~Sam~
06-01-2004, 02:03 PM
Hi Guys! I just spent about the best day that I've ever had. I'd like to share it with you if that's OK...
At 4:30 this morning I saw my hubby off, he's spending the week in San Antonio. Breathe deep of the freedom of being on my own, however brief it do be.
That over, I logged on here, explored some new options, replied to a few things, logged out and went out to the barn to pull some teats and throw some grain and hay around.
I had straightened up the house yesterday, so I had some true free time to myself which I had planned on to catch up on some much needed sleep... Does NFW mean anything to ya?
I fed the kids, gave my horse his grain, hay and medicine, and got on with milking chores. Unruly Joline (aka Rowina) milked 9 lbs, Ebony did 8.4 lbs, and Rosemary, bless her rock solid soul milked her usual 6 lbs.
God! I love these goats. They touch my heart and soul with their never failing devotion. The kids are growing at an unbelievable clip... and since we've doubled their pen space, they are all so much more mellow.
As I was sitting on the milking stand, milking Ebony, I turned to look at my horse... who, up until this point I've been calling Mikey. He didn't like the name, and every time I said it he put his ear back and switched his tail. I calmly said to him; "When are you going to tell me your true name?"
He sort of looked at me funny, turned and walked about his stall, and came back to the ribbon I have across his doorway and sent me a mind picture. The picture was of a Raven flying in a thunder storm! Nuf said, I thought to myself, "your name is Storm Raven! " With that, he put his ears forward and nickered at me. I think we have a hit here folks.
I'm sitting here wondering why I feel the need to share this with you. I dunno, I just do, so I will...
Having finished throwing hay into everyone's racks, swept the floor and washed it down, I came back to the house to get on with my day. I did a little of this and little of that and found myself with time to Be with my critters.
Raven has been here in his own barn for a week and half. During this time he's not been feeling too well, so I've more or less played it by ear with him. Gave him lots of carrots and an apple or two. Have to go out to the store tomorrow and stock up on those essentials... But....
I thought that the time was right to go out in the pasture and spend some quality time with the beast. Now, his pasture has a creek that runs through it. There's a bridge that Kenny and I built over the creek... it's very strong cause he has to drive the tractor over it to mow the other side. And I was sure that it's strong enough for Raven to cross too.
My boy Raven is a very young horse. He just turned four on April 27th, so he's not very hip to the ways of humans. He's had some very bad experiences with 4 trainers who tried to force him to do things, including the one who delivered him to this farm, without my approval and in a very inhumane way. (I've thought about pressing cruelty charges, but I don't do that.) So trust building is high on our agenda.
He's such a puppy in so many ways... I opened the pasture gate, went in with Annie our Dalmatian, and Raven followed me, without a lead rope, down to the bridge. He looked at that bridge very suspiciously, so I got into the stream and tried to clear the bigger rocks away so that he could cross through the water. He watched me the whole time, and when I put my creek-wet hand up to him, he licked at it.
Thinking more about the situation, I went back to the barn to get his halter and lead rope. He put his nose into the halter, I fastened it, and whispered into his ear that the bridge was safe and he could cross to eat the clover growing on the other side. I even picked some clover to tempt him into following me across. Now horses are pretty damned smart, so that was another NFW. And so I waited, and he thought about what I was asking him to do, and sooner than I was ready for, we walked across the bridge together!
Major Coup! Trust building at it’s finest.
Tuesday, June 1st....
Raven has since been going back and forth across the bridge by himself. When I go with him, he crosses With me. When we get to the other side, I exclaim; "You da Man, Raven! You da Man." He just loves to be praised, and he arches his neck and shakes his head from side to side while doing the Raven Dance.
Just glancing down at my clock, I see it's time to go and pull some teats again. I'll get back here sometime today or tomorrow for sure. Looks to be a real, fine day out there and I'm anxious to get out there.
At 4:30 this morning I saw my hubby off, he's spending the week in San Antonio. Breathe deep of the freedom of being on my own, however brief it do be.
That over, I logged on here, explored some new options, replied to a few things, logged out and went out to the barn to pull some teats and throw some grain and hay around.
I had straightened up the house yesterday, so I had some true free time to myself which I had planned on to catch up on some much needed sleep... Does NFW mean anything to ya?
I fed the kids, gave my horse his grain, hay and medicine, and got on with milking chores. Unruly Joline (aka Rowina) milked 9 lbs, Ebony did 8.4 lbs, and Rosemary, bless her rock solid soul milked her usual 6 lbs.
God! I love these goats. They touch my heart and soul with their never failing devotion. The kids are growing at an unbelievable clip... and since we've doubled their pen space, they are all so much more mellow.
As I was sitting on the milking stand, milking Ebony, I turned to look at my horse... who, up until this point I've been calling Mikey. He didn't like the name, and every time I said it he put his ear back and switched his tail. I calmly said to him; "When are you going to tell me your true name?"
He sort of looked at me funny, turned and walked about his stall, and came back to the ribbon I have across his doorway and sent me a mind picture. The picture was of a Raven flying in a thunder storm! Nuf said, I thought to myself, "your name is Storm Raven! " With that, he put his ears forward and nickered at me. I think we have a hit here folks.
I'm sitting here wondering why I feel the need to share this with you. I dunno, I just do, so I will...
Having finished throwing hay into everyone's racks, swept the floor and washed it down, I came back to the house to get on with my day. I did a little of this and little of that and found myself with time to Be with my critters.
Raven has been here in his own barn for a week and half. During this time he's not been feeling too well, so I've more or less played it by ear with him. Gave him lots of carrots and an apple or two. Have to go out to the store tomorrow and stock up on those essentials... But....
I thought that the time was right to go out in the pasture and spend some quality time with the beast. Now, his pasture has a creek that runs through it. There's a bridge that Kenny and I built over the creek... it's very strong cause he has to drive the tractor over it to mow the other side. And I was sure that it's strong enough for Raven to cross too.
My boy Raven is a very young horse. He just turned four on April 27th, so he's not very hip to the ways of humans. He's had some very bad experiences with 4 trainers who tried to force him to do things, including the one who delivered him to this farm, without my approval and in a very inhumane way. (I've thought about pressing cruelty charges, but I don't do that.) So trust building is high on our agenda.
He's such a puppy in so many ways... I opened the pasture gate, went in with Annie our Dalmatian, and Raven followed me, without a lead rope, down to the bridge. He looked at that bridge very suspiciously, so I got into the stream and tried to clear the bigger rocks away so that he could cross through the water. He watched me the whole time, and when I put my creek-wet hand up to him, he licked at it.
Thinking more about the situation, I went back to the barn to get his halter and lead rope. He put his nose into the halter, I fastened it, and whispered into his ear that the bridge was safe and he could cross to eat the clover growing on the other side. I even picked some clover to tempt him into following me across. Now horses are pretty damned smart, so that was another NFW. And so I waited, and he thought about what I was asking him to do, and sooner than I was ready for, we walked across the bridge together!
Major Coup! Trust building at it’s finest.
Tuesday, June 1st....
Raven has since been going back and forth across the bridge by himself. When I go with him, he crosses With me. When we get to the other side, I exclaim; "You da Man, Raven! You da Man." He just loves to be praised, and he arches his neck and shakes his head from side to side while doing the Raven Dance.
Just glancing down at my clock, I see it's time to go and pull some teats again. I'll get back here sometime today or tomorrow for sure. Looks to be a real, fine day out there and I'm anxious to get out there.