Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Need to Chat With Someone!

I have been home all day keeping an eye on the horses. They broke out again last night. From their carefully placed fertilizer piles I estimate that they were out anywhere from 4 to 6 hours. Since our grass has turned green I have been restricting their intake of the high-carb sweet grass and had recently gone from a scant three hours a day to just over an hour.  (Good reason to break out, say the boys!) Pippin foundered before I bought him, so I am extra vigilant with him when spring arrives. (For my non-horsey friends, founder - technically called laminitis - is an inflammation of the layers of the hoof. It is very painful and in severe cases can require euthanizing the horse. For reasons that are unclear, overindulgence in high carb foods is just one of the causes of laminitis.) The horses had gobbled enough grass that they weren't even hungry until after noon - unheard of! Anyway, I've been checking for heat in their feet and for a radial pulse - darn near impossible to feel anything in their thick furry fat fetlocks! They've had some Bute, just in case their little tootsies are experiencing any beginning signs of inflammation, and I've hosed their feet a few times for the same reason. They are acting perfectly normal, now, and are looking for dinner. I'll watch them over the next few days just to be sure.

 D'ya think if I water him, he'll grow bigger?

The impatient patient tries out a new way 
to wear his halter...
just for something to do!
I believe he is saying,
"I'd rather be eating grass!"

So, like a mom who is stuck with the kids all day, it would be fun to 'get out' and chat with some other folks. The horses aren't the best conversationalists!

So, Patrice has invited all of us to Chats on the Farmhouse Porch at her blog, Everyday Rurality. She asks:

1. What was the last big gathering you attended? (wedding, funeral, party, etc)
I went to see "The Hunger Games" on Saturday with 6 other friends from a book club. That group wasn't very large... but the theater was almost full - does that count? Other than that, I would have to say a Christmas party that I went to for the volunteers from the therapeutic riding program.

2. Do you switch over your seasonal wardrobe, wear the same things year round, have a huge closet to put it all in, or throw everything out and buy new each season (Patrice only put that in to see if people are paying attention!)
Most of the clothes I own are in the closet (yes, my closet is large... but not huge!) Colorado weather is so changeable that I often will wear some summer clothes - at least short sleeve shirts - year round. And, during the summer, we might have chilly weather and need sweaters or jackets. The thing that I find secretly amusing, and somewhat demeaning, is that when the season changes it takes me a while to remember what I have and what goes with what.

3. What sweetener do you use most often?
I drink diet cokes sweetened with Aspartane. I used to use no-calorie sweeteners with my coffee, but my dentist felt that was contributing to tooth decay problems - so I do use raw sugar in my coffee.

4. Slippers, socks, or barefoot?
Absolutely NO slippers. I don't like 'hot' feet and cold ankles! In the winter... socks. When it is warm....barefoot.

5. Patrice wants to know what questions we'd like her to ask the group....
- What is your favorite meal .... and if possible, include a recipe or a link to the recipe!
- What makes the perfect day?

You can join the chat, too. You can respond to my answers or the questions in the comment area, or you can link your blog and answers to Patrice's blog by clicking on the image below.



14 comments:

  1. Pippin is so silly! Glad that you are keeping an eye on them, founder is so scary! I am always checking Shy's hooves.
    Hmmm, let's see. . .my last big gathering I guess was Sunday. My husband's family is large and get together often for barbeques and just about everything else.
    I do not switch my wardrobe. Michigan weather seems like Colorado weather.
    Sweeteners. . .I guess just sugar. I don't put sugar on anything, but I do drink Coke.
    I hate slippers, too! I do not like hot feet. Once, trying to be nice, I was wearing slippers that my sister in law got me and I slipped my way all the way down the stairs. Ouch. Never again.
    I love beef stroganoff, and roast with carrots and mashed potatoes! I do not know the recipe, I don't cook (shame).

