Help

When one starts to help someone there is an implied agreement not to forsake them.

A few years ago we had one dog in the litter that was born different. Everything was a struggle.
He couldn't suckle so he was hand feed until he could suckle a bit but always had to have some hand feeding.He was one of the first to eat solid food but it had to be set up just right so he could work on the corners of the food. For the first couple of months it was touch and go with seizures that would happen at anytime. The wife took and made him a home in one of her old oversized purses and he was with her 24/7. He never learned to walk but could prance all over the place, high stepping it where his paws would almost hit his chin. At 5 months he had hormonal overdrive and at 6 months he was healthy enough to be fixed. Things went along pretty good and we thought he was out of the woods. His seizures got lighter and less frequent. A real dog personality was developing. We were begining to hold onto the idea that he would make it. At 8 months he passed away. At the beginning we knew his chances were very slim so was it right to euthanize him or go to what some consider extreme effort to try and help this pup. Right or wrong our belief is that one good day of life is better than none at all. It is remarkable that through this whole process there was a feeling of peace about what was happening. The will to live and grow is so strong that to be part of this will affect one at levels not often visited.

   And when you do not forsake them the rewards will change you. Good or bad it's your choice.

        

I try

One of the bloggers I read just rescued a horse. From the accounts it would seem to be a nice horse but. The prior owner had issues with the horse kicking them. I posted to please find out what caused the horse to kick the prior owner. For the second time another blogger I'll call her L seemed to think my post was wrong and it was the prior owner and not the horse. L may be 6 years my senoir but enough. A horse for any reason that has kicked someone needs to be evaluated on why. It usually doesn't take much to get a seemingly gentle horse to stop kicking but until that quirk is worked through they can be dangerious (PERIOD)

 When my oldest daughter was about nine we went to a horse auction and happened to buy a seeminly nice green broke 2 year old gelding. He was real gentle and loaded into the trailer very nicely. We got him home we unloaded him and were so happy with this gentle sweet...........well I go to lead him to his new corral and in the process he reached up with his hind leg and kicked me in the kidney. I was at his shoulders and went immediately to my knee with pain and the wind knocked out of me. This horse knew exactly what he was doing and I am sure it wasn't the first time. After a short time working with him he has never offered to kick again. He has been my oldest daughters' best horse friend now for twenty years.

Even though it is easy to blame a prior owner for a bad quirk just because you  are better, new owner, nicer, or more knowledgable Forwarned is the opertunity to know where and how to start.

  My lovely wife riding her first MT State OMOKSEE in 2006.
                           She has come a long ways since then :)

Listening is sometimes hard

Last Sunday it was a balmy 18 degrees here so we decided to take a nice Sunday drive north about a 120 miles to see how Mojo was doing with the trainer. We get up there and the snow is melting and 45+ degrees. The trainer has Mojo saddled up and already had been riddin but was just calmly standing there waiting. The trainer got on Mojo and showed us what he has been working on for the last two weeks. Mojo has made some good improvements in a short time between the -too cold days. Then we are all standing there talking and I ask 'well what do you think now that you've rode him.' I am a firm believer in when I hire someone to do something to take heed on there counsel. The first thing out of the trainers mouth was 'He's a real sweet boy'. Of course my heart sank at that catch all phrase that is used when there isn't much other to say. A little further in the conversation the trainer said that he would make an excellent kids horse. Another hard swallow. Twenty years of breeding horses with the goal of having good level headed athletic fast horses and I seem to have only gotten the first part right. How does one take and have good running lineage on the top and bottom and produce 'a real sweet boy' as his best and only quality. Luck of the draw.........maybe. On the way home we had some indepth and long discussions. An interesting pattern developed the mares are fire breathing speedsters with a controllable amount of attitude but all the geldings seem to be of the pocket pet mentality.
I have the two year old filly to break this spring so we will see if that theory holds. We can always use another horse for lessons but his younger brother may have to go if he follows the pocket pet mentality. As with any of this only time will tell.

                                            
   The lemonade in all this:
                                           Mojo's future jockey (in 8 years:)