The Story of Flash

 Flash was born in 1996 and spent his early years in Kansas (where he was born) and Arkansas where he carried a flag in chuck wagon races.  At six years old, he came to California where our trainer found him at a horse sale.  She thought he would be a good horse for Brett.  She was right; he was perfect for Brett.  They loved to do the same things -- mounted patrol, obstacles, and trail rides.  They both liked to play silly games, although they did get carried away at times.  They were chasing imaginary cows one time in the arena when Flash gave a yee-haw buck and Brett went flying.  He couldn't be mad because he had started the game.  Flash loved hiding Brett's tools -- sometimes dropping them in the water trough.  He was a one person horse, and that one person was Brett.  

We lost him on a beautiful April morning, about a week ago.  He had been gimpy on his right front, consistent with an abscess.  I didn't feel any heat, or swelling, or bounding pulse.  Our farrier came out and pulled his shoe and orthopedic pad so the abscess could come out easier.  The hoof did not test sensitive but it might not if the abscess was deep.  I applied a poultice and wrapped his foot.  He continued to limp around the pasture, sometimes not wanting to put any weight on the leg but jumping three-legged,  

The next morning, we packed the travel trailer and then Brett went inside to change.  I walked down the driveway, past Flash and Pistol's pasture, to get the mail.  Flash was still limping around.  On my way back to the house, I could see that the leg was broken.  It was a clean break, all the way through, and ...well, I won't tell you anymore details because it was just awful.  Flash was frantic, trying to run and half-falling and the leg swinging...  I ran into the house and called for Brett.  It was not my finest hour.  I was hyperventilating and hysterical.  Brett went out, came back in, and called the vet.  Flash finally fell over and laid quietly on the ground.  Our vet was there in 30 minutes so thankfully Flash did not suffer long.  

Here are some of my favorite photos of Flash over the years.  There is more about him in the Flash tab under the header photo, above.

A Break in Weather

We have a few days of clear skies on tap before the next storm comes in so we all got busy.

I headed out right after chores and breakfast to the grocery store.  What a surreal experience that was; wiping down the cart with Purcell, making wide circles around the other (relatively few) shoppers; entire empty sections in the aisles with quantity limit signs everywhere.  There was no bread at all.  Fortunately, I know how to make bread so I’ll get cracking on that this afternoon.  We bought TP a month ago so I didn’t even go down that aisle.  They did have tequila — I see many margaritas in my future.  I bought the limit on butter (two packages) and I should have bought flour, but didn’t think of it at the time.

On my way home, I stopped by the corner market to see if they had bread.  They didn’t.

When I got home, Brett was busy hooking up the trailer to his truck to go make a hay run.  Pistol and Flash are doing great on alfalfa so we need to get more.  We only bought a few bales initially because Pistol has a history of allergy to alfalfa.  Fortunately, she appears to have outgrown that; not a hive to be seen and calm as can be.

The horses were, ahem, busy as well.  Pistol and Flash:

Looking out past the barn

Looking towards the road

And, in the long pasture, the other three.  Lucy was laying down with them — so all five horses were down at the same time which is a major violation of herd protocol — but she got up as soon as she saw me coming with my camera.  Guilty conscience, most likely.  Not that I blamed them for napping in the sun; its been a long, cold, and wet week.

Luek in front, Tex behind, Lucy standing

Shuffling

Flash and Pistol went in for their check-ups yesterday.  They are both in very good health, with no issues other than being a bit thinner than optimum.  Our vet recommended putting both of them on alfalfa to help with maintaining good weight.  As horses age, it becomes more difficult to keep weight on and they are both going to be 24 this year.  They’ve both been easy keepers all their lives so I don’t expect it will be hard to add a few more pounds.

We don’t want the other horses on alfalfa as they are all plenty fat and would totally blimp out on alfalfa.  So, we rearranged the pastures.  We decided to put Flash and Pistol together in the front pasture, which is flat and gets the most grass (which isn’t much of anything right now due to our lack of rain).  That meant Tex and Luek would be joining Lucy in the long, sloping pasture which has lots of oaks and pines but no grass to speak of.  We knew Tex and Lucy would be fine together as they have been pastured together before.  The wild card was Luek.  Lucy is an alpha mare; as in an ALPHA mare.  She and Flash cannot be together as he is an alpha as well and they fight.  Luek seems pretty easy going going, though, so we were optimistic that it would work fine.

