tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19171486910631002222010-02-07T10:38:59.831-07:00Life as a Horse RescuerKatharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-92204050486482091562010-02-06T19:40:00.000-07:002010-02-06T19:40:00.586-07:00

Only a few days ago, I heard of Temple Grandin, the HBO movie, for the first time. Then today, in honor of the movie's launch, NPR reran a January interview with Ms. Grandin.We don't have cable, so we'll have to get on Netflix's waiting list for the movie. In the meantime, I'll read a couple of her books, which I haven't read before. I'm admittedly more interested in her books about animals

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-14556750002070683452010-02-06T12:31:00.002-07:002010-02-06T12:31:00.494-07:00

Some of my readers who have been with me for a while may remember back to when I was afraid to canter. I got over it when I cantered by accident, asking for a faster trot and getting a canter instead.That was at the old barn, though. Panama has been so goosey about the "go" button since we moved that my trainer has only cantered him a little, and I haven't at all. The last time I cantered on

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-51240902251158492052010-02-04T12:44:00.001-07:002010-02-04T12:44:00.644-07:00

A week or so ago, after my trainer rode my horse especially hard, we noticed that he was quite sweaty over each shoulder and hardly sweaty at all underneath the rest of the saddle pad. My trainer was concerned about saddle fit, but when we laid the saddle on his back without the pad, it sat flush, with even pressure, all along his back. So instead of panicking and running out to buy a new saddle,

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-81367265730401020722010-02-03T16:44:00.000-07:002010-02-03T16:44:00.049-07:00

I had a riding lesson today, and I actually remembered for once to give my trainer my camera! It's been a while since I've had someone take pictures of me and Panama, so I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.She also got a few videos of me trotting. In this first one, I'm practicing my post. It's a lot better than it used to be, but it still needs work. One thing I'm working on right now is

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-37107515289648962472010-02-02T19:05:00.000-07:002010-02-02T19:05:00.264-07:00

I almost forgot earlier to post about Panama's recent playfulness!He has never been particularly playful with objects, although I think his little trick of trying to take off my hat or giving my parka's snap-on hood a good yank is his way of trying to play with me.Lately, though, I've seen a little bit more playfulness coming out in his personality. A week or so ago, I was watching him roll a

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-50575919204961797052010-02-02T15:40:00.000-07:002010-02-02T15:40:00.621-07:00

I had a lot of demands on my time today, so I had to reschedule my lesson, but I still managed to squeeze in a visit to the barn. I hadn't been there since Saturday, so I knew I needed to go.I started out by turning Panama out. He promptly rolled, and then looked like he was going to sunbathe. I was pretty sure he needed to run, after being in with the "old folks" for two whole days, so I chased

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-35892825037349691032010-01-30T15:10:00.001-07:002010-01-30T15:10:00.485-07:00

The last two days have served as a reminder of the fact that I now board at a bigger barn than I've ever experienced before — and that there are both pros and cons to that.Yesterday I had a lesson around lunchtime, which turned out to be a very busy time — I guess because it was a gorgeous day, and the day before had been so cold. (There's definitely something to be said for riding when poor

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-90289988855536892902010-01-28T17:24:00.001-07:002010-01-28T17:24:00.140-07:00

Today was one of those perfect rides. Heck, it was a perfect day (in terms of the barn, I mean). It had to be one of the top five rides I've ever taken on Panama, right up there with some of the best trail rides we've ever been on. It was simply magical.The thing is, we really didn't do that much. Most of what we did was walking, with a little bit of trotting in there. It was just really

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-28828732836228055422010-01-27T17:06:00.000-07:002010-01-27T17:06:38.504-07:00

Last night, Michael and I were hanging out at a local bookstore, and I was flipping through a book by Cherry Hill: How to Think Like a Horse. (I love Cherry Hill's books — this one didn't seem like one I needed to buy, but I'm checking it out from the library to finish reading it.) At one point, Hill was describing the behavior a buddy-bound horse will exhibit — e.g., whinnying to his buddy on

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-43317307225618422252010-01-26T12:01:00.001-07:002010-01-26T12:01:00.170-07:00

I've been reading Jane's blog for some time now, ever since I met her through another book giveaway. I've heard a lot about her current horse, Gilly, but I'd never heard about her "first love."This is the last of the stories I received about horses that touched the author's life in some way. I hope you enjoyed all the stories as much as I did!My First LoveThe first horse, my first love, was one

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-6855705980552732672010-01-25T12:50:00.000-07:002010-01-25T12:50:00.267-07:00

The next story talks about the author's earliest memories of horses. Sydney has an excellent blog called Bitless Horse: Science VS Tradition. She also makes gorgeous horse hair jewelry at very fair prices — wow!HorsaiiThere are some of us that are born with a desire to break the bank, spend endless hours in the worst weather conditions, forget sleep and most of all ourselves for a chance to be

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-63821799853790056982010-01-24T15:11:00.001-07:002010-01-24T15:11:00.265-07:00

Today has been incredibly, insanely windy. Luckily, that meant when Michael and I went to the barn just before lunchtime, it wasn't very busy. On the down side, though, it also meant that when I rode Panama in the indoor, we had a lot to work through.I have to admit, it was nice having the indoor arena, where we could get out of the wind. That's half the reason I rode — it was too cold and

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-9694932874507494572010-01-24T13:35:00.000-07:002010-01-24T13:35:00.400-07:00

