Template issues

I noticed a few days ago that my blog's template isn't showing up.  I traced the problem back to the images that are hosted through my web host -- for some reason the web address no longer seems to be accurate.  I need to contact GoDaddy about this, obviously, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me how long the images haven't been showing up in my template?  I haven't been blogging regularly so I have no idea right now, but I didn't notice a problem last time I blogged (June).  I just don't know if that's because I didn't look at my blog, or because the problem wasn't a problem yet.

Horsey headlines for June 15th, 2016

If you are on social media at all, you might have already seen one or both of these.  The first one is, I think the best:

‘Cowboy’ lassos theft suspect in Oregon Walmart parking lot

I love this.  I wonder how long it took, and whether the cowboy actually chased the bike thief down on his horse before lassoing him.  I mean, getting the horse off the trailer first had to have taken at least a couple of minutes, right?!  I guess it's lucky he was trailering the horse tacked up...
Read more »

First summer ride

On Tuesday, I rode for the first time in a long time... I think maybe even a few months, although I can't remember for sure.  The series of spring snowstorms we had here in Colorado, combined with just plain busyness in my life, conspired to keep me from riding.

Because Panama and I are more out of shape than ever, it wasn't a long ride or a hard one.  I was impressed that he didn't act out, even though I didn't turn him out beforehand (and hadn't turned him out in some time).  Despite this, I was quite sore for a couple days afterward -- and by "quite sore," I mean, waddling-everywhere, every-step-hurting kinds of sore -- the kind of sore I haven't been since the early days of learning to ride.

I guess that's how you know it's been too long since you last rode.
Read more »

Summer heat and hydration

Well, once again it has been a long time since I blogged -- or rode.  I finally rode again on Tuesday after several months without riding.  It was a rough spring, between several springtime blizzards in late March and throughout April, and I had a lot going on in my life that kept me from riding.

And then suddenly it was summer.  I've been so busy trying to get my patio and tiny garden ready to enjoy this summer, that I almost didn't notice how summery it had gotten.  Probably the fact that our weather has been so back and forth this spring didn't help.  And then suddenly I was nearly passing out from the heat.
Read more »

Your horse can read your emotions

Filed under "Stuff horse people already knew," comes this study:

Horses can recognise human emotion, new study shows

The scientists report in the journal Biology Letters that they made high quality, large size colour prints of the same male human smiling and baring his teeth, and frowning and baring his teeth: expressions of positive and negative emotions from a stranger. Volunteers – who did not themselves know what the photograph revealed – showed them to 28 horses from five riding or livery stables in Sussex and Surrey. And the horses could tell the difference.

Read more »

Old horses deserve love, too

You know the kind of horse I mean: The old ones that are left at the barn, forgotten, because their owners are no longer interested now that they can't do what they used to.  Or maybe the ones that you see listed on Craigslist, being given away as "companion horses" because they're old or lame or otherwise unrideable.

A barn in Florida has come up with a great solution for these old, ignored horses: horse-crazy little girls.

Young riders adopt aging horses
Read more »

"I love you." -Your horse

Happy Friday!  Today I just wanted to share a super-sweet post about the ways a horse shows love.

Every horse owner knows that horses can be affectionate with the people they see every day.  Not every horse shows it the same way, though.  Rondo has always been scent-oriented (he likes to smell me and my breath, and same with his leaser, H.) and snuggly with his nose and head.  I also taught him to "give kisses" and put his muzzle on your face when asked for a kiss, which he seems to enjoy doing.

Panama, on the other hand, tends to be too hyper to stand still and be snuggled, but is super vocal -- he nickers at me when I approach, whinnies to me to demand that I get him out of the corral and spend some time with him, and is always waiting at the gate if he thinks there is even a remote chance that I'm going to get him out.  He'll snuggle with me if I insist, but he's not a big fan of it, being a little head shy.

What about you?  How do your horses show their affection with you?