It took some orchestration.  We put Pistol in a turn-out and then moved Tex and Luek over to the shady pasture.  Sage trotted along with us.  Brett took Tex in first, since we knew that would go well.  Lucy immediately came over to investigate, which made Tex nervous, which made Brett step away from the gate.  The gate swung open — I had Luek some distance away so I couldn’t catch it —  Lucy saw the open gate and she was gone.  That would have been fine, she’s easy to catch, except that Sage saw it as her opportunity to herd Lucy back in.  She lunged at Lucy’s heels, Lucy jumped the stream and she was gone in a cloud of dirt and clattering hoofs.  Luek watched them go.

I put Luek in the pasture with Tex and set off to get Lucy.  I found her by the barn, in another turn-out.  Sage looked pretty pleased with herself.

I haltered Lucy and took her back to the pasture.  That actual pasture integration of a new mix of horses was a non-event.

Tex and Luek are happy to be with a cute girl; and she’s happy to be admired.

Last, we moved Pistol in with Flash.  They’ve known each other for 15 years, have been on many trail rides and in trail competitions together.  They are old friends.  Pistol wandered off to try and find some grass while Flash dove into the alfalfa.

Seamless Integration

Luek spent a quiet night in his paddock.  This morning, he was back standing at the gate with Tex and Flash discussing the morning news.  They looked like a group of old men, sitting on a bench, discussing their surgery scars.  Brett calls them the three amigos.

Our original plan was to keep Luek in the paddock for a few days, or more, until they all got bored with each other and then move Luek into the pasture.  After walking Luek around the property and up to the dressage court, we decided to go ahead and make the transition.  Luek was not particularly happy with the paddock and they all were getting on fine.  The boys pasture looks green but it is chewed down to the nubs so we weren’t worried about Luek getting too much green grass.

We carefully orchestrated the transition.  Brett got Flash and Tex to come down to the main gate by bribing them with carrots and cookies.  While they were occupied, I opened the gate between Luek’s paddock and the pasture and he sailed through.  I slipped out his paddock gate so Brett and I were safely out of the pasture, should there be any fireworks.

There weren’t.  Little Bear had even climbed to the top of the goat tower to watch the show.  He was disappointed.

Tex and Flash wouldn’t leave me and Brett.  Meanwhile, Luek explored the pasture.  When he got to the far corner, he noticed that Tex and Flash were hanging with the humans, and probably getting treats, so he high-tailed it over.

Tex would not leave me alone.  It was very cute, given how flighty he can be at times.   He clearly needed reassurance that he is still my main squeeze.

Eventually, they all wandered off to graze.

Dinner was also calm.  Sometimes dinner is when the alpha sorting dynamics come out.  The new horse won’t be allowed to the feeder until order, and proper respect from the new horse, is established.  Apparently, they worked it all out over the fence last night because they, all three, ate quietly together.

I guess he’s meant to be here.

Wednesdays with Tex: Splish, Splash

Another thing that happened last week while I was at work...

Brett replaced another section of fence in the boy's pasture; the front pasture; or pasture number 3.  It has many names (also known as the swamp in the spring).

While he was working on the fence, he put Flash and Tex in with the donkeys, in their pasture.

Funny, how a new location can be exciting.  Tuffy loves to run.  Finessa not so much.

So most of the time Tuffy runs by himself, or not at all.  Tex loves to run, too.  So, they raced around the pasture, leaving deep divots in the mud.

Then Tex discovered the pond.  He waded into the middle and pawed at the water, splashing himself with the icy water.  Then he added running through the water to his race course in the pasture.  There wasn't much water left in the pond by the end of the day.

...and both he and Flash were covered in mud.

Wednesday with Tex: Riding

Sunday morning I rode Tex.

I've only ridden him a handful of times since he transitioned from being Brett's horse to being mine, a couple years ago.  Mostly, we've been laying groundwork and building trust.

Talk about paying off.  Tex was the most relaxed he's been under saddle.  He was pretty chill.  And, instead of worrying, he tried really hard to figure out what I wanted.  I'm sure my aids are much different than the cowboys he is used to.

We worked in the arena first, making sure he was relaxed and that I had brakes.  Of course, I had brakes.  And he tried hard to understand.  He didn't freak out or worry.  If he wasn't sure, he slowly and carefully backed up.  It must be his "go-to" skill.  I've been on horses who rush backwards when worried; this wasn't like that at all.  So I laughed, and said "whoa" and we tried again.

Brett was riding Flash at the same time and after awhile we left the arena and wandered under the oaks.  Tex was happy.  He put his head down and carefully looked at the dry stream bed before calmly walking across.  He did jump forward when Flash jumped the same stream bed, behind us.  We marched over the bridge, around the house, down to the front gate, over some downed logs, and then back around the barn before calling it good.

