A Few Updates, and a Realization

I havent been able to post much this week, I have been working the late shift which means that I get home at around 10:30, and in the mornings I have been trying to make it out to Milo before my shift. Exhausted after work and trying to get things done has left this blog a little silent the past few days. But here is a bit of a catch-up.

So the other day it seems, Diego was moved out of the pasture with Milo. I wasnt given a whole lot of details, but apparently they just werent getting along when it came to feed time, and Diego's leaser wasnt comfortable with Milo. So, as it stands now, Milo is alone and I'm not sure when or if anyone else will join him for company. He doesnt seem to mind, but I hope that come winter and the grass depletes, that Jake can come back down with Milo. We will just have to see.

I had a sort of epiphany moment the other day driving to work. I hear Sarah's voice running through my head as I realize as driving that I am sitting crooked. My right side is collapsed, and even my head is slightly turned one direction. Realizing this, I sit up more straight and bring my head to center. It only takes a few moments before I catch myself falling into the same holding pattern, and I try and correct myself again. I found this similar pattern in working, standing, or anything that I do. I lean onto my left leg, I dont stand perfectly square, I need to remember to stay in neutral posture as much as I can remember to.

It made me realize something, and give a little more lenience for Milo. No one is built perfectly, and no one is going to travel perfectly. Of course, there are minor things we can try and address and re-program within our bodies, but I for one am never going to move perfectly straight, or hold every part of my body in equivolance to the other. Why should I expect my horse to do the same thing? It isnt right to expect perfection. I can ask for straight, but I need to know that it cannot always be physically possible to be perfectly straight all of the time. Or to expect that one side be just as even as the other. Yes, we want both directions to mirror each other, but if we cannot do likewise, is it really fair to expect our horse to do so? I dont think so.

So, heres to a little clarity for Milo and I. Sure I want my horse to travel straight, to move balanced, and to stay engaged. But it's a good reminder that if I cannot be perfect in the way I move, than my horse certainly shouldnt be expected to. But I must say, our ridden work has been improving steadily this past week - we even have a stronger counter canter.

And as a last note, I wanted to share something I saw on facebook, in honor of our independence this weekend: She was there at Gettysburg and on the beaches of Normandy. She's been all around the world and even to the moon. Sabrina writes: "The American flag does not fly because of the wind that moves past it. It flies from the last breath of each military member who has dies protecting it. American soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them... they fight because they love what's behind them." Let her fly!

Milo Get's a New Pasture-Mate

It is well known that Milo lived in a pasture with another boarder's horse, Jake. They have happily enjoyed each other's company for the last year. When one would leave, the other would call to him. They formed a close friendship. But there were some downfalls - we constantly had to monitor the grain intake Jake was getting. It was important that Jake get all of the medications in his grain, and Milo would not consume it. But Milo regularly got far less grain per day than Jake, so naturally he would finish quickly, and Jake, not one to defend the grain he did not desire so much anyways, always relinquished the excess grain to Milo. We always seemed to work around this, be it through adjusting when they each got fed, standing there and warding off Milo until Jake finished, or feeding Jake separately outside of the pasture. Needless to say, feeding was always a hassle and we never seemed to get it just right.

Most recently we all discovered, that Jake is insulin-resistant and can no longer live on the lusciously sugar enriched grasses of the pasture. We tried making sure he was getting a 24 hour muzzle kept on, but he was depressed for it, and even more finicky on drinking water with it on (a problem he already had). Finally, with vet recommendation, it was decided that he would have to be moved to a dry lot. At his age he certainly couldnt stay in a stall and run, but who would give up their dry lot for him? There is no abundance of them at the facility. It was decided, however, that one would, and so Saturday morning was the date we could all get together and make the introductions.

Meet Diego.

Clearly, Milo still wants to remain top-dog. 

Diego is owned by Painted Valley (he was my friend Heather's barrel horse some time ago), but is now full leased by someone and kept at the facility. Diego is a big boy, as you can tell from the following photos, and is being ridden with dressage principles in mind. He shares a personality much like Milo - big and goofy. I think they should get along fine. But here is how it panned out.

A brief introduction over the fence, and Diego was then led into the pasture, and halter removed. We let him trot around for a while, taking in his new home, as I held Milo with a halter and lead. Milo was highly interested, but remained firm next to me. Finally, I unclipped the lead line, and Milo trotted straight away at Diego.

An initial touch of noses, then Milo veered to the rear of Deigo. Diego responded by double barrel kicking out to Milo, but made no contact (to my relief - Diego is fully shod). Milo was absolutely taken aback by this manner, and he snorted and pranced around the pasture, disbelieving that his rein of King of the Pasture could be over. The trotted out more, bucking and leaping for more good measure. I missed the best theatrics on camera, but managed to get some.

Mom, who is this horse in my pasture?

Haha - you can barely see Milo behind Diego. He certainly has size on Milo. 

A good-bye to Jake before leaving to our lesson. 

I was nervous that the excitement in the air would carry over to our lesson. But fortunately the half hour drive seemed to relax Milo, and he was quiet and calm as we arrived at the lesson (more on that in another post). But when we returned home through the back driveway, now where Jake was located, they let each other know the other was there, and Jake trotted the fenceline with us as the boys called back and forth to each other.

With time, they should dissolve their attachment to each other. It took a while initially for Jake to get close to Milo after Covergirl left for the school year last September. Hopefully Milo and Diego can form a friendship together soon, and an agreement over dinner-time. I suspect that they should do fine.

When I brought Milo back into the pasture, they touched noses...

 And went their separate ways.