Monday, April 30, 2007
A New Era for Horse Racing
Its almost time for the Kentucky Derby. This year it seems is the year for change and perhaps even the beginning of a new era for horse racing. The 133rd run for the roses will be the first triple crown race to be run on a synthetic surface. I dont know what suprises me more, the new surface or the way the trainers are conditioning their horses for this years event. Recent reports are that a number of trainers are bringing horses to the big race with 4 to 6 weeks elapsed time from their last start and a couple of the horses have little or no experience running as a 2 yr olds. Its a huge shift in paradime but it seems we have a new breed of trainer on the scene. Perhaps Michael Matz, trainer of Barbaro and also well known on the jumper circut as a top rider, may have started a trend. Everyone sure thought he was a bit nuts for giving his horse so much time off prior to the Derby last year. It will be interesting to see how things unfold and if this recent change will make a lasting impression on the horse racing world.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 11:29 AM
1 comments
Saturday, April 28, 2007
I LOVE PANCAKES
Chett showing us one of his favorite foods - PANCAKES. Of course any type of meat, grease or sweet is good too.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 7:51 PM
0 comments
Friday, April 27, 2007
Scott ~ the new horse
SCOTT ~ 4 yr old Tennesse Walker Gelding
Just got the pictures back. His coat is a bit shaggy but he shows potential.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:43 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Drunken Man Parks Horse in Bank Foyer
An early-morning German bank customer had a bit of a shock when he found a horse already in line at the automatic teller machine in front of him.
It seems the horse's owner, identified only as Wolfgang H., had a bit too much to drink the night before and decided to sleep it off inside the bank's heated foyer, police said Tuesday.
The 40-year-old machinist told Bild newspaper he had had "a few beers" with a friend in Wiesenburg, southwest of Berlin, and decided to hit the hay in the bank on his way home.
"It was late, it was already dark and cold," he was quoted as saying.
Confronted with the lack of a hitching-post, he brought the 6-year-old horse, named Sammy, in along with him.When a customer came across the horse and sleeping rider in the bank at 4:15 a.m. Monday, he called police, who then came and woke the owner up and sent him on his way.
No charges were filed, but there might be some cleanup needed: Apparently Sammy made his own after-hours deposit on the carpet.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 2:24 PM
1 comments
Wordless Wednesday
Jack and Lauren
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 7:13 AM
17 comments
Monday, April 23, 2007
The new horse
It’s settled. The horse is bought, paid for and standing in our barn as I type this. We settled on Scott the 4 yr old gelding. It really was a very tough decision for me because there were 2 things that I was worried about more than anything else. One was his age and lack of experience and the other was how narrow he is. We actually got Scott in on Sunday afternoon and Lauren has rode him at home 2 times now. He was exposed to cars, kids, dogs, dirt bikes, sheep and ducks and nothing fazed him. He just checked out what was going on as we rode on by. He is exactly 15 hands tall, very elegant looking overall and is a deep grey color. I do wish that he would fill out more. Being 4 and being a crossbred there is no telling what will happen there but he should put a bit more weight on through the body. Lauren is tickled pink with him and to be honest so am I. He has all the makings of one heck of a nice child’s hunter. I just love the way he goes engaging his haunch and he moves so free and relaxed through his neck and back. He is so quiet on the bit and has a super headset and it seems like his ears are always up with the most pleasing expression on his face. It was a joy to be out riding with my daughter the last 2 days. Both of us enjoying the time spent with our horses and each other. I am looking forward to many more rides in the future. Cheers to Scott!