Afterward, I sat on a flat rock next to the pasture.  Passage weaved back and forth behind me, rubbing against my back the way cats do.  Kersey was sprawled at my feet, all four feet in the air, hoping for a belly rug.  Tex came over and hung is head way over the fence.  We sat there like that for quite awhile.

My definition of perfect happiness.

Friends

Flash and Tex have become very good friends.

They are always together in the pasture; often sharing the same bin of hay.

Tex, in particular, is very bonded to Flash.  When Brett rides Flash or, like yesterday, takes Flash to a clinic for the day, Tex is completely undone.  He calls and paces the fence line, whinnying to every truck and trailer that drives down the road.

Flash is a very independent horse.  He likes Tex but he doesn't need Tex in the same way that Tex needs him.  When I take Tex out of the pasture, he hardly looks up.  But, Flash does share food and space with Tex in a way that he doesn't do with other horses.

Its good to have close friends.  I know that I've needed my friends and family this past summer, more than usual.  I suppose I'm like Flash in regard to my friends.  I am okay by myself, but I love my time with them as well.  And, as I went through all the testing and biopsies and surgeries that go with ruling out cancer, I was very thankful for my friends and family.  I dodged that bullet, thank goodness.  A big thank you to those of you who knew, and who called, sent messages and had my back.  It was a scary time for me and Brett.  Moving forward now.

Riding the Retirees

A few months ago, when Jackson started his regime of multiple medications to manage his Cushings disease, thyroid imbalance, and navicular, he could hardly walk.  Our vet said, "You may be able to ride him again once we get all this managed."  I was dubious.  I've been trying to manage Jackson for years and, yes, I've sat on his back bareback on a good day and we've walked a handful of steps.  But that's it.  On a good day.

Brett wanted to ride Flash on Saturday.  Flash is 21 and very arthritic but he wants to go.  So, I understood.  Brett misses riding his mounted patrol partner and Flash misses it too.

I wondered... who should I ride?  Tex was a possibility but I wanted to work on other things with him.  Lucy needs some fitness work first.  But Jackson... he's been trotting to the gate in the morning for his breakfast, and striding along with the comfortable smooth gait of a sound horse.

When I brought him to the tie rail and began tacking him up, Jackson's anticipation grew.  When I mounted, he strode confidently forward (and then stopped).  We waited for Brett and Flash and then spent 20 minutes or so meandering under the oaks, crossing the dry stream bed, and walking past the pastures.  Jackson didn't take a bad step.  I felt like I was back on my old trail buddy.  He was tired after 20 minutes, so we stopped.

Jackson was happy.  I was happy.  Lucy was irritated, jealous and vocal about it.  Tex was curious, standing at the fence watching us go by.  Flash and Brett finished up a few minutes after us.

Four Feet off the Ground

Its been doggone hot here since the middle of last week.

On the one hand, there isn't much activity going on other than trying to stay in the shade or the house -- or an air conditioned office.

Last weekend we escaped the heat: we spend Saturday in San Francisco visiting my son and his girlfriend.  Sunday we hoisted the kayaks onto the top of the Subaru and drove to Bear River Lake.  Snow melt is still rushing into the lake, making the water cold and the lake level very high.  We paddled over submerged picnic tables and fire rings.

The horses are spending the day time hours in the barn where they can escape the sun and the flies.  In the evening we turn them out into their pastures to stretch their legs and their brains.  It gives me the opportunity to work with Tex twice a day and he's been rock steady.  It helps, of course, that he wants to go to the barn for breakfast and to the pasture for dinner.

It has also given me the opportunity to work with Lucy and Jackson on their manners.  Neither of them were doing well with "wait" but instead were diving their noses down to the grass whenever I paused on our walks back and forth.

Lucy was a quick study.  Robin said to me, a while back, "Don't yank on the lead rope; that's abusive.  Instead, make one very strong correction with the whip.  Lucy will jump with all four feet off the ground, but she won't do it again. One clear correction is kinder than continuous, nagging, yanking on her face."  I had to agree.

And she was right.  Lucy dove for the grass and I snapped the whip, hard, on the ground next to me.  Lucy hates whips so I knew I didn't have to touch her with it.  Sure enough, she levitated, landed, and began to piaffe (trot in place).  I looked at her mildly, waited for her to regain her composure, and we walked on.  I carry the whip when we walk, but I haven't had to use it since.  When we halt, she looks at me for permission to graze.  If she is calm and polite about it, I say "Have some."

