Quick question for you guys...

So I started another blog, Equines of New York.  (I know, I know, what am I doing starting another blog when I can barely be bothered to update this one?  Well... fair point.  I'm working on it.)

I'm planning on doing one post a day, Monday through Friday.  I have the next week or so of posts scheduled (10AM EST!), but looking through my stock of horse pictures, I've got a question...

Is it weird if I use pictures of horses that have since passed away?  If I do use those photos, should I specify somewhere that the horse has died?

Also, it's not weird to use the same horse multiple times, right?  (Different photos, different interviews.)

Thanks for your input!

Please spread the word about EoNY.  If you have a picture you'd like me to use, let me know!  (Horses don't actually have to be from NY, just copying Humans of New York and Felines of New York.)

Horse Owner of the Year!

Yup, I'm totally the best horse owner EVER.

Yes, that's right, I put blankets on my horses!  So maybe I never got around to washing them and had to shake the cobwebs out... details.

Yes, that's a bird feather stuck in cobwebs on The Mare's blanket.  It's the newest fashion, trust me.

Oh, and I let The Mare's boyfriend go so I could take pictures of her, and she proceeded to flip the eff out because OMG boyfriend is gone!!  When I finally let her go (after like 45 seconds) she took off so fast she kicked up mud all over and then galloped around bucking.

Princess was mad at me for putting desitin on his yucky hind pastern that always gets those scabby sores from mud.  Sigh.


Also, after reading the Felines of New York book, I was inspired to create Equines of New York.  I'm going to try to do one a day, and the next few are scheduled to post automatically.

Awwww

I rode River last night, and then the cutest 6 year old ever asked if she could get on him...

We also let her trot a little bit with her mom holding Riv and me jogging next to her. 

I asked if she wanted to trade horses with me, but she said no :(. 

Hope you're sitting down...

My dog died.

Friday evening, my dog's breathing problems got much worse, irreversibly so.  Even giving him oxygen wasn't helping, so I made the decision to euthanize him.

Amos was born July 27, 2000.  I got him on September 13, 2000.  He was 6 weeks 6 days old and 15 pounds.  He was a momma's boy from the start.  He was a bit of an idiot, but he wasn't stupid... he was very smart.  I could tell him "go in the bedroom, get a toy, and come back" and he would look at me for a second, and run off into our room to get a toy.  He knew what "go around" and "the other way" meant, when he got the cable of the run wrapped around a tree. 

He lived to make me happy.  Sometimes he would get confused if he didn't understand and then he would get upset and need hugs.

When he was younger, I would take him trick or treating for Halloween and dress him up in a silly costume.. he was an angel, a fairy princess, and a ballerina.  He was a large, enthusiastic black dog, and that can be scary to people... but you can't be scared of a large, enthusiastic black dog wearing a tutu.  He loved it.

In September 2005, I went to England for almost 3 months for a study abroad.  When I got home shortly before Christmas, my dad had me wait in the kitchen while he went to get Amos and surprise him with his mommy...  I don't remember much of Amos' reaction, but my dad said Amos just melted when he realized I was home.

He was always the happiest dog you could imagine.  He started having health problems about 2.5 years ago, but somehow he managed to keep going much longer than we expected.

I've known it was coming for a long time, but it still blindsided me..  I guess I was expecting a slower decline, with more than a couple hours of notice.  He was fine in the morning, so finding him in such bad shape was a complete shock.

Amos was a huge part of my life for almost half my life and now he's just gone.

Happy Birthday, Striker!

Today is the Old Man's birthday.  He's 28 years old and still has more get-up-and-go than most horses half (or a third or a quarter or even an eighth) his age.  Case in point, last week I was walking him down the driveway to turn him out in the indoor.  Well, *I* was walking.  He was cantering circles around me.  Then he got loose and trotted into the outdoor ring and spent quality time going from puddle to puddle, pawing gleefully.  I refused to go out in the mud and was content to wait for him to wander back, but a barn kid volunteered to go get him for me.

Anyway.  It's his birthday and he's the best and I love him more than anything, including the two horses I actually own... combined.  Sorry, River and Mare, but you just can't compete with him.

Yesterday I set up my tripod and used the handy dandy free remote control that came with the new camera I got in December.  (Well, "free" isn't entirely accurate, considering how expensive the camera was... perhaps "included at no additional cost" is better.)  So I took some pictures of me and Striker...

Awwww, isn't he handsome??

My purpose in life is to serve as his scratching post.

Really, honey?  I actually kind of like this one, I just wish I'd had the camera angled up a bit higher and/or had us farther away so his whole head would be in the picture.

And also, I'm impressed by how decent I look.  Goodness knows I'm never going to be a beauty queen, but considering this was after an hour of morning barn chores, 8 hours of work, and trimming 2 horses' feet, I'm shockingly not a total mess.

Happy birthday, Striker!  I've got a pack of (brand name!) Twinkies with his name on it.   He's in for a treat tonight

Sulk Over?

I think I'm over my sulk...  Well actually, the turning point was a couple months ago (yes, a couple months... it's been a ridiculously long, cold winter, and I wasn't about to do anything until the weather improved).  My dad asked if River has been okay since he finished his antibiotics for his bone cyst.  And I realized that my dad bought River's antibiotics with minimal complaining and no expectation that I repay him (which, at close to $30/day for over 2 months, is a LOT of money), and it's pretty ungrateful and unappreciative of me to not take advantage of the fact that my horse is alive and sound.

So I longed River Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  He's still like a hyperactive kid who needs recess, though.  I have to turn him loose in the indoor and get him moving, then he'll canter around and around and around.  Then he'll break to a trot and go around and around and around.  Eventually he'll stop and we can longe.  He's been pretty good, so maybe we'll get fancy and switch the halter for a bridle and add the surcingle and chambon.

Running around like an idiot last night...

Still an idiot...

Finally settling down a little.

Also yesterday, I was at the barn doing stalls and I wanted to see if River needed more hay outside, so I looked in his turnout.. wait, where is he?

Oh, there he is..

I've never seen him sleep flat out outside before, so naturally I had to sneak up to get a better picture.

Ooops.  Sorry.

Riv's 15th birthday was last week.  He was pretty exited...

That's a bit better.

I tried to take a selfie with him.


Well okay then.

One of these days we'll try, you know, riding.  After I have someone else ride him first, since he hasn't been ridden in over 4 months (I haven't ridden him in over 5, but a couple of my friends rode him around New Year's.


And in case you were wondering (*snort*), The Mare is doing well.  She has a new boyfriend.... they love each other.

It's a little ridiculous.

Ugh, orange and black.  It's like Halloween in their turnout.

So there's the update.