So, Lucky, It Is!

There have been so many ups and downs this month.  Lucky would take two steps forward then go back one and a half.  Some days I felt it was one and three quarters backward.  But, he would look at me with those big soulful eyes and we would continue on.  


This past Sunday, he got a new bridle.  This one is a brighter red, a happier bridle than the first one.  He had to have a new one because he had actually gained weight and the old one was too tight for him.  Also, the old one has been though the muck and mud of pick me ups, so it was time for it to go.  This weekend, he also got his new real name, Lucky.  That goes along with his decision that he would be moving forward from now on.


Yesterday, he stayed in the pasture for about five hours.  He will do the same today.  While there is not a lot of grass there,  it gives him an opportunity to walk around, explore so he is not bored, and most importantly, build up his muscles!  Even though he has gained weight and gotten stronger, he still looks like a stick horse.  

His coat is still in bad shape and his mane is rag tag, but his eyes are beautiful.  He will be a beautiful horse someday.  I suspect it will be a good six months for his coat to reach a decent place, but now, we can think about that.  He has begun flexing his front feet more, so I think that he may be a walking horse or a racking variety.  


Lucky has been here a month yesterday.  It has been a tough month.  Worse for me than even peak season at FedEx!  There I felt like I knew what to do.  Here it was heart first, brain second work. 


 The payoff, however, has been well worth it.

And There Was Thanksgiving

It has been a tough couple of weeks here at Poplar Springs Farm.  From the last post you learned that Steve had shoulder surgery on the 8th and new starving horses came on Saturday the 12th.  Their pictures were on the last blog.  On Sunday, we had a cow with a problem that required the vet, and I also noticed that Petey, or Lucky Pete, the smaller horse in the worst condition was on the ground.  After we took care of the cow, we moved over to the horse.  To make a long story short, he was way too weak to get up, even with the electrolytes administered and the steroids, etc.  We had no choice but to leave him there, hoping that he would gain strength, but unfortunately, when horses get down like this, it is difficult for them to recover.  Monday came, and all I could do was feed him and set him up so that he could drink water.  Tuesday, he was still on the ground, and I had a doctor appointment in Knoxville.  I called the vet again and discussed options on getting him up.  I remembered that Steve had gotten a cow up with a hoist several years ago and  that just maybe we could do that.  But where oh where could we get one?  A light bulb goes off...I am in Knoxville, and so is the University of Tennessee Vet school.  Lucky, lucky me!  I started with the Deans office and ended up with the equine doc.  He just happened to be a native of Ecuador.  Do my stars line up or what?  And yes, he just happened to have what I needed, but he would have to talk with my vet.  All of them are UT Vet school grads, and of course, I could take  the hoist, but I could only use it for 24 hours.   I called back to the vet, and yes, he and a super vet tech could meet me at the farm after he went on a call further in the mountains to doctor a potbellied pig!  A quick call to a couple of neighbors, one that was good with horses and tractors, and the other just to be an extra for support, and we were in business.

My neighbor was driving the JD since my number one driver is under the weather. We had to take him about a quarter of a mile where I had set up a temporary stall for him. We would have to stop about every hundred yards to that he could rest and so the vet and vet tech could as well.  Me too, but I was just moral support.

He actually had to walk about 10 feet into the stable because the front end loader  on the JD was too high to come into the shed.  My neighbor readjusted and brought the JD in so that the hoist could hold Petey up if he fell.  We kept him in it about 4 hours, but he seemed to do fine, so off it came and the next day, it went back to UT.

He stayed up for for 7 days, and back down he went.  I had gotten supplies to make a temporary hoist, just in case this happened.  Another call to my neighbor and we got the temporary hooked up and he was back on his feet again.  Two days, down again.  Called the neighbor yesterday morning and we got him up again.  Tonight, he was still up.  His attitude is great, well except when I was putting diaper creme on his skinned places like the vet told me and he obviously didn't like it and he tried to kick me.  Twice even.  I laughed and told him that  I was glad that he was feeling that good and he could get away with it until he really got to feeling better.  Then there would be consequences for kicking.  


We are still somewhat in a touch and go situation with this little horse.  He was starved within a couple of days of his life's end.  This one will take a long time to come back.  His appetite is good, and he has gained a little weight but he just has to get some muscle mass back, especially in his hindquarters.  