Jackson was a bit more work.  He's getting with the program, though.  After Robin pointed out to me during one of my lessons, that her horse, Red, was subtly moving me instead of vice verse, I became more aware.  Jackson is a lot like Red.  He's sensitive, enjoys interacting with people, and enjoys seeing what he can get away with.  He never pushes me.  No, no, he would never be that ... obvious.  He just drifts into me as we walk and I used to step away, to alter my course.  Now I pick a path and he has to alter his path to accommodate me.  Its funny to watch him, really. He's so confused.

When he dove for the grass, I snapped the whip -- right in front of his nose.  He jumped back, and with his head high in the air, he gave me his most offended look.  He likes to push boundaries so he tried again a bit later.  This time his nose would have been stung if he hadn't lifted it so quickly.  He didn't try again... for a few days.  The last time he tried to very sneakily drop his head, I wasn't carrying the whip (and he knew it).  I reached behind me and smacked him with the end of the lead line.

Oh.  Hmmm.  Maybe not a good idea.

Its amazing how polite he's become.  I can walk both he and Lucy on a completely slack lead, and they walk quietly beside me, across the green grass, and only eat when I stop and invite them to do so.

Brett has been working with Flash... he brings him into the barn in the morning at liberty.  Flash knows his bucket is in his stall so he's happy to follow Brett there.  In the evening though, forget it.  Brett tried to take him back to the pasture at liberty and Flash decided to turn and go the other way.  It was pretty funny watching Flash amble down the barn aisle while Brett went chasing after him.

There It Is

This morning Brett and I rode together again.  But, this time he rode Pistol while I rode Lucy.  It was a whole different ballgame.  Both horses were happy and relaxed -- and focused.

Lucy and I had the best ride we've had in years.  Seriously, the best ride since before I was injured.  Probably the best ride since fall of 2015.  She had her forward floaty trot going; with only a couple minor spooks.  She felt so good, that I decided to ask for canter.  She pushed into it like a Porsche changing gears.  She was round and smooth; relaxed and comfortable.  We came back to trot, changed directions, and did it the other way.  Same story.  And then, that was all she wanted to do.  I picked her back up after a nice stretchy trot break and she said, "Canter?  Please canter?"  ...so we did.

Later, I groomed Jackson and put him out in the arena for the afternoon.  It did wonders for his feet -- well, other than the part where he was so happy that he tried to rear and couldn't.  But, the sand was very dry and warm (despite the air being a bit chilly in the breeze).  When I picked up his feet tonight to put on the antibiotic, I was amazed at how much better they looked.  I think the dry warmth helped suck out all the moisture.

We put Tex and Flash up in the top pasture for a few hours.  They were in heaven and Tex was easy to catch afterward.  He watched Brett halter Flash, and then followed them down to where I was standing.

We leave on Wednesday (after Jackson's vet appointment) for our liberty training clinic.  I'm so excited!  Isn't it funny how one part of your heart can be heavy with worry and another part can be excited?  I feel like a ping pong ball.  I was bouncing around all day emotionally: worried about Jackson, excited for the clinic, missing my mom (Mothers Day has been hard for me since she died), laughing when Jackson groomed me back, loving the way Tex looks at me, and happy about my ride on Lucy.

Lucy and Pistol had a turn in the back 40, as well.  I think everyone had a good day.

Brett complained because I wouldn't let him weed whack or mow.  I said that I wanted to hear the birds singing while I was gardening, not the mower.  He grumbled and went back in the house to watch some golf tournament on TV.  And I enjoyed my peaceful afternoon filled with sunshine and birdsong, and an occasional cold breeze.

Not What We Expected

Friday I managed to leave work a tad earlier than usual.  As I drove home, I thought about riding Lucy with happy anticipation.  She has been so forward and happy to work since her stifle injections, and, when we work, she is starting to look strong and muscular with her veins popping out of her shiny coat like a true equine athlete.

Brett was busy moving compost from the bins into my garden with his tractor, but he hopped off when he saw me come out of the house wearing my breeches.  He wanted to ride Flash.  We both mentally thought about their history together, which wasn't pretty, and agreed to work at separate ends of the arena.

We tried putting the horses all together once, when one of the pastures was out of commission.  This was a few years ago.  Everyone got along fine except Lucy and Flash.  They are both alphas; and neither was willing to concede to the other.  There was a lot of ear pinning, charging and kicking.  There was some blood but fortunately nothing serious.  We separated them immediately.

Flash was a bit of a pill while we were tacking up.  He reached over, picked up his bridle, and started shaking it.  He tried to untie himself.  Lucy was an angel.

We walked up to the dressage court, keeping a good amount of distance between the two, and it was drama free.  Lucy lined herself up at the mounting block and stood quietly while I mounted.  I could hear Brett telling Flash to stand still.  Lucy and I walked to the top of the arena, while Brett mounted.

