About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Thursday, September 29, 2011

FALLove

 This past weekend was such a gorgeous Fall treat.
High 60's, low 70's-nice breeze and SUNNY
Just perfect riding weather and NO bugs
I rode Laz around the pasture for ooooh about 20 minutes barefoot and then we decided today, we would go on an adventure.
As in, a hand walk down the road ('trail riding') and check it out for his first time
He has adjusted so beautifully, that I figured he would enjoy getting out too
 Per my trimmer's advice, I posted on a yahoo group for used horse boots and got a great deal (what I could afford), from a very kind stranger, for an almost brand new Easy Boot Epics.
I needed a smaller size for his back hooves and they fit perfectly.
In her email back to me she simply stated "I want to help you" so she was willing to meet my price range.  So sweet.  So many great horse people out there! I thanked her again and again...and here's another virtual THANK YOU!!!!!!! 
 Rear boots on, we were ready to GO
 Walking out, we passed our neighbor.
I'm not sure if it's a gelding or a mare (I feel like it's a Mare) but she knickered soooo sweetly to Laz as we passed by.  
 Mason was ready for an adventure walk!
"LETS Goooooooooo come on come on comeONcomeOOOOON!"
 As suspected, Laz really enjoyed it

 Calmly ambled down the one way street
(our barn is 2nd to last of a dead end) which is so great for riding reasons
 It was quiet and peaceful and I allowed him to graze at certain spots to get rewarded

 "Laaa la laaa laaa laaaa, I lovs walkz"

 About a mile down is a fork in the road, to many more dirt roads but we didn't venture down there.
I won't with Mason, it's too risky being the roads are curvy and you can't always see the cars until they are THERE.  So, we stopped (SIT!) and turned around
 There is one section with a slight incline which is great for walking or trotting (but we just ambled)
Laz seemed foot sore on his front (club) foot. I'm treating it for maybe thrush, but it could be because his feet have been only on soft grass now for two weeks.  Hopefully walking on these roads weekly will help slowly toughen up his hooves.  **He's not foot sore due to eating grass, just on soft footing**
 Admiring the landscaping
 Something peeked his interest.
There are deer everywhere but we haven't come across any yet together

 Heading back into our barn
 Stopping along the way to graze
I want to encourage him to be slow and with me, upon our return and not rushing to get back to his herd, which he wasn't at all.


 Mason thinks this stick can act as a crop for his big brother Laz
 On our drive home, we passed by SO many riders heading to the state park to ride
Yea!!!
 So Sunday, we decided to RIDE the road in which we walked the day before
I strapped on all four boots (side note; they are SOOO annoyingly hard to put on!!!) and headed out for our walk.

Just lovely
 Cars passed us, no problem.
Mason was good to listen to me and sit and wait until the car passed and Laz was great and stood still while I talked to Mason. It's funny, but he totally distinguishes when I talk to Mason and when I talk to him.
A couple times I had to yell at Mason who dawdled ahead too far for my comfort and Laz just sighed like "Come ON dogggg"

 There are so many meadows that we pass along our walk, that come winter may make for fun play areas.....I'm not sure if they are privately owned or not though.
Overall, on our ride, Laz did awesome. He was a little 'flinchy' when he thought something bothered him (ie barking chihuahua, a distant riding mower, a fence post lol!) but he never fully spooked and walked on and braved it out.  He's giving me A LOT, because I'm  not the bravest rider and I know I must translate some worry down to him. I can tell, he is braver and more comfortable when I hand walk him vs riding, so it's ME..I need to work on MY bravery.
 This is my new phone wall paper below, I love this picture!!!
 Happy campers return home
I want to walk the dirt roads as much as possible in this good weather...to prepare for THIS below:
This is Kensington Metro Park that I've been talking so much. It's for runners/walkers/bikers/canoeing/kayaking/HORSEback riding, all separated out on different trails, for all to enjoy. We are SO close to there, I want to be able to enjoy this. There are 19 miles of horse trails!  I don't know about going at it alone, it's always best to ride with someone for long trails like that...but I'm sure in our future, we can conquer it alone. Just not quite yet.
But HOW FRICKEN AWESOME!!!!!!! 
Maybe one day, the Michigan horse blogger girls can all meet up for a trail ride!! :)
I mapquested it and it shows we are about 1.5 miles away from park. 


 A typical thing for Laz. After our 'workout' he pees, almost every time.
I think this is a race horse thing?
Forest Gump shoes on all four hooves.
Hopefully I can figure out a way for them to become harder rock crunchers to be totally bare in the future.
I'm not sure living on sand, dirt or grass will create a hoof like that though.
I was very pleased with my boy.
He is my dream horse!

Monday, September 26, 2011

2 weeks

 It's been officially 2 weeks since our move and I'm happy to say, that Laz is 1000% happy 
(and that makes me 100000% happy!)
His eye is clearing up QUICK! (actually looks 99.9% normal)
It's amazing what certain medicines can do
 Since his eye was looking good, the weather was GREAT, I decided to hop on
Laz's RR is still soft at his medial heel/sole area so we kept it light
Well, I tried; he did clip off into a trot so we did that for about 15 minutes and then came back to a walk.
I ordered a pair of used Easy boot Epics in a smaller size (more on that to come) so hopefully that will give him some comfort for our rides and mayyybe we can even test out the roads (only at a walk of course) if he's comfortable! His current size 2's are too big for his funky foot
 Laz sampling a tree during our pasture ride.
I LOVE riding in the pasture; the footing is great, Laz seems more comfortable and eager to push out
 Ahh, love the Fall SUNSHINE!
 Oh! Another bite?? Ok.......
(bad pony!) haha
...why not
 Follow the Mason leader...such happiness for me! My brown row of sweet babies!
 Laz's fur is really fuzzing up quite nicely and I'm letting his hair grow for winter. I noticed that out of the other horses, Laz has the thickest Fall coat so far.
I love how he has natural red highlights in his mane (and a gray one but I plucked it out!)
 Mane for days!! Always boys have the best hair and eyelashes :)
 Yup, a sign that Fall sure is here....
I love the beauty of Fall and the colors, but it's SO bittersweet knowing what's around the corner (brrrr)
 Good boys!
 I was trying to get a conformation shot here but it didn't quite work
"Uhhhh whazz you doin?? Where you goin?"
 "Wate for ME!!!!"
 "Can you stick yer hand in yer pokit and gives me a COOOKIE???"
Yeesh.
Just when I was going to say the red barn and the classic bay OTTB is gorgeous, he had to show of his grill.
Wow....
;)
 After untacking, er...taking off his bridle, I opened up the pastures for him to go and play.
It was so cute that he chose to stick around and hang out with me.  He came in, strolled around, drank some water...
 And then decided to go..
 Walking the track past Justin and Red, off to find Scout.
 Come this winter, the two Paints may be separated from the two OTTB's for feeding reasons...so hopefully all will be OK for that separation. 

 Driving home, Mason and I took the back roads to check out the neighborhood some more
What beauty!!!
These are the back roads that we can RIDE on and somehow (I haven't fully investigated yet) it leads straight into the BIG horse trail park with MILES of trails (eeeeks) which I think it less than 2 miles away?? 
"NO shooting"
HORSE friendly :)
I may wear orange JUST in case...