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:42 AM
1 comments
Saturday, April 21, 2007
At the Horse Sale
Friday and Saturday I spent most of my time at the Yoder Brothers Auction enjoying the horses, people and good food. It was interesting to watch the drafts go thru on Friday. Most sold reasonably well as good working farm teams. I didn’t see any horses that look like show ring potential but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t nice animals. Like with all sales there were some real old and young which didn’t fair well in the auction ring. I always hate to see the really old ones go thru. It makes me wonder what their life had been like and why they weren’t valuable to their previous owner and due a retirement with them instead of being passed off like worn out shoes. Saturday was the riding horse sale and there were some really nice horses that went through and brought low but ok bids, however, I did see one thing that I personally have never seen before at an auction and I have been going to horse auctions for over 20 years. I like the rest of the crowd was stunned to silence when I witnessed a couple horses go through the ring that would not bring one solitary bid, not even at $25. It was eerie to see, the whole place got quiet as the auctioneer did his best to try to find any interest in the horses. They were not sick, lame or old just young and untrained with a fair bit of attitude. They were both nice looking, one was a 5 yr old gelding and the other a 7 yr old mare. I only watched horses go for about 2 hours and I know they were selling for at least 4 hours prior to when I got there so I’m not sure if I missed others that this happened to. Were not talking about a no-sale here. These were horses that no one wanted. I wonder what happened to them and where they will go. Its sad to see animals that have an entire life ahead of them not be of any value to anyone. Is this the beginning of what we will be seeing due to the slaughter market being shut down? Will it get worse? I would imagine so or at least until the horse market adjusts to the demand for better and fewer horses. Given a horse’s life span I foresee 20 years of neglecting horses far worse then we have ever seen in the past. It’s a grim outlook and I hope that I’m wrong on this one.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 4:27 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
You know your a horse addict if.....
Heres my top 5 list which identifys if you are a horse addict. Enjoy!
1. You get all starry eyed over the new Millers catalogue instead of Victoria's Secret.
2. You start using baling twine to repair things.
3. You get a little whiff of the smell of leather and breath deeper to get the full impact.
4. You hate shopping, but will drive 60 miles to check out a new tack shop.
5. You spend an hour combing and trimming your horses main and tail but wear a baseball cap to keep from having to brush your own hair.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 5:12 PM
3 comments
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Greenie
We went to see the 4 year old gelding again. I do really like this fella and keep thinking of him often and Lauren seems to have taken a shine to him but he is so very green and has about ½ the training that I would like to have on a horse for her. I do need to take into account that she has been riding our 4 yr old draft mares that have no saddle training at all and a little over a year in harness. She isn’t thrilled about riding them but does do well under supervision putting the training into them. So do I take a chance on this horse? The one thing that really keeps drawing me in to him is his kindness and wanting to please attitude and the little training he does have is top notch. On the flip side he is a Tennessee walker cross and looks to have some gait and that narrow frame they tend to have. Lauren wants to be able to use him in 4-H and equestrian team as well as trail riding. I'm not sure if his way of going will have any impact on rail classes and he isnt as big bodied as I prefer but then again I dont have to ride him. I do worry that she might out grow him in 3 or 4 years if she continues to grow like she has the last couple years. He could fill out some as well since he is only 4. So many factors come into play when you get into a young green horse.
I’m going to sleep on it for a few more nights
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:42 AM
0 comments
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Seeking the Perfect Youth Horse
Last week was a total washout for finding the perfect youth horse. The kids were out of school on spring break and I had done a couple weeks of homework chatting with folks on the phone about horses they had for sale and had come up with about 8 horses that I thought would be our best bet. Boy was I in for a tough week. I never imagined in my wildest dreams how big a mission this would become. I didn’t think my criteria was that hard to fill but it seems that I want something that is just not out there or at least not in my price range. My 13 year old has been riding a number of our Percherons for the last 5 years but then again we are talking draft horses and they were finished geldings that had all been shown more than a couple years on the circuit so they pretty much had seen it all but could at times be head strong so I figured the gal would be pretty easy to buy for. All I want is a light breed horse that is:
1. A Gelding or an extraordianary Mare
2. Between 15 and 16 hands tall
3. Between 7 and 15 years old
4. Sound of mind and body
5. Kind and Willing with some solid exposure to trails, roads and shows or parades
and of course keep it below $2500
I'm not talking about a finished show horse here. Just something that will be safe for my intermediate level daughter to safely ride and enjoy, not just able to go in circles in an enclosed arena. I thought that my check list was pretty fair opening up age, breed and gender. Just a plain jane usable horse. Do I ask too much?