He will be loved, and touched, and talked to.  He will be laughed at, rubbed and told how beautiful he is.  I hope to convince him that before long, he can be running in the pasture playing horsey games with the other guys.  


But today, we are giving thanks that he and all the other furry babies are doing well.

Deja Vu

I got a call yesterday from my Animal Shelter friend, so I suspected that I would have new horsey residents today.  I was hoping things would get worked out so that maybe this would not be necessary, especially since Steve just had shoulder surgery on Tuesday.  But as things are meant to be, the judge provided a court order and two more horses made their way to Poplar Springs Farm.  They were delivered this time as my driver can't drive for a couple of weeks or so.  


As bad as Speck, especially Speck, and Charley were, I was not quite prepared for what I was to see today.  Two small horses, one a gelding and the other intact, were in pretty bad shape.  I have not named them yet.  Pete and Repeat came to my mind, but that just doesn't show enough respect.  Remember, these animals are my teachers as well as my responsibility to get them back in shape.


The first one is the little gelding that is about 4 years old.  He is somewhere around 12 to 13 hands, which would probably be a cow pony.  I have no idea what kind of horse he might be.  Probably just horse!

This is the second one.  He is not in as bad shape, but his stomach is puffed out, probably from parasites. The vets gave them yukky worming medicine before they were brought over.  He is another sorrel with a blaze.  Now we have Spirit, Charley and this one that are very similar  He is small as well.  He will be a gelding soon as I do not need any macho horses around.

I cannot leave this blog on a somber note.  Exactly three months ago, two very malnourished horses found there way to the farm.  I had to take the opportunity to show you what they look like today.  Aren't they beautiful!!!!  Speck is a sweetheart, except when it comes to food, and he is pretty aggressive.  Maybe I should just say pushy as he is always very, very sweet.  I have also seen him run, and I have seen him kick out with both back feet, at the same time, toward boss hoss Dillon.  He is still a little sway back, but he is just gorgeous!

And, my other little sweetheart, Charley.  Charley is always the first horse in the barn to greet me.  He is still a little skittish, but he has come so far.  I can touch him anywhere, catch him, lead him and pick up his feet.  The farrier had no problem when he trimmed their feet last week.

Tomorrow, hopefully, will be grooming day for these boys. and the other four.  I want to push Charley a little farther, but I am not ready to attempt to ride him.  That probably won't be until spring when maybe I can get a good round pen set up.  No way would I attempt this out in the pasture.


I will be making calls soon to some horse rescues to find out if I can work something out with them so that I can begin thinking about getting some of my friends on an adoption list.  I suspect that I will have more horses find there way here, and I just cannot keep them all.  These groups are already set up with procedures in place to identify prospective owners and I just don't want to get into that business.  


Until that time, I can get them back on the road to health and give and get a lot of love along the way!

Patchwork

I think that maybe this years leaves are not as beautiful as they have been in the past.  Maybe it was because the summer was so hot.  We still have Oak trees that have not turned and of course the yellow Poplars are the first to lose their leaves, so it seems a little scattered this year.

But, you can always find some Red Maples trees to get your heart pumping.  These are my favorite....or my favorite today.

This was the beginning of Poplar Springs Farm.  This is the horse barn that you have seen previously.  The small building in the lower right is an old canning/smoke house.  The bottom half is made of rock and it is probably a hundred years or older.  Steve lived in the cabin that you can barely see through the trees until we built the big house.

The big house is where we and all our dogs live!  It is a very happy house when all the grandsons come to visit. 

 Taken from the upper pasture and looking down on the Del Rio Valley and one of my favorite views.

Hmmmm.   Add a little snow and this could almost look like Christmas.

Red Maples are my favorite until I run across the "pink" and yellow ones.  

Even the cows could not resist being in the picture with the beautiful scenery.  I tried to get one without him, but he would not move.  And I did not feel like chasing him.  Besides, this is a cattle farm.

