Happy Birthday, Annie!

Today is my sister Annie's birthday.  This afternoon, we are all going into town to enjoy some birthday activities together.  Annie wants to go shopping at Bass Pro, the Backpacker, Massey Outfitters, and Whole Foods.  We are planning to go to Zoe's Kitchen for dinner.  I am looking forward to an afternoon of  spending time with my sis.

Happy birthday, Annie!

Goodbye, Macaroni

No, not the noodles!  My title refers to a sweet old therapy horse who was a vital part of GaitWay at its other location.  Mac was a 26 year-old palomino quarter horse with a lovely disposition.  He carried many riders and was gentle, patient, and friendly to all.  Mac even took one of his favorite riders to the Special Olympics in 2010. 

Macaroni always struggled to keep weight on, and towards the end of December he was ailing.  Ms. Shelley decided to retire Mac, and she began to look for a good home for him.  However, on Thursday it was noticed that our old friend was in trouble.  He couldn't keep his balance.  Mac couldn't stand still or walk a straight line, and he was at a high risk of falling down and being unable to get up.  He spent the night in the equine ICU at the vet school, but he was worse on Friday.  The difficult decision was made to euthanize Macaroni, and he was put to sleep on Friday afternoon. 

Macaroni will really be missed at GaitWay.  He was one of the two horses used at the St. Gabriel location, and his co-worker is due to have a foal in May.  She will be off on maternity leave for several months after her baby is born.  GaitWay is now looking for a new quarter horse to take Mac's place.  That horse will have some big shoes to fill. 

Goodbye, Mac.  We love you!

One more Peg update :)

Here I am again, to let everyone know the latest news on my equine trouble-magnet.  Our horseshoer came yesterday to trim Peg's feet and nail on some new shoes.  He was able to trim out almost all of the hole left by that nasty abscess, and Peg is officially healed.  After about three months of battling his hoof problem, I am so grateful that it is over.  In six weeks the horseshoer will return to remove Peg's shoes, and Peg will be able to go barefoot once more.  Hopefully he'll stay away from broken glass in future.

Some time ago, I had an allergy test run on Peg, because he is exhibiting signs of heaves, a condition similar to asthma.  Jack and Rusty also have heaves, and after testing them, we were able to put them on allergy shots.  It really helped those two, so we decided to do the same with Peg. 

I received a copy of Peg's test yesterday, and he has a really long list of allergies.  Among other things, he is allergic to bermudagrass, ragweed, and goldenrod.  Poor guy!  Hopefully we will be able to get him started on his shots soon, and he will be helped by the treatment.  We want to start the shots before summer, which is when his allergies become apparent, so that he will have a chance to build some immunity to his allergens.  Please pray that this treatment works as well for Peg as it has for Jack.

UFO? Hmmm...

Last night, Annie and I went out to feed the horses well after dark.  I had fed Peg and Poco, and I was hurrying out to feed Ginger.  Annie was in the back pasture putting blankets on Rusty, Buddy, and Jack.  Suddenly, the northern sky was lit up by a ball of blue and orange flame.  It fell rapidly across the sky and disappeared at the treeline.  I stood in the middle of the pasture for a moment, awed and a bit frightened by what I had witnessed.  Ginger was staring up at the sky in bewilderment, but she quickly forgot the strange sight in the more important task at hand: getting my attention so I'd feed her.

Annie didn't see the fireball itself, but she did see the flash of light.  We spent a few minutes speculating about what had caused the fireball.  When we went inside, we told Momma and Daddy what we had seen. 

So, readers, do you have any guesses as to what it was?  Any help in finding answers will be greatly appreciated.  We are very curious about our UFO.

Trail Ride at Bogue Chitto State Park

Daddy took Annie and me on a long trail ride at a new horse trail in Bogue Chitto State Park on Saturday.  When the trail is complete it will be about 14 miles long, but it has 10 miles of trails currently.  We rode all 10 miles and really enjoyed it.  The scenery was lovely, with lots of open pine woods and hills.  Our trail was muddy, but it was novice-friendly.  The footing was good and smooth, and the many hills weren't too steep for comfort.  We encountered one deep stream crossing where the water came up to the saddle girths, but our horses took it well.

Of course, Daddy rode Jack, and Annie was mounted on Buddy.  I took Poco, which was neat because I have not had the opportunity to trail ride on her in the almost five years that I have owned her.  She immediately took the lead and was in front for the whole ride.  I had a wonderful time riding Poco, but there was one drawback.  I needed both hands to ride my fireball, therefore I could not take pictures.  That is why I can't display examples of the scenery.  Maybe next time...