So far we have seen lame, barn sour, infested, mean/aggressive, head strong and dangerous. I am stunned that some of these horses owners actually had me come to take a look at their animals. They all knew well and good the level of rider my girl was and exactly what I was looking for yet only 1 was even remotly close to the goal and he was a very green 4 year old with great potential. But green is green and something like that could go south pretty quickly if not under heavy supervision which I am starting to believe will unfortunately be the way to go because there don’t seem to be many other options out there that I’m happy with yet.
I'm glad that I'm sticking with the Draft Horses!
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 7:19 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Carriage Accident
I was reading some headlines and came across the horse drawn carriage accident that happened in Indianapolis on Easter Sunday. My husband and I at one time operated a carriage company to help supplement our horse addiction. I really enjoyed working with our horses and we were very fortunate to not have any accidents. Most people that do this type of work will tell you that its usually not a horse or drivers fault when accidents happen. Kids have no problem with setting off firecrackers or shooting a slingshot at you and adults aren’t very courteous to a horse and carriage on a public road when they are in their automobiles. Add to that the cost of insurance, which tripled over 4 years. When we got the last premium increase we choose to quit rather than continue. Even now when we go to parades and shows it is becoming more common for a event organizer to require a rider on a minimum 1.5 million dollar insurance liability policy which just goes to show you why we see fewer and fewer horses at fairs, shows and parades across the country. It’s a shame but that’s unfortunately the facts.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 10:54 AM
2 comments
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Snots
Its snowing again, yesterday was easter and I can only recall a couple of Easters where there was a dusting of snow on the ground and this year will be added to that list. Then again it is spring and anything can happen in spring. Along with the lovely spring temperature changes come the ever-dreaded snotty noses in the barn. I had a couple of youngsters with a mild cough and Jazzy, a yearling filly, developed a case of the yellow snots. So we started the horses on some antibiotic crumbles in their feed to combat the respiratory bug. I really hate to use antibiotics on my animals but having had a horse come down with a nasty respiratory infection and even once dealing with pneumonia in a weanling I have become a firm believer in paying attention to the animals, especially the youngsters, listing for coughing and looking for snotty noses that are more then clear or slightly white runny goop and treating it ASAP. It just seems to me that when you have young animals this type of thing can spread like wild fire and if they share a water trough, well then you can bet that those others have a good chance of getting sick even if your keeping the sick one indoors at the onset of symptoms because by then the bug has had a chance to visit everyone when the horses were not showing signs of any illness. I’m glad to report that Jazzy after 3 days of treatment has no cough and while her nose is still running a bit it is clear. No one else seemed to have come down with it but we did treat the rest of the 6 horses just in case. That ounce of protection really helps me to sleep better at night. I do so worry about the horses when they are not right. It seems to me that I have had my fair share of problems with the horses this winter. Perhaps its mostly to do with the stress of moving and we did add 3 new ones and sold one so the herd dynamics are a tad bit off. I’ll be glad when the warm late spring season is fully upon us.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 12:07 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
I have a tummy ach
What happened to spring? There is snow on the ground and we actually had to keep horses in for 3 nights because of temps dipping way below freezing. That nice weather sure was a teaser. All of the horses except for our yearling filly started to do the heavy shedding routine so I never imagined that we would get the freeze we did. I know spring is unpredictable with temps fluctuating but as I sit here tapping away on my computer keys I’m looking at near white out conditions outside with snow everywhere. The temp changed so quickly that it really bothered one of the yearlings that came in last night with a tummy ach. I wonder if he wasn’t drinking as much water as he should have. Poor guy came in and was looking at his belly and laid down rather then eating his dinner – Huston we have a problem was ringing loudly in my brain. After 15 mins he still was doing the sick horse routine with getting up, looking at his belly and then laying down. He had passed some manure, which looked normal and did urinate so I wasn’t in emergency mode yet but that can change at the drop of a hat. So off to the house I went to get my Banimine and 20 mins after injecting him