Meanwhile, Pistol was pitching a fit.  When Brett and I ride together, it is always with Lucy and Pistol.  The few times Brett has ridden Flash, I have ridden (or worked with) Tex.  Pistol was not happy.  The far end of the girls' pasture, the area we call the bedroom, is close to the dressage court.  Pistol was in the bedroom bucking, squealing, and spinning.

I watched Brett and Flash walk into the court from the mounting area.  Flash was bunched up and crow-hopping without leaving the ground.  I called over to Brett,
"Maybe you should get off."
"What?"
"Maybe you should get off.  He looks like he is going to explode."
"I can't hear you.  What?"
"GET OFF"
"I think I'll be okay."
"GET OFF!"

Brett hand walked Flash until he settled (and Pistol settled) and then got back on.

Meanwhile, Lucy was not jumping around but she was very resistant.  She was distracted.  What she really wanted to do was pin her ears and charge Flash and teach him his place.  She didn't, but she also didn't relax or pay attention to me very well.  It took twenty minutes to get a stretchy trot from her -- something I can pretty much get immediately these days.

I can't say it was the most productive ride we've had; but it was certainly interesting.

Goats in Buckets

Goats are funny creatures.  They would much rather eat shrubs, including thorny rose or berry bushes, than grass.  As a result, the grass inside their area remained very long while the horse pasture was nibbled to the nub.  We decided to remove the bar above their gate that keeps the horses out of the goat area, but allows the goats to go back and forth between their area and the pasture, so that Tex and Flash could "mow" the grass.

You can see the difference in the grass height between the goat pen (with the horses) and the horse pasture (in the foreground).

Meanwhile, the goats were relaxing in the sun, in the horse pasture.

Whiskey

The feed bins are a very popular resting place.

The goats were happy to have the horses in their area so we left the barrier down for a few days.

After the grass was nibbled to a nice length, Flash went into the goat shelter and started investigating things.  He made a big mess so we had to put the barrier back up.

Wednesdays with Tex: The Back 40

There is a large pasture at the very back of our property, behind the dressage court, that we refer to as "the back 40."  We don't use it a whole lot because it is a long walk back there and because the fencing isn't the greatest.  In fact, it is quite low in a few spots -- so low that Flash, arthritis and all, jumped out a few years ago when he was up there alone.  So, we never put a horse up there without a buddy and only for a few hours at a time, when we are home to supervise.

Sunday, after Lucy and Pistol had their turn up there, we brought Tex and Flash up to spend a few hours grazing under the oaks.  Jackson didn't get a turn -- the ground is muddy in that pasture and Jackson needs to stay on dry ground.  I did let him out to graze around the barn, where its dry.

On the way up to the pasture, both Tex and Flash were excited.  Tex walked fast and, as we rounded the corner to walk past the dressage court, he started licking his lips.  Man, that grass looks good. Tex was also leaning into me, the way a young horse will, for security.  I asked him to knock it off, to walk like a man grown up gelding.

Once in the pasture, Flash immediately dropped his nose and started grazing.

Tex felt the need to run around a bit.  I just love his flowing mane and burnished chestnut coat -- even when he's dirty and shedding.

Tex approaches life with gusto; whether he's eating, or rolling, or playing, or grazing.

A few hours later, we trudged up to the Back 40 to bring them back to their regular pasture.  Flash stood by the gate while Brett slipped on his halter.  Tex stood a few feet away from me, thinking about leaving.  Long time readers may remember that, in past years, it has taken upwards of an hour to catch Tex in the Back 40.  Tex remembered, too.

Brett looked at me.

"You can go ahead and leave," I said.  "You're tired and I can deal with this boy."  Brett nodded and opened the gate.  Tex watched them go, with his head high.  Then he looked at me.  Then back at Flash's quickly retreating butt.

I didn't move.

After a few minutes, he dropped his head and walked to me.  I gave him a cookie and then scratched him on the withers and on his back.  Goodness, you're shedding. The halter and lead rope remained hanging on my shoulder.

Then I walked away; away from Tex and away from the gate.  I turned to face him, and called him to me using our signal from liberty work.  He came right over.  Again, a cookie and a back rub.  Eventually, I took the halter from my shoulder, undid the buckle, and stood holding the buckle strap at the top of his neck with the nose just below his.  In less than a minute, he dropped his nose into the halter and I buckled it.

Then we walked calmly down to the barn where I gave him a good grooming before turning him back out in his pasture with Flash.

Another milestone for my big red horse.