Showing posts with label horsekeeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horsekeeping. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Life’s a Beach


Our boys taking snooze in the sun—all worn out from a day on the beach!

This week my friend Patricia and I took two of our horses to Ocean City, WA, a sleepy little town on the Pacific Ocean. We rented a sweet little studio apartment a few blocks from the ocean at a place outfitted for horses. There was a small round pen to keep our horses in and even a compost bin for manure. Each day we could saddle up and ride down the peaceful street to the ocean public beach.


Patricia and Felix on the beach.

The beach was a vast expanse of flatness—as long, as far as the eye can reach. Just beach to the left and to the right. With ocean reaching endlessly forward, over and over.

The horses’ reactions were unpredictable: young Felix was as unflappable as ever, even with waves, seaweed, vehicles driving on the sand. Nothing fazed him. Older Harley was unnerved by almost everything that came along including plastic bags, a passing gull, driftwood and seaweed. He kept tourists on the beach entertained with his sudden, unexplained shying at an odd piece of sea kelp or an old bag. Even so, it was fun observing new things and trying something new with the horses. The dogs thoroughly enjoyed the romp along the beach as well.


Alayne, Harley and Saylee at Ocean City.

I must admit that our favorite part was breakfast at the Shilo Inn in Ocean Shores; the yummy blueberry pancakes and the pleasant and friendly staff there were a wonderful way to start out a gray morning.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Two Tip Sheets Now Available In Spanish!

Announcing the same great information now available for our Spanish-speaking readers!

20 Things Every New Horse Owner Should Know

and

Fall in Place

Thursday, December 18, 2008

White Horsekeeping

“Green” horsekeeping doesn’t do much to describe my life today. Today it’s WHITE horsekeeping! And probably the most positive thing I can say about it, as a horse person, is that it’s very beautiful. Which it truly is. But as a horse person it totally cramps my style! I can’t ride or exercise my horses. I can’t haul my horses anywhere covered to ride and exercise them because the roads are too snowy and icey. I can’t clean paddocks well. I freeze when I’m out for any length of time... I know, I know. I need a little cheese with my whine. You would think that someone who grew up in the Chicago suburbs with all the snow and sub-zero temps we had there, and who lived in Anchorage, Alaska for several years, would be better equipped to deal with a couple weeks of snow and cold.

The reality is that riding and working my horses is so much a part of who I am that I never get used to “down time,” no matter how much I prepare for it.

A week ago we had about 4 inches of snow, which around the Pacific NorthWET usually doesn’t last long. But, thanks to Artic temps, this is lasting. And, adding insult to injury, last night we got more snow. The long-range forecast is for all of this white stuff to stick around for some time yet. Blah!

So it’s time to quite feeling sorry for myself and to start to work on some winter survival skills…. Stay tuned!