Happy Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day every one! As all of you should know, today is February 29th, meaning we have an extra day this year. Unfortunately this also means I have an extra day until I get to celebrate my birthday on March 3rd. I'll be the big "3" this year! I'm now considered a "senior stallion" when showing, but I'm still a baby I swear. While I'm done getting any bigger my bones are still fusing. In fact, all 3 year horse bones are still fusing. The very last bone doesn't actually fuse until the horse is 7! The last bone to fuse is a vertebrae in the neck. Maybe this is why Mom babies me so much. Except for yesterday. Yesterday she tortured me.

You see, yesterday Mom decided to deliver me to the nest of the flightless white vultures you two-leggeds call "veterinarians." Once there I was drugged, knocked out cold so they could perform their terrifying and horrifying experiments on me. I don't care what Mom says. They weren't "floating" my teeth! They were testing some sort of deadly ray gun for horses. I just know it. Mom, however, insists I was just getting a routine procedure that every horse must go through. She says I even had it done last year. I don't really remember through... They must have drugged me then too. I guess even you two-leggeds have to go to the dentist and get your teeth looked at and examined too. Only your mouth is shallow compared to a horses. It doesn't hurt us any to have our teeth floated-which means the vet files (yes, files) off the sharp edges of our teeth. When horses chew they grind their teeth down, but luckily for horses we have very long teeth that keep rising up as we grind them down. When we're old we eventually run out of tooth and our teeth fall out, but until then we have to maintain the health of our teeth. If the teeth aren't worn down evenly they create sharp points on the edges, otherwise known as "hooks." These hooks can cause cuts and ulcers on our tongues and in our cheeks, so its important to keep up on your horses dental maintenance-even if we don't always like it. Luckily for me, Mom feels its important to go to some one certified to do this. Even more lucky, our vet is! So, once a year Cody, Avalon, Missy, and I load up and head to the vets for our dentals. And, once a year, we all end up looking like this:

But its ok! By the afternoon of the same day we're back to our regular selves. We're able to eat better and our tongues and cheeks are no longer sore or getting cut. As much as I hate going to the vulture nest and having this done, I sure do appreciate how great my teeth and mouth feel the next day. Plus Mom makes sure to give me extra cookies if I'm a good boy. Speaking of cookies... This Saturday is my birthday! Don't forget to wish me a happy birthday! I'm going to be 3!

Also, don't forget to give me lots of cookies and gifts!

End of EHV-1 & My New Pool

For those of you who didn't know there was a horse show in Utah where a horse that tested positive for the neurological form of EHV-1 attended. Other horses that attended the show got sick and in return set off a chain reaction of the spread of EHV-1. Well even though this should was with full size western horses it trickled down all the way to me. Don't worry, I'm safe! I don't have EHV-1, but our property did go under a quarantine to help stop the spread and for safety. Well yesterday our quarantine ended. This meant I got to see Missy again and I wasn't couped up any more. To celebrate Mom went out and bought a bunch of party hats, or, what ever silly hats she could find. Some how I ended up being a pretty pretty princess. Missy came over and celebrated too and another I couldn't run free with her Avalon and Cody did. We were all happy to finally be able to see and visit with each other at last! The EHV-1 scare isn't totally over and it's helped Mom realize how dangerous the horse world can be, especially showing. She's going to take extra precautions for me at shows now so we play on the safe side should this ever happen again!

Then today Mom went out and bought me a present. It was an over sized water bucket! Mom called it a pool, whatever that means. I wasn't so sure at first, in fact its obnoxious color and childish print scared me a little. But she said it was ok so I headed in for a closer look. I've never seen so much water before! I just had to check it out. As it turns out playing in water with your feet is a ton of fun! I soaked my self and flooded the ground and even climbed into the pool and tried to roll. That didn't work out so well. Mom says I'm going to love it even more when its the middle of the day and its sweltering out.

Tomorrow is Mom's birthday, I talked to Kia and Avalon about it and we all decided on a present. I can't say what because she proof reads my blog (blame all my typos on her eyes! Understand its hard to type with hooves) but I'll post about it after tomorrow. I hope this birthday thing works both ways and she got me something too, though I'm sure she'll say my new pool is my gift. If that's the case I'd much rather treats!

Well, that's it for now. I'm out!

 

First Clip of the year and Ace Hardware

You know show season is in full swing when Mom busts out the clippers and decides to strip me of the clothes I've worked so hard to grow for the cold winter days! This year Mom wanted to do it in "steps" which basically was an excuse to give me different funny hair cuts for a day then fix it. This one was her favorite. She calls it my "70's boots" look. Ugh. Thankfully she fixed it a few hours later! Now I'm clipped up and handsome for all the ladies I'm going to see at all the shows this season.