with the recommended dose he was up and walking the barn isle looking for some trouble to get into. He passed some gas and seemed to be much more comfortable. Much to his chagrin, he didn’t get any grain that night but did have a flake of hay, which he finished off by midnight. It was a pretty sleepless night for me because I worry excessively about a colicky horse and was out in the barn every couple hours to check on him thru the night. I have lost one gelding to a twisted gut and lost another young mare to a sand colic a number of years ago when I was boarding my horses. Its not an easy thing to deal with, you always wonder if you could have done something different that would have made a difference in the outcome. I guess all sickness/injuries are like that when you care for children or animals. They trust and depend on you wholly for their every need. This morning was a bright sunny and cold morning and while I was groggy from lack of sleep because of checking on my youngster it was also fulfilling because I had 7 bright and shining eyes looking for me to come feed them and 7 happy horses were turned out to romp, play and munch on a hay pile like nothing had ever happened.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 11:30 AM
0 comments
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 7:13 AM
17 comments
Monday, April 23, 2007
The new horse It’s settled. The horse is bought, paid for and standing in our barn as I type this. We settled on Scott the 4 yr old gelding. It really was a very tough decision for me because there were 2 things that I was worried about more than anything else. One was his age and lack of experience and the other was how narrow he is. We actually got Scott in on Sunday afternoon and Lauren has rode him at home 2 times now. He was exposed to cars, kids, dogs, dirt bikes, sheep and ducks and nothing fazed him. He just checked out what was going on as we rode on by. He is exactly 15 hands tall, very elegant looking overall and is a deep grey color. I do wish that he would fill out more. Being 4 and being a crossbred there is no telling what will happen there but he should put a bit more weight on through the body. Lauren is tickled pink with him and to be honest so am I. He has all the makings of one heck of a nice child’s hunter. I just love the way he goes engaging his haunch and he moves so free and relaxed through his neck and back. He is so quiet on the bit and has a super headset and it seems like his ears are always up with the most pleasing expression on his face. It was a joy to be out riding with my daughter the last 2 days. Both of us enjoying the time spent with our horses and each other. I am looking forward to many more rides in the future. Cheers to Scott!posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:42 AM
1 comments
Saturday, April 21, 2007
At the Horse Sale Friday and Saturday I spent most of my time at the Yoder Brothers Auction enjoying the horses, people and good food. It was interesting to watch the drafts go thru on Friday. Most sold reasonably well as good working farm teams. I didn’t see any horses that look like show ring potential but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t nice animals. Like with all sales there were some real old and young which didn’t fair well in the auction ring. I always hate to see the really old ones go thru. It makes me wonder what their life had been like and why they weren’t valuable to their previous owner and due a retirement with them instead of being passed off like worn out shoes. Saturday was the riding horse sale and there were some really nice horses that went through and brought low but ok bids, however, I did see one thing that I personally have never seen before at an auction and I have been going to horse auctions for over 20 years. I like the rest of the crowd was stunned to silence when I witnessed a couple horses go through the ring that would not bring one solitary bid, not even at $25. It was eerie to see, the whole place got quiet as the auctioneer did his best to try to find any interest in the horses. They were not sick, lame or old just young and untrained with a fair bit of attitude. They were both nice looking, one was a 5 yr old gelding and the other a 7 yr old mare. I only watched horses go for about 2 hours and I know they were selling for at least 4 hours prior to when I got there so I’m not sure if I missed others that this happened to. Were not talking about a no-sale here. These were horses that no one wanted. I wonder what happened to them and where they will go. Its sad to see animals that have an entire life ahead of them not be of any value to anyone. Is this the beginning of what we will be seeing due to the slaughter market being shut down? Will it get worse? I would imagine so or at least until the horse market adjusts to the demand for better and fewer horses. Given a horse’s life span I foresee 20 years of neglecting horses far worse then we have ever seen in the past. It’s a grim outlook and I hope that I’m wrong on this one.posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 4:27 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
You know your a horse addict if.....Heres my top 5 list which identifys if you are a horse addict. Enjoy!
