Animals, animals, everywhere

Recently rescued another homeless lady from the streets of southington. She doesn't love living indoors right now but you can see her smiling because is happy to have a place to call her own.
I think she appreciates having a meal ready and waiting morning, noon, and night!

Bitless Riding

So previously I discussed what we could do to help Doppler embrace his new found youth (he is only 10 after-all) .  To call him nonathletic seems a little unfair, its like saying the fat kid will always be fat.  I beg to differ and my own son is proof positive that you can change. :)  Doppler definitely has a stubborn streak, no denying that...but he also has a willingness to please and a weakness for a pocket full of cookies!

Abi had been riding Doppler frequently around the yard bareback and with just his halter since we got him.  We had seen pictures of Doppler under saddle so we knew he had been ridden.  The owner expressed that he didn't really like the bit but that maybe we could try different ones and maybe he just had a sore in his mouth which is why he gave so much trouble when taking the bit.  OK, no big deal. Uh, yeah right!

One day after Abi finally got a saddle and bridle and a bit...she eagerly ran to the back yard, struggled to tack him up and then quickly put the bit in his mouth.  IMMEDIATELY...I knew Doppler wasn't happy in the worse way.  He tried to bury his head in my chest ~ and if he could talk I will swear that he was saying "oh please help me why are you letting this happen".  I watched him struggle and rear his head...jolt about...stick his tongue out wildly. While my heart did break for him...I'm not the horse person here, what do I know ~ And Abi she didn't seem that concerned.  She jumped up on his back and made an attempt to ride him.  It started out as a normal ride she got down to the end of the paddock and Doppler had enough of that... he had enough of her... he was done and that was that.  When a 900 pound animal decides that they are done, guess what, THEY ARE! He reared and he bucked and I panicked! Holy shit, my kid is on him!!! I yelled get off, however she never wavered and seemed much less concerned then I did, she got off while Doppler wildly flailed.   

I was frustrated for Doppler and I angrily told her and John to get that out of his mouth now.  And that was it... I told them to never put that thing in his mouth again.  I know I stirred some controversy in the house with John because that is how you ride a horse ~ isn't it?  After much researching I educated myself on the brutality of the bit and the alternatives to riding without one.  I am now well aware that a bit controls a horse by causing pain, not by creating trust between rider and horse.  Abi never gave me an argument...so I'm sure she was a little shaken by the event, up to this point all the horses she has ridden were well versed in the bit and take it without issue (although now i am sure they all take it reluctantly).  Why on earth would you put an animal through that agony needlessly.  I saw horrifying videos of the stuff a bit does to a horse.  (Once an animal activist, always an animal activist ~ sorry).

Since then I have learned a few more terms and techniques...not only can you ride bitless, but you should know how to ride your horse bitless and bareback... PEOPLE JUMP THEIR HORSES WITHOUT BITS AND SADDLES...  Now that's impressive.  

Anyway, I will spare you the science details but the bottom line is I will not have anyone torturing a pet of mine.  I immediately bought three different training halters that Abi can use to ride Doppler without the bit and guess what.... Doppler is not bucking and he is not rearing he is responding to her leg and do what he is asked (mostly!).  So remind me again why you MUST use a bit?  

Doppler gets a new blanket!

For the first time ever in his life Doppler put on a blanket to keep him warm while out in the cold! I think he was a little nervous due to having something completely enveloping him like that... he got a little spooky and ran to the end of the paddock immediately after it was on,  but came back once he relaized the threat of evil was gone!

I think he looks absolutely adorable but I will let you he the judge :)

Spirit of an Appaloosa

We knew that Doppler was stubborn as we watched how stubborn he could be when we would go to visit him prior to bringing him home (and Appaloosa's are stubborn by nature).  He loved to be haltered, she would pull out his halter and he would see it...come right over and stick his head in.  Wow, what a good horse.  Then she would walk him out of the gate and he would make it a few steps before putting his head down, planting his feet and commence to eating grass.

All the pulling and coaxing in the world wouldn't make Doppler go.  He wanted grass and he was was going to eat it.  Even underweight his giant frame was no match for his owner...or Abi.  He would plant his feet and that was it, and he knew it! Once we brought him home, we had little issue with him doing this and have been quite successful in removing this behavior.  Do not get me wrong... it wasn't like a miracle pony behaving constantly... but the fact that his paddock was all grass helped.  He didn't have the need to come out to eat grass he had access to never ending grass where he lived now...so leaving his paddock meant a new experience like the walk in the woods above.

Doppler does this thing when he is being stubborn... he POUTS! Yes, pouts.  His lower lip drops down and bobs up and down like a toddler getting ready to cry!  Its the most pathetic thing you would ever experience.  But he definitely does it because he knows it will make you feel bad.... He does this when you are asking him to do something he really isn't in the mood for.  Somedays... he does it when you ask him to leave the paddock.  He knows that leaving the paddock could mean work.  Aaaaw! But mom, I don't feel like working right now!!!!????!

Doppler's ears back...show he could be someone irritated with this photo session.

 Do you see how good he looks now, just one month later.  He is no longer hollow, his hips have filled in nicely, not one bit of his spine is showing anymore.

Because we are fast approaching winter in New England his fuzzy winter coat is coming in and he couldn't be cuter! He is as soft as a bunny.

A funny story can be told about the day Doppler jumped the fence.  Oh yes, and had John not been outside to witness this little act of bravery I would still to this day be trying to figure out how Doppler ended up on the wrong side of the fence without a gate being left open.