Since I was all clipped up and looking so good Mom loaded me into the truck (otherwise known as my personal trailer) and took me to Ace Hardware to pick up some feed for all of us horses, though I think since I went to go pick it up it should be solely mine! I went to Ace before, when I wasn't even a yearling. Every one enjoyed seeing me back and seeing how, well, little I've grown. I went in my fancy new shoes. Mom loves them because they look like miniature converse and they light up when I walk. I like them because I don't slip on the floor!

While there I ran into Scratch, the store cat. The horses on the other side of my fence have a cat but its not nearly as fat as this one! This guy is HUGE, and he doesn't like it when you remind him of that! When I told him then went to get a closer look all he did is hiss at me. Kind of like the last time.. Mom said I should have learned my lesson the first time. I forgot since it had been so long. Since Scratch didn't want much to do with me it was onto the next thing in the store.

I found the dog section in the store and decided to be nice to Kia and shop for a bone for her. Mom told me no, she has enough and can't have that kind anyway, so I had to leave empty handed. Sorry Kia! Since there wasn't anything I needed we headed to the check out to go buy the feed. Back into the truck I went as we went around the back of the store to get it. I all but drooled in Mom's lap as I watched them load bale after bale of delicious grass into the truck bed. I didn't understand why I couldn't just eat it all right then! I did get to enjoy a nice handful though. After everything was all loaded we headed on home so I could have some free time in the big pen with Avalon and Cody. Since my new ramp for the truck and new shoes for on tile work so well Mom will be bringing me to even more places this year. She says Amanda and Missy will probably come too!

Until my next adventure, I'm out!

Avalon and the Christmas Pagent

Doesn't Avalon just look dashing? Mom made him get all dressed up, along with her new Buggy and my personal servant, for a Christmas photo contest hosted by Lil' Beginning's Miniature Horse Forum. There were two divisions to enter in: horse and cart or horse and barn. While not many people entered at first towards the end there were a lot of entries, all were very nice!!

Below you can see the full image of Mom's entry.

 

Mom went with a more Victorian theme and did elegant instead of overwhelmingly Christmas. It came together pretty well for me not being in the picture! Oh and in case you're wondering, that's not Mom in the buggy. That's my personal servant, all dressed up in fancy schmancy clothes. The buggy and harness have faux sleigh bells on them and mom hopes to get a real heirloom set of sleighbells soon. She says they sound pretty or something, I don't remember. I wasn't listening.

In case you're wondering how Avalon did in the contest, well... He won first place in the horse and cart division! The first place prizes were donated by a very generous person but kept a mystery until they arrived in the mail. They were the same kind of halter Mom had been wanting by Red Haute Horse! Its just big enough for Avalon and much too large for me. Thats ok though, I didn't want a Christmas themed halter and Avalon doesn't look as good looks much better than I do.

Christmas is quickly approaching. I can hardly wait!! Have you done all your shopping yet? I know Mom has and I have! The stores are getting crazier by the minute so if you still have shopping to do, you better do it quick. I hope ya'll mailed your letters to Santa too. Conditions to the North Pole have got to be pretty bad by now so I don't think many letters are able to get through any more.

So exctied for Christmas,

Christmas Wishes

It's finally december! Do you know what that means? That means Christmas is only 24 days away! I'm so excited, I can't wait to see what Santa brings me. Mom already got one of her Christmas gifts; she even bought it for herself which seems a little unfair-especially because seh got it a whole month before Christmas!

 

Its an antique piano-box buggy! Its perfectly scaled down to miniature horse size so Avalon gets to pull it. He's not too thrilled about that but he pulls it anyway.  Mom tried to say it was an early Christmas gift to Avalon but he says you can't give gifts that you wanted for yourself. I guess he's right! I think the buggy is really neat looking and Mom says she's going to decorate it for Christmas when we all go looking at Christmas lights.

Now that it's December I can finally post my Christmas list to Santa, though, if you want to get me something off it... I surely wouldn't mind...

Dear Santa,

I sure have been a real good boy this year! I learned lots of new things from Mom, Cody, and Avalon. I tried my hardest to do my best at everything they tried to teach me, I even behaved myself where ever Mom took me. Sure, there were some times when I was tired and couldn't handle it any more and broke down... There were a few tatrums here and there... And a handful of times I tried to drag Mom down the street... But I am a growing boy and can't always be held accountable for my actions, right? I only bit a few people this year and only left one welt from a bite! I didn't kick at any one, even the little children who swarmed up behind me at every event I went to. Because I've been such a good boy I feel that I am deserving of most, if not all, of the items on my list:

 Treats! Just about any kind will do. I'm really fond of apple and mint flavors, though I love a good home baked treat too! Just make sure they're small enough (roughly quarter sized) for me to eat, other wise I choke!