1. You get all starry eyed over the new Millers catalogue instead of Victoria's Secret.
2. You start using baling twine to repair things.
3. You get a little whiff of the smell of leather and breath deeper to get the full impact.
4. You hate shopping, but will drive 60 miles to check out a new tack shop.
5. You spend an hour combing and trimming your horses main and tail but wear a baseball cap to keep from having to brush your own hair.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 5:12 PM
3 comments
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Greenie We went to see the 4 year old gelding again. I do really like this fella and keep thinking of him often and Lauren seems to have taken a shine to him but he is so very green and has about ½ the training that I would like to have on a horse for her. I do need to take into account that she has been riding our 4 yr old draft mares that have no saddle training at all and a little over a year in harness. She isn’t thrilled about riding them but does do well under supervision putting the training into them. So do I take a chance on this horse? The one thing that really keeps drawing me in to him is his kindness and wanting to please attitude and the little training he does have is top notch. On the flip side he is a Tennessee walker cross and looks to have some gait and that narrow frame they tend to have. Lauren wants to be able to use him in 4-H and equestrian team as well as trail riding. I'm not sure if his way of going will have any impact on rail classes and he isnt as big bodied as I prefer but then again I dont have to ride him. I do worry that she might out grow him in 3 or 4 years if she continues to grow like she has the last couple years. He could fill out some as well since he is only 4. So many factors come into play when you get into a young green horse.I’m going to sleep on it for a few more nights
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:42 AM
0 comments
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Seeking the Perfect Youth HorseLast week was a total washout for finding the perfect youth horse. The kids were out of school on spring break and I had done a couple weeks of homework chatting with folks on the phone about horses they had for sale and had come up with about 8 horses that I thought would be our best bet. Boy was I in for a tough week. I never imagined in my wildest dreams how big a mission this would become. I didn’t think my criteria was that hard to fill but it seems that I want something that is just not out there or at least not in my price range. My 13 year old has been riding a number of our Percherons for the last 5 years but then again we are talking draft horses and they were finished geldings that had all been shown more than a couple years on the circuit so they pretty much had seen it all but could at times be head strong so I figured the gal would be pretty easy to buy for. All I want is a light breed horse that is:
1. A Gelding or an extraordianary Mare
2. Between 15 and 16 hands tall
3. Between 7 and 15 years old
4. Sound of mind and body
5. Kind and Willing with some solid exposure to trails, roads and shows or parades
and of course keep it below $2500
I'm not talking about a finished show horse here. Just something that will be safe for my intermediate level daughter to safely ride and enjoy, not just able to go in circles in an enclosed arena. I thought that my check list was pretty fair opening up age, breed and gender. Just a plain jane usable horse. Do I ask too much?
So far we have seen lame, barn sour, infested, mean/aggressive, head strong and dangerous. I am stunned that some of these horses owners actually had me come to take a look at their animals. They all knew well and good the level of rider my girl was and exactly what I was looking for yet only 1 was even remotly close to the goal and he was a very green 4 year old with great potential. But green is green and something like that could go south pretty quickly if not under heavy supervision which I am starting to believe will unfortunately be the way to go because there don’t seem to be many other options out there that I’m happy with yet.
I'm glad that I'm sticking with the Draft Horses!
1. A Gelding or an extraordianary Mare
2. Between 15 and 16 hands tall
3. Between 7 and 15 years old
4. Sound of mind and body
5. Kind and Willing with some solid exposure to trails, roads and shows or parades
and of course keep it below $2500
I'm not talking about a finished show horse here. Just something that will be safe for my intermediate level daughter to safely ride and enjoy, not just able to go in circles in an enclosed arena. I thought that my check list was pretty fair opening up age, breed and gender. Just a plain jane usable horse. Do I ask too much?
So far we have seen lame, barn sour, infested, mean/aggressive, head strong and dangerous. I am stunned that some of these horses owners actually had me come to take a look at their animals. They all knew well and good the level of rider my girl was and exactly what I was looking for yet only 1 was even remotly close to the goal and he was a very green 4 year old with great potential. But green is green and something like that could go south pretty quickly if not under heavy supervision which I am starting to believe will unfortunately be the way to go because there don’t seem to be many other options out there that I’m happy with yet.
I'm glad that I'm sticking with the Draft Horses!