Moving Day

Moving day came with a jolt!  I was calmly enjoying my morning with a cup of coffee and getting my computer fix.  The phone rang with the message that three horses were trying to get into the pasture with the two rescue horses.  Well, being the intuitive person that I am, I knew that the three horses were my three that had pulled off an escape sometime during the night.  I guess they had figured out there were other horses on the property and they had to check them out.  First things first.  I had to get the three back into the pasture and then, I would have to find where the fence was broken.  Luckily, one of my neighbors came to help, and I only had to walk up the hill a half a mile leading horses, then back down a half a mile to get the farm truck.  My plan was to get the fence fixed, then move Speck and Charley.  That would entail walking down the hill and back up again one more time.  

You have to admit, this is a beautiful place to live if you are a horse.   Well, even if you are not a horse. The barn was on the property when we moved here.  It is a log barn  and while it is not as spiffy as a new barn, it has all sorts of great features and character to boot.

Charley's first meeting with boss hoss Dillon went fairly well.  Dillon wanted out so he could get an up close look.  

Speck was not so concerned with meeting anyone.  He was checking out the benefits of the new digs.  Food continues to be his number one concern.  

Hey, did you hear the one about the filly down the road?  Notice how similar Charley and Spirit are.  I love this color.  Charley has the bridle on.  Spirit has the one white sock foot.

Midnight  has joined the party.  Notice how beautiful boss hoss Dillon looks.

I have a grey speckled horse on one side and a white horse on the other.  I am thinking that I may have to rename him because as he gets healthier, it appears his coat has become whiter.  Look at Spirit, the sorrel in the foreground, and Midnight, the black horse, and you see how beautiful a well fed horse looks.  

Unfair, unfair.  Charley and Dillon got a head start!   Dillon says, " I must hurry and get in front.  I am their leader!"

Awww man!  I gotta climb that hill?  Wonder what the grass tastes like up there?

And, all is well.  They are getting used to each other.  Of course there has been some biting, and I saw Speck pick up both hind legs in unison and kick at Dillon.  I also saw him run, so this is the most energy that I have seen him expend.  I am proud of him.  Dillon is clearly the leader and Midnight is straw boss in waiting.  The rest really don't care.  They just want to be fed and loved.

Its A Coming!

Today's blog is going to consist mainly of pictures.  We are not in prime time leaf viewing yet, but today has been such a beautiful day that I just had to share.

I am going to be really smart and say that this is a yellow Maple.  Maybe a yellow and orange Maple.

And what might this one be?  A red Maple of course!

As you can see, the colors still have a way to go.  This is looking from the top of the horse pasture down to their barn.  The first mountain that you see is called Punch Bowl and it is not on our land.

On another part of our farm that we call the Self field, there are many, many Dogwoods.  Notice the rock wall to the right.  It probably is easily over a hundred years old.  There are plenty of rocks to build more, just not the energy!

The Dogwoods are very healthy this year and have plenty of berries to provide food for the birds this winter.

And there is food for the bears.....far, far away from the house!

Then there are beautiful flowers that make us sniffle.

The day continued beautifully until sundown.

And there is a promise in the wind that I just might be able to light my fireplace in the morning.

The Tooth Man Cometh

Who says there is anything wrong with my teeth?

I called to make an appointment with the horse dentist and he told me that he would be there bright and early at 0800 the next morning.  He did not ask for directions and he is not a local, so I am thinking that he just might  not make it when he said, but I had the gate open and was waiting for him.  Then I see a BMW car pulling up my drive and I think, "Uh Roh"!  I am used to vet trucks, farrier trucks, farm trucks and just plain ole truck trucks.  But a BMW?  Oh, with personalized plates, WONAFEW.  

We quickly got down to work.  Spec was first as I expected that he would be the worst of the six.  Now can you imagine brushing your teeth with a metal file?  That was the deal, and boy could he do a great job.  After he got through filing both sides, he put a metal contraption that looked like a bridal on them that would hold their mouths open.  He then filed the tops of their teeth. 

You already know that Charley is a nervous Nelly.  I have to keep him with Speck or he really suffers from separation anxiety.  I had told Mr. Dentist that Charley was skittish, but you should have seen him work.  The entire time that he worked on them, he talked, whistled to get their attention and would touch them.  Charley thought that he could stop him by walking forward and I have never seen anyone move backward and continue working the way this gentleman did.  I asked him if he danced and he said only with horses because they don't mind if he steps on their feet.  I told him that he appeared to be doing a pretty good two step.