A new Blue Camo Rain Sheet! I'd love a rain sheet so when it rains I can still be out with the big boys, not locked up in my stall. Mom says I can't play in the rain and get wet if its not Summer. I'm ok with that, I hate cold water!!

Zebra Print Halter! Well, either zebra print, argyle (red, blue, green, or grey/black), red tartan, red plaid, or red paisley-I'm flexible. I want to be the best looking stallion on the block in 2011 and a brand new designer halter from Red Haute Horse would really help me out!





I know that shouldn't be too much for some one as great as you, Santa, to do! After all, I have been a really awesome horse this year.

Love,

P.S. Christmas Cards from me are on their way! Closer to Christmas I'll post the pictures on my blog here for every one else to see!

Halloween Contest & Trick-or-Treating

I can't believe its been a month since I've been able to update my blog! Sorry to all my loyal minions watchers! With the temperatures finally being cooler, shows going on, and Missy around I've been one busy little boy.

Last month, if you remember, I was in the Cave Creek Wicked horse costume contest at Back Mountain Feed. The turn out wasn't as great as it was last year but there were still quite a few horses and a lot of great costumes. There was a thoroughbred dressed as Secretariat, a horse dressed as Uncle Jessie from Dukes of Hazard, Dino and Pebbles, the Titanic, a mini dressed a a pumpkin, another mini dressed as a zebra, yet ANOTHER mini as "bridezilla", and a little girl and her pony just dressed up for fall/Halloween. Every one got goodie bags just for entering-inside were treats! Unfortunately they're much too large for me so I had to share them with the big horses at home and go different treats instead. They had up to fifth place but only first through third got a prize. Secretariat took third, second went to Uncle Jessie, and first went to... ME! I won a gift certificate to Black Mountain Feed/C & H Hay barn. Mom says I can't spend it all on treats, that I have to buy a new blanket for winter and rain.. Yuck!

In the photograph to the right you can see me and Mom next to Bridezilla. On the other side are the two other minis that entered the contest. The pumpkin is kind of hidden behind the zebra but if you look closely you can see orange.

After winning pictures, attention from the crowd, and some pictures of our own, we headed home. Boy I was sure glad to get that costume off!! I don't mind wearing it but... It does have an awful lot of pink for a stallion...

The next day, on Halloween, we went down to the Granny's house to do some trick or treating. My very first Halloween (when I was a sheep and Mom was Bo Peep) we went down and did trick or treating at the Granny's. Now its become a tradition and there are even people who expect and can't wait to see me! I love getting out and seeing all the neat decorations (and getting treats from the houses that are expecting me!). This year I wasn't the only one of Mom's kids who went. Kia came along, dressed as a witch. That dog needs to get out more; she tired half way through our trick or treating. She's a trooper though and trudged on.

Most people thought I was a dog (because my costume covered me up so much and Kia was walking with us) so I didn't draw a huge crowd. Its not that I don't like visiting with my fans or getting attention, just every so often we celebrities like to be able to just blend into the crowds and be a normal person horse for once.

To the left you can see Kia in her costume. She wasn't too happy about wearing it. From what Mom says she has to wear a lot of costumes/clothes so I don't know why she hates them so much! I actually kind of enjoy wearing any crazy outfits Mom puts me in. I like the attention that goes with it.

I don't like attention from the vets, otherwise known as the flightless albino vultures. The came the first week of November to give fall shots. They're tricky vultures. They try to make you think they're your friend. They butter you up by giving you lots of oh-so-good scritches and scratches then... When you're list expecting it.. JAB!!! They stick you with a sharp metal poker and fill you with who knows what! They claim that its only to keep you happy and healthy but who really knows what they're putting in you! I didn't get just one shot, oh no, I got five. At least I don't have to go through that for another six months. Avalon hates shots more than I do. While I'm just scared of the vultures Avalon loathes them and fights back. Because of it he's sore for almost a week after and I'm not allowed to play with him. Don't worry though, he's back to normal now!

The holiday season is now upon us. Mom has been busy holiday shopping and I've been writing my list to Santa. It's not done yet but when it is I'll post it here! I hear Santa just got the Internet way up there in the North Pole so putting it on my blog is the fastest way to get him my list. Missy and I will also be sending out Christmas Cards. If you want one be sure to email me with your address so Mom can mail it to you.

Thanksgiving is this week. Make sure you give your furry kids, especially your horses, their own little Thanksgiving feast, or at the very least treat! I hear I might get my own place at the table...

Until next time, I'm out!