Finally catching up on these blog hops! Thanks Owls Approve for coming up with these great questions to answer about the ponies in our lives!
I’m A Loser, Baby
Let’s talk about your horse’s biggest fail. What did Thunderhooves do that embarrassed you, scared you, shocked you or just annoyed the hell out of you?
Phoenix
Man, this is hard. The scariest things that Phoenix has done involve tearing his tendon and the few times he has coliced or choked. All medical issues I wish he would avoid.
Otherwise, I can talk about the one time I fell off of him (knocking on wood here). In the summer while I was in high school a group of us would frequently hack around and sometimes in the farm field by the barn. I was riding P bareback and standing around in the field chatting with a friend. I wasn’t holding the reins, just letting P stand there. Friend’s little brother came running up from behind out of a row of trees and P was surprised and scooted forward and sideways and I slid right off his side. I remember being embarrassed at the time, but now I find it fairly amusing.
Stampede
Stampede has certainly had more than his fair share of common and strange medical maladies to freak me out. Ulcers, several bouts of cellulitis (like this one), he was chronically underweight for years, hater of all cheap and locally available grains, that time he ripped the top of his butt open (then did it again and again and again), at least one seizure, chronic scratches/scabby nastiness (still there!), back arthritis, and not to be left out, sleep deprivation. You have no idea how creepy it is to see your horse be so asleep standing up that he can’t stay standing and goes crashing around his stall. Stampede, why won’t you just lay down in your stall!?! Just listing all those issues out makes me wonder about that horse…
In the embarrassment category, he managed to have bad shows every time my parents and husband came to watch up until this year. My poor loved ones saw me being run away with many times down lines in the early years, and many shows of angry Stampede kicking out or refusing to go forward in the corners later on. I’m sure many people watching were thinking things about me, but I was most upset about my parents and husband not seeing Stampede the way he is on a normal day. Due to this, P is firmly the family favorite! I hope sometime Stampede can prove himself to not be crazy and win their hearts!
In the annoyance category, his apparently permanent habit of threatening me while being curried, brushed, or blanketed in the cross ties or his stall. This involves swinging his head towards me like he might bite me (he did actually get me once a while back) and holding up his right rear leg then slamming it down. Put his cooler on in the cross ties – angry beast. Take off cooler in the indoor to start working – who cares. Put his cooler on in the indoor after he works – oblivious. Take cooler off in cross ties – angry beast. So annoying.
Wow they sure have put you through the injury ringer. Kika is another member of the anti – rugging brigade – she is a class A Grunch about it
What’s crazy is I had so few issues when I owned horses before college. Stampede in particular has worked hard to rack up my education!
The look on Stampede’s face in that last photo totally gives away what happened next! Yikes injuries are awful :/ tendons are the worst but wow that’s a ridiculous butt swelling.
I didn’t even show the bad butt photo where it’s all bloody and gross because even I don’t like to see it!
God, no wonder P is the family favorite! Stampede, stop being a jerk! And that butt wound. OUCH.
Doesn’t it always seem like the horses act the worst around non-horsey people?
I have tried to explain to Stampede that it would make life easier if he would be good when my husband is around, but he doesn’t like to share me and generally makes mean faces at my husband instead.
I can attest to how freaky his sleeping issue is! The first time I saw it happen I remember yelling down the aisle for you! Lol
So creepy.
aww Stampede has been through a LOT!!! poor grouchy guy lol
He’s just one of my special needs children!