I found out that this gentleman's family had owned a horse farm (200 horses) and had raised racking horses to show.  He, himself,  had showed several champions.  He has been around horses all his life and had been a horse trainer.  It was pure delight to watch him work the horses.  He told me that all that Charley and Speck needed was a gentle hand and that he could see that they had that.  He also told me that he thought that Speck was 20ish.  Charley was pretty much the same as the vet told me, around 9 years old.

So, life is pretty much back to normal for these two.  They have been here at Poplar Springs farm for almost two months now.  Charley is in great shape and probably when this next month is through, Speck will be as well.  The dentist told me that they would be gaining more weight with their teeth fixed, so I am going to have to really watch the food with Charley and my other horses.  Next month, they will be moving to the pasture with the herd.  They do not have shelter in their current pasture and they will need that when it gets colder and wetter.  Charley needs new friends and Speck will be able to fend for himself (actually hang out with Sonny).

I thought I would give you a side view so you can see Spec's progress.  His hip muscles are filling out and actually, I cannot put my fingers in between his ribs any longer.

This week, we have fence work to do with the cows and we will be watching the leaves as they continue changing colors.  So far, it has been a beautiful October.

One Month Down

Well, actually, it has been about a month and a half since Speck and Charley came to Poplar Springs Farm.  I have been somewhat remiss in my update on them, but their progress has continued.  


I had a farrier out last week to trim their feet.  Specks were in good shape, and we chose to wait to trim Charley's in six weeks when he settles down a little more.  As my mother would say, "No need to borrow trouble".   While my farrier could actually touch Charley, he felt that his feet weren't so bad that they could not wait another 6 weeks.  My job will be to continue to work with him;  even more so with the weather cooling down.

I am sure  that you see quite a difference in this guy. His bridle is still on because at
this point, I don't know if I could get it back on if I take it off.  That is also something we will be working on this month.  I do not see any starvation in this guy.  I think he will be a great horse when we can work the skittishness out.

Then there is this guy.  Yep,  you can still see the ribs, but his hip bones are no longer jutting out in the sky and his body all sunken in.  Remember, we had 200 pounds to gain a month ago.  We still have at least a hundred to go.  He gets the best food, all the hay he wants, salt and good water.  He has a very sweet nature and will do most anything for food.  The farrier recommended that I get a horse dentist out to look at him as he is dropping quite a bit of food when he chews.  Hopefully we can get that done in the next 2-3 weeks.


Once Speck is up to speed, I will be moving them in with my other 4 horses.  Speck will keep Sunny, my other old horse, company and help him devise ways to stay out of the limelight and attention of the four younger ones.  


Charley, on the other hand, will receive the come uppance that he is due.  He will have three other horses that are as frisky as he is and he will meet the "little general" who is the shortest of the bunch yet maintains the position of head gelding.  He won't even be the assistant gelding as Midnight continues to hold that position and remind Dillon (aka "little general") that he is just waiting to take his job.  Charley will also learn from this group that he can trust and love his humans. 

Little Man

Little Man and a boy he loved

I do not like sad stories and I certainly do not like to dwell on them, but another member of our family has said so long.  

Little Man came to us several years ago, six or seven I can't be exactly sure but he was fully grown when my brother and I found him in the pasture surviving on cow chips.  We did not realize that he was blind until we got him home and tried to feed him a bacon snack.

He was a sweet little guy.  The vet said that he probably had been blind from birth - not enough blood vessels attached to his eyes.  But he was not like Clyde.  He did not stumble forward at full speed then reassess when he thudded into something.  He was cautious and he memorized patterns.  He knew exactly how to get from room room and outside and back inside.  When we carried him with the gang to our Texas house, he always got a little off kilter as he didn't have that pattern in his mental file drawer.

The lesson from this boy was trust.  He loved to be held, and especially held like he was a baby.  He would take his little front feet and hold on to your arm or stretch them out across your chest.   He lay many hours beside me when I was recuperating from back surgery.  And he had a special affection for little boys.  When they came visiting, there were a lot of little hands for pets and hugs and he loved it.  