The next horse story in the lineup is Sally's story of Buck and Chester. Although this story is about two different horses, they are irrevocably connected, as you will see. Be sure to also check out Sally's wonderful horse blog, Arab Crazy Family!Buck and ChesterFor as long as I can remember, I was horse crazy. When I was still very young, my parents lost their farm and we had to move into town

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-57416397862151072062010-01-23T19:36:00.002-07:002010-01-23T19:36:00.049-07:00

For the first time in a while, I have friends at the barn with whom I can share my hobby.Yesterday, I met Voodoo's mom out at the barn in the morning, and we let them play together for a while. Then she lunged him in the arena, while I hopped on Panama and rode bareback for a little while at the other end. It was a nice, companionable way to spend a morning at the barn.Voodoo's mom is seven

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-67226557954850455122010-01-23T11:22:00.000-07:002010-01-23T11:22:00.130-07:00

As promised, as a follow-up to Berte's story yesterday, here is Theresa's story of the brown mare named Prissy. Theresa's blog is Always Rushing Around, and is more than just a horse blog — she also has two adorable little girls she blogs about!My Little Brown MareFlashy she was not. She stood about 14.2 hands, not very tall. She was sorrel. She was registered as a red dun, but that was a stretch

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-27044796028309984252010-01-22T12:12:00.001-07:002010-01-22T12:12:00.715-07:00

I'll start with the very first person to email me her horse story: Berte of RiverBend Farm. She sent me her story, which is also on her blog:Goodbye Ol' GirlThis is a very hard post for me to write as it has been a very hard week. Today we said goodbye to Prissy.As you might have read in my original post, horses have always been a love in my life since I was a little girl. On April 25, 1987,

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-10488087612461834152010-01-21T16:16:00.000-07:002010-01-21T16:16:00.456-07:00

My leg is slowly improving, and I now have more mobility than I had a few days ago. This means I can get around better and faster (which makes Panama happy, as he was quite impatient with my slow hobble).I had a lesson yesterday and although I didn't ride long or do much (posting still fatigues me, and leg yielding with the left leg while posting is challenging), I had a major light bulb

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-90589299881697530102010-01-21T13:15:00.000-07:002010-01-21T13:15:25.817-07:00

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for being patient. I was supposed to post the winner of my horse book giveaway nearly a week ago, but between everything going on currently in my life — from sick pets to my knee injury to a bunch of client deadlines, I haven't had a chance to blog, much less do the drawing.Today I finally was able to make the time, though. Before I announce the winner,

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-58174687787430266672010-01-18T17:54:00.000-07:002010-01-18T17:59:57.159-07:00

I spent a good five hours or more at the barn today. It was gorgeous weather, and although initially I wasn't going to ride, even after I put him away Panama kept watching me with his head up and his ears forward, as if expecting that I would ride him. And when I walked over to him, he nickered to me. That settled it — I saddled him up and we went for a ride.We didn't ride long, and we mostly

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-84867171321712305772010-01-16T20:15:00.000-07:002010-01-16T20:15:01.036-07:00

On Thursday's post about my dumbest fall ever, Nuzzling Muzzles commented that it wasn't falling she feared, but the recovery time.Ain't that the truth. I took 3 Motrin Thursday afternoon, 3 more Friday morning after I nearly passed out shortly after I got out of bed, and 3 late last night to get me through the end of the day. (I'd been doing pretty well for most of the day, but toward the end

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-42182430496462524802010-01-14T17:46:00.000-07:002010-01-14T17:53:49.054-07:00

When I got out to the barn this afternoon, Panama was lying down, sunbathing. I went over and sat on him, snuggled a bit, and took the above picture. See the sleepy eyes?I was still sitting on him when suddenly he decided to get up. I decided to just grab mane and hang on. Feeling him get up underneath me was amazing! It was fun... until I fell off.Once Panama was standing, he decided to

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-51266250017731587312010-01-13T23:39:00.000-07:002010-01-13T23:45:07.201-07:00

A busy week so far. Although I had my trainer out twice this week — once to ride Panama, and once to give me a lesson — I haven't had time to blog about it. I'll try to catch up, or at least get more regular, soon.The good news is that my cat Prince started eating on his own last night — only a little, but it's a vast improvement, as I've been force feeding him for the past month! I had an

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-76915023664162237382010-01-09T19:54:00.000-07:002010-01-09T19:54:00.287-07:00

During my lesson yesterday, Panama got his first taste of jumping.In addition to my lesson, my trainer exercised two horses yesterday, one before my lesson and one after. She had a low cross rail jump set up for the first horse, which she left out for Panama, so when my blood sugar crashed and I was unable to ride, she messed around with Panama a little bit.Most of it was desensitization work,

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-71405454665952541972010-01-07T23:47:00.000-07:002010-01-07T23:59:19.735-07:00

As I write this, it is about zero degrees outside, depending on what weather station you believe. This morning when my husband went to work, it was -12, and tonight it's supposed to get down to about -7. Hard to believe it was around 40 degrees just two days ago!This storm has been more about the cold than the snow, although we did get a couple inches. I didn't get out to the barn yesterday, so

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917148691063100222.post-36573269570322951112010-01-05T17:54:00.001-07:002010-01-05T17:54:00.550-07:00

...meaning they are my distractions, not Panama's.I've been very busy and worried lately. The cat I have now had for nearly 11 years has stopped eating for unknown reasons. Almost a month ago, I took him into the vet, and they weren't able to tell what was wrong, even after doing a blood panel. They cleaned his teeth and pulled two bad ones just before Christmas, but that didn't make him want

Katharine Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16805523619692744514noreply@blogger.com2