    ReplyDelete
  2. We'll be keeping hooves crossed for the boys feet. Love the new halter look lol.
    Mmmmmm, Sadly I'm a sugaraholic, explains my junk in the trunk!
    I'm a slipper gal. The dogs lick lotion off my feet otherwise.
    We switch out clothes seasonaly. Stash them all in rubbermaid containers in the attic. Right now though the containers are in the hall as the weather can't make up it's mind.
    I'm guess Equine Affaire counts as a large gathering right :)
    Fav meal. Mmmmm, Chicken Fajita's with the chicken marinated in Jalepeno/Lime brine. YUMMY
    Yeah, I didn't answer in order, keep in mind I'm ADHD so I do things like that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not the only one who forgets what clothes she has! Sometimes when seasons change, I get into boxes of stored clothes and it's like I've opened something new. "Oh, look at this. I forgot I had this. Where did this come from?(You bought it at -------,Mom)I love to be barefoot, but there is always boot dirt on my floor- even within hours of vacuuming! Grrr!

    I'm glad your boys are okay. What is it with Haffies and foundering? I was told they were very self restricting and never over-indulged. Wendell forgot to read that part. We have a little pony that will founder himself right off this planet. He smells grass and can't move. Our QH is now cribbing beyond anything I've ever seen. He thinks the hot pepper spray for fences makes it into a Tex-Mex meal. Go figure!

    I want to see some of your rug work. I'm fascinated that you are using old blazers. I've only ever seen bloggers who dye their wool fabric. You must show us what you've started. Please. You haven't mentioned it on your blog for a while.

    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh dear. You know, when I was a kid/teenager/adult in PA and had horses, I'd never heard of "founder" and had no idea that it could even happen...and it never did to any of my (at times) porky looking horses. I was always careful in the spring to ease them onto the pasture slowly, taking them off and adding another 15 minutes of grazing time to their daily pasture time...but here in the south, it's a constant worry to me. I've got 2 that tend to get the cresty neck from grazing even just a little...so I am a big fat meanie and take them off the "nice" pasture and put them in the "scrounge" pasture for much of their days. I sure do hope that your horses are ok...my pony mare foundered before I bought her, and also after I bought her and had her in Georgia at a boarding barn. That was scary! Happily, she had no lasting damage, but the vet said I was lucky...and my farrier is constantly warning me about keeping her off the grass.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bad horses for getting out. I'll keep my fingers crossed that no one gets sick.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh no! Bad boys! This green grass won't last long, and we can quit worrying soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hope the boys are ok - I'll keep my hooves crossed! :-)

    Good questions... I'll play along cause I have a minute or two in between projects at work...

    1. Last big gathering - Easter dinner with my family. I don't get to see them very often, so that was special for me.

    2. Seasonal wardrobe - yep, I'm a switcher. I live in eastern Canada, so the seasons are pretty distinct and require lots of different clothes. I usually put away seasonal clothes in the spare bedroom closet and winter stuff goes in the basement in rubbermaid bins. It is just warm enough here now to start digging out sandals!

    3. sweetener - real sugar. Artificial sweetners make me feel queasy.

    4. Depends - mostly barefoot, big wool socks in the winter. I would wear slippers if I could find ones that worked - I get too hot, or I trip on the stairs when I wear them...

    5. Fav. meal- ham and scalloped potatoes! The perfect day? Doing something outside and not being stuck at work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My meal...hmmm that's tricky. I love food, but I think I'd have to pick breakfast foods only because I've been wanting pancakes. I'd love to have a stack of 'em with maple syrup and sausage on the side and black coffee. Mmmm, doesn't that sound good? That would make for a perfect day or at least morning anyhow.

    Hodgepodge-ChitChat-Wayback Wednesday Fun

    ReplyDelete
  9. That picture of Pippin wearing a "headband" cracks me up. What a little cutie. Thanks for sharing the questions/answers....so nice to get to know you better. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your photo commentaries made me laugh! Not so funny are the boys breaking out. Glad things appear to be okay, you are a good mom!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great post; great answers!! I get the cold ankles thing! I love socks. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your perfect day question & your blog...I'm your newest follower.

    ReplyDelete
  13. One of my favorite meals is Thanksgiving dinner! But, we're trying *again* to go vegan, so either we'll have to fudge on that day or will have to find a suitable substitute for the meal that I've loved best since childhood.

    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yikes!! I hate when they escape. I hope the boys are okay!

    Oh and I LOVE that halter!! Chrome tries to wear his that way too lol.

    ReplyDelete

What thoughts do you have?

I knew I Could - Vickie's A-musings

Hi, I'm Vickie, and I just had some great fun! I earned 4 ribbons!! Sweet! Me with two of. my 4 ribbons I just knowed I could do it. I&#...