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 7:19 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Carriage Accident
I was reading some headlines and came across the horse drawn carriage accident that happened in Indianapolis on Easter Sunday. My husband and I at one time operated a carriage company to help supplement our horse addiction. I really enjoyed working with our horses and we were very fortunate to not have any accidents. Most people that do this type of work will tell you that its usually not a horse or drivers fault when accidents happen. Kids have no problem with setting off firecrackers or shooting a slingshot at you and adults aren’t very courteous to a horse and carriage on a public road when they are in their automobiles. Add to that the cost of insurance, which tripled over 4 years. When we got the last premium increase we choose to quit rather than continue. Even now when we go to parades and shows it is becoming more common for a event organizer to require a rider on a minimum 1.5 million dollar insurance liability policy which just goes to show you why we see fewer and fewer horses at fairs, shows and parades across the country. It’s a shame but that’s unfortunately the facts.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 10:54 AM
2 comments
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Snots Its snowing again, yesterday was easter and I can only recall a couple of Easters where there was a dusting of snow on the ground and this year will be added to that list. Then again it is spring and anything can happen in spring. Along with the lovely spring temperature changes come the ever-dreaded snotty noses in the barn. I had a couple of youngsters with a mild cough and Jazzy, a yearling filly, developed a case of the yellow snots. So we started the horses on some antibiotic crumbles in their feed to combat the respiratory bug. I really hate to use antibiotics on my animals but having had a horse come down with a nasty respiratory infection and even once dealing with pneumonia in a weanling I have become a firm believer in paying attention to the animals, especially the youngsters, listing for coughing and looking for snotty noses that are more then clear or slightly white runny goop and treating it ASAP. It just seems to me that when you have young animals this type of thing can spread like wild fire and if they share a water trough, well then you can bet that those others have a good chance of getting sick even if your keeping the sick one indoors at the onset of symptoms because by then the bug has had a chance to visit everyone when the horses were not showing signs of any illness. I’m glad to report that Jazzy after 3 days of treatment has no cough and while her nose is still running a bit it is clear. No one else seemed to have come down with it but we did treat the rest of the 6 horses just in case. That ounce of protection really helps me to sleep better at night. I do so worry about the horses when they are not right. It seems to me that I have had my fair share of problems with the horses this winter. Perhaps its mostly to do with the stress of moving and we did add 3 new ones and sold one so the herd dynamics are a tad bit off. I’ll be glad when the warm late spring season is fully upon us.posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 12:07 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
I have a tummy achWhat happened to spring? There is snow on the ground and we actually had to keep horses in for 3 nights because of temps dipping way below freezing. That nice weather sure was a teaser. All of the horses except for our yearling filly started to do the heavy shedding routine so I never imagined that we would get the freeze we did. I know spring is unpredictable with temps fluctuating but as I sit here tapping away on my computer keys I’m looking at near white out conditions outside with snow everywhere. The temp changed so quickly that it really bothered one of the yearlings that came in last night with a tummy ach. I wonder if he wasn’t drinking as much water as he should have. Poor guy came in and was looking at his belly and laid down rather then eating his dinner – Huston we have a problem was ringing loudly in my brain. After 15 mins he still was doing the sick horse routine with getting up, looking at his belly and then laying down. He had passed some manure, which looked normal and did urinate so I wasn’t in emergency mode yet but that can change at the drop of a hat. So off to the house I went to get my Banimine and 20 mins after injecting him with the recommended dose he was up and walking the barn isle looking for some trouble to get into. He passed some gas and seemed to be much more comfortable. Much to his chagrin, he didn’t get any grain that night but did have a flake of hay, which he finished off by midnight. It was a pretty sleepless night for me because I worry excessively about a colicky horse and was out in the barn every couple hours to check on him thru the night. I have lost one gelding to a twisted gut and lost another young mare to a sand colic a number of years ago when I was boarding my horses. Its not an easy thing to deal with, you always wonder if you could have done something different that would have made a difference in the outcome. I guess all sickness/injuries are like that when you care for children or animals. They trust and depend on you wholly for their every need. This morning was a bright sunny and cold morning and while I was groggy from lack of sleep because of checking on my youngster it was also fulfilling because I had 7 bright and shining eyes looking for me to come feed them and 7 happy horses were turned out to romp, play and munch on a hay pile like nothing had ever happened.