John had been outside with a couple of his friends near the top of the driveway.  He witnessed Doppler's frustration due to the fact that he was being ignored... running frantically around his paddock in circles trying to get someones attention... anyone!? Please... let me out!!!!!!  As he ran in circles he became aware that his cries for attention were continuing to be ignored...he decided to GO FOR IT.....

He chose a spot in the fence near the goat pen, an unobstructed area where he could potentially get up enough speed to make the leap and land in a clear spot.  In John's word  "I saw Doppler coming flying out from the side of the barn, he was moving so fast he ran up the driveway and I didn't think he was going to stop!  He was running right toward me, Mike and Lyndon at full speed.  As soon as he got to where we were he just stopped and started to eat grass".

So wow, what a predicament...our non-athletic, non-running, non-jumping pony is now leaping 4 foot fences without issue.  While the fence did take a small beating John has managed to stack a taller fence against it impeding what could become a constant escape route for our spirited Appaloosa.  The rest of the paddock is pretty well surrounded by woods, wood piles, goat house, chicken run... you get the picture.  Honestly, the space he found to make his jump was very small and I am quite impressed that he managed to do it!  Good for you Doppler... you have found your wings...and now you want to fly!

But what on earth do you do with a pony who wants to jump and be free???? You teach him....

Peek-A-Boo

Doppler Pony cont...

So Doppler has been with us a total of a month and about a week or two now.  We have learned during this time exactly how feisty this little beast of a horsey he really is.  If you give him a bath....

He will roll.  Actually...the bath was the first time we saw him roll.  That was the second day we had him, not a day has gone by since...that he hasn't rolled! In fact, this is the rolliest pony I have ever seen.  We will come home from work, school, wherever and you can guarantee (yes guarantee) that 100% of the time you will find Doppler covered from ears to tail in MUD!

Once you clean him up (and he will stand still all day long while being groomed) he has no problem giving pony rides.  Unfortunately we don't have a saddle for pony rides, so Garrick has to go it bareback. OUCH!

Kate stopped by and took him for a quick swing around the paddock...he didn't seem to mind that.  She got him to trot for a little bit, however...not riding with real reins and just his halter has proven to be somewhat effective... but don't you need a bit to control a horse?

Abi has spent many an hour riding him bareback around the yard, around his arena....just riding him for pleasure.  Letting Doppler get to know her and she him.  He's been a really good boy.

Abi's Room Complete

This is late news, but I wanted to add them anyway...Abi's room was eventually finished and she is very happy in her attic hideaway.  Its difficult to take pics in a room with slanted walls, it looks all very piecey... but, here are the completed pictures:

the view from mason's room straight in

Her dressing area

More of the dressing area

More dressing area

The view from the dressing area into her bed room area

This is in her dressing area also, you can see the cool little  necklace holder thing we made! 

Nifty Lamp Shade made out of ruffles!

Her bed tucked under the skylight

The desk we painted turquoise and added cheap glass knobs and an old wooden chair. 

The TV is opposite her bed

Chotchkies

More chotckies...she likes her stuff.

Ruffle Curtains were a nice addition, wish you could see them better

Doppler Pony

We recently adopted a 10 year old 14.3 hh Appaloosa Gelding.  His owner was looking to get rid of him because she knew he wasn't getting the time or attention he deserved or required.  On September 20th, 2012 Doppler along with John and the son of his previous owner, made the short mile long walk from his old home on S. Main St to our home.

We learned a lot about Doppler through his owner, she had owned him for three years after getting him from a man in Harwinton.  Other than giving the kids rides around the yard on his back...Doppler really hasn't done much in the way of "work" we will call him green broke.  It was said ... He's not athletic, he doesn't run, he wont jump, he hates to lunge... the list of things Doppler couldn't do far outweighed the things he could.  But Abi wanted a horse and the list of "can't do's" really didn't matter.

This is how Doppler looked prior to coming to live here.  You can see his bones are sticking out and he really looks like a very slight horse.  Not much to him, not very impressive.  But what his previous owner saw as a "non athletic" horse ... I saw a project pony with potential to be loved.  Not sure why...but I knew we could do better and give him a more exciting existence then just a pasture mate to three goats.

The first day after Doppler arrived at our house Abi groomed him for probably an hour.  Soon after he would RUN after Abi, as she would run from one end of the paddock to the other he would RUN after mane blowing in the wind! The sounds of his hooves hitting grass and dirt was amazing.  His previous owner stopped in to see how he was doing and sat mouth gaping as she saw him run for the first time ever.  She stopped mid-sentence as he took off at a run and said "I've never seen him run before!".  She was truly shocked.  It was at that moment i knew they really had not given this pony a chance to exist.

This photo was taken not long after he got to us, you can still see his ribs, his back...and while its cut off you can see how hollow his hips are.  I would say he needed to gain a couple hundred pounds.  Not a day goes by that this boy does not receive attention...even if only during feeding time, which happens three times a day.  That is three more times the attention than he was being given at his old home.  

Please keep in mind, I am not speaking ill of the previous owner...she knew she wasn't taking care of him and she waited to find the right home before placing him.  She had mentioned that a couple other people came around asking about him, but they did not give her the right vibe and she did not let them have him.  When she met Abi she knew it was the right fit.  It was at that time that she knew she found his future home. After seeing Doppler run that day, she revealed that someone she worked with said "you did not Abi, he picked Abi"...and I believe he did.

To see how happy he gets when he sees Abi coming...its like no one else in the world exists.  He is in love with her...and she with him.  You can tell in his eyes he trusts her and wants to make her happy.  He is such a good boy.