But, as with all living things, he grew to be old.  Congestive heart failure and pneumonia to top that off.  He was improving slowly, but then there was an accident and he could not make the turn toward improvement.   

There is a season for all things. 

 My Little Man is truly missed.

Clyde

July 14, 1997 - September 9, 2011

Last Friday, we had to say goodbye to an old friend.  I have told my Grandsons that I learn lessons from all our animals.  From Clyde, I learned perseverance.  As you see from the dates, Clyde lived a long full life.  Clyde was a black Lab and their normal lifespan is about 12 years.  But long life is not what I learned from Clyde.

Clyde was the first dog we got when we bought the farm.  Steve came and lived at the farm while I was still working in Miami and about 10 years before I retired.  Steve wanted a Lab and I had seen a posting for Labs for sale on my vet's bulletin board.   The note said all shots, registered, etc., etc., etc.  The note did not say "liar, liar, pants on fire".  That we had to find out the hard way.  

So, we go get Clyde, and his sister Bonnie and brought them home.  They were a lovely pair, full of life and perfect for Steve.  I returned to Miami and a couple of days later, Steve called and told me that Clyde was really sick.  He took him to the vet, and the diagnosis was parvo!  My vet, my favorite vet from a previous post, tells Steve that he has been able to save some parvo pups, so we signed on for the treatment.  Two weeks in intensive care, and Clyde comes home, almost as good as new.  From this episode, we realized that no, Clyde had not has all his shots, and oh, by the way, he was not registered either.  Didn't matter, he was a great dog.

Our farm is a wonderful place for animals.  We are off the road a half mile and we back up to timber land, and then to Cherokee National forest.  Clyde absolutely loved the freedom that he had and that he could chase deer pretty much as long as he wanted.  It was not until we started building our new home that we realized that Clyde had gone blind.   He would have been 3 to 4 years old.  The vet said he had macular degeneration.  Nothing we could do, but not to worry, because if a dog had to lose a sense, sight was the easiest one for them to compensate.


Clyde continued to "hunt", you know, chase deer, rabbits, ground hogs.  I was watching one day and saw our red dog stop and turn back looking for something.  Soon, I saw Clyde coming, and once he reached the red dog, they continued on their journey.  Clyde had a "seeing eye" dog!!!


On another occasion, when my brother brought me my first chickens, one flew over the fence before we clipped their wings.  Clyde was on the outside of the fence and as I came through the door of the chicken house, Clyde was waiting for me in a perfect lab hunting pose with a dead chicken in his mouth.  Who would have known he was blind?  He always was so proud of himself for doing his job well, and had difficulty understanding why I would be upset with him.  Early one spring, he did the same thing with a little ground hog.  I was crying because he killed it, and he was walking beside me so proud with his prize in his mouth. By the way, our farm is sort of an animal preserve and no hunting is allowed here.  Well, other than the dogs, of course.


Clyde could not see, but that did not stop him from living a full life.  If he walked forward and banged into something, he just backed up, turned and went around.  He was not reticent or fearful.  What a wonderful lesson to learn about life.  What a wonderful lesson to teach the Grandsons.


Clyde, I know you are chasing deer and rabbits somewhere, but you are missed by your family here at Poplar Springs Farm.  Godspeed.

Hide and Seek

Poplar Springs Farm is an exciting place.  With all the animals and living in the mountains, there is always something going on.  My mornings start out easy, about the time the sun comes up, with a cup of coffee and the internet, just in case something might have happened since I took my last peek before I went to bed the night before.  After I have had time to meet the morning, I start my chores with feeding the horses.  My very own horses first, and they are very eager for those morning morsels.  If they can, they will hurry and eat their portion and then mosey to the next stall to see if the other guys have anything left that they can mooch.  Let me introduce them to you:

The sorrel horse with the white blaze is Spirit, a very special horse, but that is a story for another day.  The Palomino with the dark main and tail is Marshal Dillon, a quarter horse cow pony, but boss gelding.  The black horse is Midnight Express, a Rocky Mountain Horse that was my retirement gift to myself.  Wonder why I chose him, huh?  The bay with the white diamond on his face is Sunny, my old Tennessee Walker.  Just by looking at these guys, you can tell that food is not a problem for any of them.  


