quite the day here on November Hill

Bear bonked his eye late last night which required remedies and monitoring and then Kyra's ear got red and itchy and gunky and required cleaning and more remedies.

Rafer Johnson let himself into the back field and then Redford pitched a fit, followed by Keil Bay giving me his "you let THEM do anything they want" and so I opened up the entire farm to all of them this evening.

Salina lost track of where the donkeys were and started trotting up and down the paddock, whinnying wildly and whirling around at each end so fast I couldn't get her stopped to show her that they had not disappeared but were in back with the geldings.

About the time I got the donkeys to actually show their faces and relieve her anxiety, Rafer decided to let himself into the barnyard to the one place she couldn't follow and he HID in the hay tent!

Finally they're all fed and out and hopefully will enjoy the temperature dropping into the low 50s tonight. I just came in and discovered that someone is getting to the blog by searching for "Apache Moon Festival" and I'm thinking - did that pony go and set up some big party without letting me know???

I would not be surprised at anything this crew pulls today.

today's magical moment: the spider version of a double rainbow!

I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but this morning I noticed there were two spiders and two webs that were about 4 inches apart, like a double rainbow, spider style.

There is a lovely cool breeze today and as I stood there photographing, the webs blew in sync, then touched, stuck for a few moments, unstuck, blew in sync again, and the process continued.

I have never seen such a configuration of two webs this complex. It made me want to sing.

Postscript:

This evening I had another chiro appointment and a massage, and when I left the office near sunset, which was quite intense and gorgeous, I noted a few drops of rain falling on the windshield and turned to my left. There was an amazingly clear and pristine double rainbow which seemed to begin just behind the chiro office and extended across the county to end right where November Hill is.

I drove toward home, curving to change roads, and suddenly was facing the double rainbow. Just as it seemed I would drive right beneath its double arch, I switched the radio and the Eagles sang, "it might be raining, but there's a rainbow above you."

By then nothing would have surprised me in this domino of synchronicity, but along the final stretch to home, three deer leaped from the forest to the road's edge, stopped, then bounded across, looking almost exactly like the November Hill Press logo.

It has been a magical day.

middle of the week catch-up

Busy week here on November Hill. I finally went to the chiropractor yesterday and discovered that what I suspected was true - my left pelvis joint was rotated out. She put it back and I felt like I was going to float away when I stood up and felt the absence of tightness and the twinging of what I call the "rusty hinge" sensation. I completely understand why the Big Bay stands licking and chewing when he gets his chiro work done. It's incredible.

I'm going back tomorrow for an additional adjustment and a massage.

Otherwise, we have had a blip of heat this week and today was equine bath day. I think they all enjoyed getting soaped up and rinsed off again, and I feel better knowing they're not feeling sweaty and sticky. Although we have had an increase in temperatures, it feels like fall. On the weekend we're having lows in the 50s! Keil Bay was doing his big beautiful trot around the barnyard today, which made me want to go grab saddle and bridle and tack him up for a ride. If we can get back to the 80s next week and if these insanely aggressive horse flies will leave, we'll be ready to get back to work.

At least two family members are heading to the beach this weekend, so I'll be here keeping the herd happy and hopefully will sneak some writing time in. I can't believe it's already September - but on the other hand, what took it so long?

(and... let's all send Earl out to sea - thinking good thoughts for all the folks we know living on/near the east coast and hoping they get good waves and nothing more than a nice breeze)

Dutch Party For The Animals looks at rollkur/LDR and Epona hits the bulls-eye

Interesting development on rollkur/hyperflexion/LDR issue - READ HERE.

And PLEASE go READ THIS article written by Julie Taylor and Luise Thomsen where they hit the nail squarely on the head about this ridiculous ploy by Sjef Janssen to sue Astrid Appels.  Thank you, Maire, for directing me to this!

Makes me want to buy a video camera, head to the local dressage show this weekend, and start my own YouTube extravaganza. And you never know. Maybe I will.

Dickens should start his own natural horsemanship (and dogmanship) empire

I've spent the last 15 minutes watching our cowboy feline Dickens E. Wickens training our 12-week old Corgi pup, Bear.

Dickens, of all 5 cats who live here, is the one best able to manage the exuberance of a bold puppy who really wants to play but has a herding instinct that is growing and developing, and has to be carefully shaped so he doesn't end up herding everything that moves.

The other cats will smack Bear but they either end up running to get away, thus engaging the chase, or getting overly aggressive, which backs him off but seems to incite him into coming back for more.

Dickens truly stands his ground, not moving an inch, and uses his paws as needed when Bear comes in too close. He also employs the stare-down technique, staring into Bear's eyes until Bear looks away.

And interestingly enough, Bear is developing a true fondness and respect for Dickens. I think Dickens is so clear in showing Bear the way he wants to relate, Bear understands the relationship and relaxes into it. The two (as seen in a previous post) are very comfortable lying beside one another when the work (Dickens' perspective) and game (Bear's) is done.

I've seen Dickens use equine-appropriate techniques with the horses and donkeys. In a particularly moving bit of work with Redford, who wanted to do the donkey guardian chase and stomp routine with cats, Dickens utilized the picnic table to get the 'upper hand' until Redford understood the rules. As most horse trainers advocate, Dickens didn't allow Redford to move him back - he moved Redford back, first from the top of the table, then from the bench, and finally from a cat's normal position - on the ground. The training worked. But Dickens didn't stop there. He frequently enjoys lying flat on his back in the barnyard, or the pastures, during his cowboying. So he tested Redford to make sure the boundary was clear. Cats are allowed to roll on their backs, exposing their bellies. Donkeys don't take advantage of that. The training stuck. Redford understands the rules.

Dickens is lean and lanky, not a large cat. Although he is a tuxedo cat, you can see the cowboy in him as he moves around the farm. I often imagine a cowboy hat perched on his head. He operates with complete comfort among horse hooves. If he needs a face-to-face, he has no problem getting up on the stall door for a feline-equine meeting of the minds. The horses all make a path around him when he's lying flat out. They often touch noses with him as they meander around together.

We sometimes joke that Dickens does have a secret empire, and is one of those cats with a big fat bank account he chooses not to show off. Every now and then he disappears for longer than we like (24 hours is the max so far) and during those times, it makes me feel better to imagine that he's doing his banking business.

It's nice to start the week (a hot one, but I am telling myself it's summer's last hurrah) with a piece of elegant and effective training. Thanks, Dickens!

Puppy cuteness of the week: last night I had forgotten to give Bear his last (small) portion of puppy food. I was lying on the bed reading when I heard him run in the bedroom door and to my bedside. I looked down, and there he was with his empty bowl neatly tucked in his mouth. He moved it around in the air to make sure I saw it was empty. I went in the kitchen and he came running, bowl still held aloft, and then he plopped it down with a big boing at my feet. What a pup!