. She gets the bedding jammed in her hooves, but maybe I am just looking for excuses. . .

Kathy was awesome enough, once again, to let Shyloh and Ryleigh outside for a few hours. It was raining (will it ever stop?), but not hard and they did not mind. After, Sandy put a cooler on Shy to help dry her off. They said Shy was looking at them like what are you doing to me? I am pretty sure she never had anything like that on her before. Kathy and Sandy said she tolerated it, though.

For my birthday, Robin cooked chicken and dumplings (yum!) and made Funfetti cupcakes (yum!). They were both so good and the chicken and dumplings were perfect, since it was freezing at the barn. Shyloh enjoyed a piece, or two, or three, of cupcake. Really, enjoyed. I didn't get any pictures today because my phone battery died and my car charger broke today. 

I spent some time with Shyloh, grooming her in the stall. I brushed her mane and tail. I usually do not brush her tail. Her hair is very coarse and thick. The tail tends to kind of "dreadlock" up. Her mane looks like she stepped out of the 80's; it looks like it is crimped. I put conditioner on both and let it set in.

When I left the barn, I went up to my mother-in-law's restaurant. I had not seen Mike all day since he worked his day job, then worked at the restaurant. He gave me my birthday present! It was this thing that gets installed in my car so I can use my phone or iPod to play music. I had wanted a new radio so I could hook up my iPod to it for a while now (I actually forgot that I wanted it) because I really do not like the radio. My musical tastes are not growing with this new music coming out. Mike is taking my car to get it installed tomorrow! Yay!

Then I came home to clean the house a little bit. I also cleaned out my car. While I was busy doing cleaning things Maggie went into a bag that I brought in from the car and extracted a pumpkin. So, I guess the pumpkins I bought for Shyloh did not go to waste, because Maggie loves them! She walked down the hall and began eating that pumpkin, starting on the outside and working her way in. She was making a royal mess, but it was too cute! She carried it all over the house in her mouth, until I had to take it away to vacuum. Then she sat under the kitchen table (where I put the pumpkin), and stared at me.

But now, it's off to sleep for me, I have a big weekend!!

mounting block

What a wishy-washy day! I was not planning on going to the barn, but then I decided that me and Shyloh had such a good day yesterday, that I would go again just to let Shy know that I am there for her. But after going to the Applefest, I was not feeling too well, so I decided not to go. So I took a nap, woke up feeling better and decided to go.

I spent the morning with Mike and we went to a local fall festival, the Applefest. They have crafts and vendors, food and a bunch of other things. We bought an apple pie and some kettle corn and an outdoor decoration for our house. It's that time of year where I have to fight with Mike regarding our front lawn. If it were up to him, our lawn would be covered with inflatable decorations and every other kind of decoration for the holidays until the end of the year. I have to hold him back so that he does not over-decorate!

I took Cooper to the barn with me today. When I arrived, I went to get Shyloh. She was standing in her shelter. Ugh. . .I did not want to cross that muddy paddock to get her. So I called her and she actually came to me! 

I hosed off her legs, picked her hooves, then turned her loose in the arena. Shy and Cooper played around a little bit. . . 

Notice the front leg kick around 16 seconds and the attitude butt around 43 seconds. Sassy pony!

After play time, I worked with Shy on the mounting block. I have to say. . .we have had better days with the mounting block. But we worked on lining up correctly. Shy can do that real well, but continues to swing her butt out when I step on the block. I think I might have in enlist another person to help me keep her rear end in place. The plan is to work in mounting block behaviors for a little bit every time I go out there. Although, I think I have to fore-go the treats. . .she thinks too much with her stomach and becomes preoccupied with getting treats. But, I want to be able to mount her from a block, it is easier for me and better for her. 

Why the stress on the mounting block? I think it is almost time. . .to ride! And with the bonding that we have been doing and Shy's improvements, I have been itching for a ride lately. Terry is going to put together a bridle for me (I had been borrowing a bridle and saddle previously) and let me try a saddle. In the mean time, I am beginning to save for a saddle. Any suggestions? Remember, goal #1 is trail riding!

good dog. . .bad pony

I went out to the barn early so I could take Cooper when I knew there would not be a lot of people there. He had a blast!

Shyloh, on the other hand, not so good. Her cut has not scabbed over and she seems sore on her back end (either from getting kicked or slipping in the mud). Caesar kicked/bit her a few more times since yesterday. Why won't she learn her lesson and stay away from him? I discovered that Caesar is now getting grain, so Shy is probably trying to steal it and he is not letting her. Mike gets real upset that Shyloh is getting beat up. I am not thrilled about it, but they are horses, so as long as she does not get seriously injured, a few kicks and bites are not bad. I was going to work with her on lunging and attempting to jump over poles, but I decided if she is sore, then we will just hang out in the arena. 

After a little bit, Caesar's people came and wanted to ride him in the arena, so I let Shy out to graze. When I went to bring her back in, she bit me! Ouch! And now I have a bruise.  At first, trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, I thought maybe she did not mean it. . .but then I thought again and decided that she did mean it and was probably upset because I was bringing her in from grazing. I did let her know that biting is unacceptable behavior. I think this is more testing to see what she can get away with, as she gets more comfortable with me and the barn. But, I am so disappointed in her, I was just saying yesterday how she has not bit me since I verbally corrected her the first time. 

Cooper is napping as I write this, he is exhausted from his morning at the barn. He never rested, except to lay in mud puddles, as evidenced here. . .

and here. . . Why does he love to lay in mud??

Cooper and Shyloh finally met each other and he finally knew where all that good smell that I come home covered in was coming from.

First meeting! 

They played a little in the arena. . .

Sniff sniff

Shy following Cooper

Cooper checking Shy out as she rolls

And out in the pasture. . .

Cooper made a new friend, Murphy the barn dog! They were tearing it up, running up and down the aisle and out in the pastures!

Running so fast!

Vrooom! Cooper and Murphy! Cooper keeps up pretty good for his age!

All three of them in the arena

Fun times!

I think Cooper has earned himself some more trips to the barn. Now only if Maggie did not act like a wild dingo in public, she could come, too. But that probably won't happen. . .