This morning when I pulled into the barn to get their food, Midnight was in the hallway where horses are not supposed to be.  I thought I might not have latched the gate and Midnight is the curious one that knows how to open the gate.  He has orchestrated an escape before.  I got him back into the stall area with little problem, but two others were missing.  Sunny would never leave the barn and risk missing a meal, so he was the only one in the stall waiting.   


My first thought was that someone might have realized that I had the rescue horses and maybe as payback came and got my horses. Dillon has a bad eye and Spirit has a bad foot.  Not a lot of value to anyone except someone who loves them.


 Now I wondered if Charley and Speck were in their pasture.  Possibly Dillon and Spirit had gone visiting.  Maybe the logger that was cleaning up our storm timber had left a gate open although he has always been especially careful.  I drive down to feed Charley and Speck.  They are there to greet me with a welcoming whinny, but no horsey visitors were there.  I had no time with Charley and Speck this morning as my mind was on finding my other two.


Went home, changed vehicles, went the back road to find the logger and asked him if he had seen them this morning.  No, he had not, but oh by the way, he had never seen a horse gain weight like that white one up in the front pasture.  He told me that up until 10 years ago, he had used horses for his logging.  That is still done in some places as it is a very environmental friendly way to remove trees.  He said that he wished that he still had them so he could use them here at our place.  No time to talk, gotta go look for horses. 


By the time I had driven the Gator down to the bottom of the pasture, out of nowhere comes a flying Dillon. " What?  I can't be late for breakfast."  Dillon is never late for food.   Amazingly, he is on food restriction while I give as much as I can to Charley and Speck.   I was unable to close that gate in time, so into the wrong part of the barn he went.  Easy to fix, just walk him through.  But where is Spirit?


By the time I got back to the gate, Spirit was galloping at full speed to get  to breakfast.  I always have to stop and watch him run as he had a very serious leg injury and we were not sure he would even live, never mind run.   I was able to steer Spirit into the stall portion of the barn and all was well.  


Where were they?  Someplace hidden in the top pasture eating away at grass.  The logger had left that pasture gate open and closed the gate that goes into the barn.  Possibly they did not come as I was driving the truck instead of the Gator that I usually drive when I come to feed them.


Maybe they just wanted me to spend as much time with them as I have been the two guys up in the front pasture!

Dreamin

Wouldn't it be great if one of these guys was able to be in the Christmas Parade?  Maybe have something on the saddle blanket about animal abuse?  Just thinkin' and I have never done anything like that before.  Don't even think I have been in a parade, never mind ridden a horse in one.  I am sure that Charley will still be way too spooked to be anywhere near a parade, and I like calm docile horses.  Not sure if Speck will be at the point he could be ridden as that is  only about 3 months away.  He sure would be pretty decked out in red, black and silver though.


OK, back to yard work.  It is a beautiful day and a great one for a little work and a little day dreamin'.

Green Monster

Charley and Speck have been at Poplar Springs Farm for just over two weeks.  I suspect that you will be able to see a difference in them since the last post.  They had a slight disruption in their one acre world and Charley was not happy about it. 

There was a great big huge green monster that got into their pasture and was chewing up their grass(weeds)!

Charley had never seen such a thing and knew that it certainly did not belong in his home. Speck on the other had, took everything in stride.

He figured that while he was in the pasture we call the Green Field, that he might as well

partake in some of the quiet and peacefulness.  Take time to check out the Koi, well what the Great Blue Heron has left anyway.

Maybe take a little time out and have a Zen experience.

Speck enjoyed the time to explore, but most of all, he enjoyed the possibility to find new grass.  His occupation at this time is eater.  He does that about 24 hours a day, and he surely needs to.

Their time out of their small pasture was short lived, but Charley was very relieved when he was able to return to their known world.

Charley is just beautiful and I loved seeing him run.  He is in good shape, except for the skittishness.  He did come to me when we were in the other pasture so that continues to be a good sign.  Speck also continues to show improvement.  He is a little more aggressive when I bring food and that will be curtailed when need be.  I just like to see a little spunk in him as it means that he is gaining ground.  They are on regular feed now and I think both are pretty much out of the danger zone.