This is a blog about my Adventures on Windy Hill and those who helped to create it. Windy Hill is what I have affectionately named the big old monstrosity of a farm house I blithely decided to purchase three years ago. I am an ultra girly girl and I think men should do all the man stuff, this would include house remodeling. Sometimes things don't always work out the way I think they should....
Since the snow has melted and the flowers have bloomed and mud season has officially started on ranches across Indiana..it is now time to update you all on Miss Mystical Magic.
This sweet Mini has been just a pleasure to work with.
She willingly carries a saddle and she long reins all day long. She stops when you ask her to and goes when you ask her to. She is wonderful. All she is lacking is a a little rider to be her best friend and show her the rest of the world.
I know these are not the best photos in the world, and the saddle doesn't fit. I don't have a small enough saddle for this girl. The point was to get her to accept the weight. I also used a surcingle to get her to accept a girth. Driving lines were used to line drive her in order for her to accept steering and understand the cues.
She is easy to work and easy to work with and I just can't say enough good things about her! A horse can always continue to learn, and I will continue to work with Mystical Magic until she finds a loving home. However, I feel very confident in saying she is a solid girl and ready to be ridden at this time.
She is available through Hoosier Hooves and Hounds for a very reasonable price of only $150.00 for her adoption fee. Now is the time!
I promise to get better photos posted soon of this lovely girl.
Updated Video of the babies at Forever Kittens Cattery. Only the grey and white kitten is available at this time. The rest have been adopted already. These kittens are great! They have curled ears and short tails like a Highlander and the sweet, round, doll face and personality of the Persian!
We love these little guys. If you would like to reserve one of our kittens, please contact us.
We are expecting full blooded Highlanders any time now!
Well ~ here we are again...1/2 Persian ~ 1/2 Highlander Kittens. All male. Mooshie (my Persian has
a thing for the Highlander females. He really does, he loves tomatoes and Highlanders. So..My Mooshie struck again. I have no idea how, and no one is going to fess up to letting the cat out of the room. This mix was well received last year, and I expect that they will be again this year.
I am pricing them at$400 each. So far the little grey and white one (Ben) is the boldest of the bunch, and the little red one (Red) is cuddle bug. The black and white ones are still deciding what personality to have.
These Kittens were born February 26, 2015
See Below the photos of these babies
Ben Male
Ranger Male
Red Male
Phantom Male
Do contact me if you are interested in any of these babies.
Well, you heard it here first...I told you Morning Glory wouldn't be here for long. It would be depressing if I didn't know that she was a wonderful Birthday Present for a 5 year old little girl. They are going to be very happy together.
Que my next foster ...Mystical Magic. I wanted to name her Black Magic but it is unseemly...so Mystical Magic it is.
Mystical Magic
This girl has lots of get up and go! She is full of curiosity and has a bit of sass. Please keep in mind that the photos today were taken by a a 14 year old boy that would have rather been climbing a tree and throwing snow balls for the dog. Prime example number ONE seen below...
The almost perfect picture!
Alright not everyone is a perfect photographer...but clearly you see my issue.
I may have gone a bit overboard with this foster...I purchased this miniature show halter for her on Ebay, because I thought she would look great in it...and she does.
Mystical Magic
I also got her a new regular halter because the one she came with is too small. Then I had to get MTG for her lovely, flowing locks, and who can have MTG without show sheen? Surely you understand how these things can just snowball. My harness does not fit her at all. I have been keeping my eyes open for a nice one on Ebay.
I really believe in making a foster/rescue/any horse marketable. It's important for the animals welfare. They need to have a job, just for their own mental and emotional stability, but it increases the likely hood of their adoption. It also increases the likely hood of enticing quality people to apply for adoption.
Magic has quite a personality. I think she will make someone a fine little show pony one day. She does need some work and some time, as I said, she is a bit sassy. Personally, I think it's because she is a smart girl and wants to think things through before just blithely following along. She and Pony are great friends...It's like looking at Mutt and Jeff out there.
pony and Magic
Pony and Magic
Right now Magic is just learning the art of come when you are called and the obeisance. She is getting much better at coming when called. I don't do the whole "chase the horse" thing. They come to me. This is taught in the round pen using John Lyons methods.
The obeisance is taking a bit longer with her than it did Morning Glory. As I said, Magic is a bit sassy, and would rather do anything than lower her head like that. Remember, I said it takes trust and it is asking a lot of her to do such things. So, in the meantime, I ask just a bit of her every day and she has gotten to the point where she will lower her head for me. We are working on standing still while being brushed and combed and fussed over.
Mystical Magic with a bridle path
Today for the photo shoot, she was just wonderful. I couldn't have been more proud. She was a bit iffy about her tail, at first...but she settled right in. I was able to not only, give her a nice bridle path, but I also trimmed up her long beard and throat latch fur.
She did look like pony before the hair cut...see pony below:
Pony with no hair cut.
Yes, pony is wandering around with Donkey in the yard. We now have a guard donkey, a guard pony..and my Guard Dogs.
Doom ~ Old English Mastiff
Karma - Great Dane Lab Cross
I decided that Magic should have some play time today, as she has been in the barn with everyone else since we have had the below zero weather lately. See below how magic felt about the play time!
Yes, I got carried away with the photos...but this little girl is ultra photogenic!! She is a nice little mover, and she is a really smart girl.
Since I don't have a harness her size, I am going to gentle her to saddle to the biggest extent that I can. Where are the 90lb, 4'11" high school girls that love ponies when you need them?! I am not overly concerned, we will figure it out. I am half afraid she will be adopted as quickly as miss Morning Glory and once again, I won't be able to finish my work. (To be read as...keep playing with the same mini)
****As a side note, anyone who adopts from Hoosier Hounds and Hooves will get a discount on any of my Equine training****
Mystical Magic is a special girl, and I think she would do well with an older child. I will get an accurate measurement of her next time I am out there so I can tell you her height...just guessing right now I'd say she is around 12 hands. Quite a few 6-8 year old children out there would do really well with her. Mystical Magic is not mean in any way shape or form. She is a full-sized horse in a small horse body. She is very compliant and once she trusts people she is going to be quite the show stopper!
If you are interested in adopting Mystical Magic please contact Hoosier Hounds and Hooves and fill out the appropriate paper work.
Magics adoption fee is $150.00
Yes, that's right!
Keep checking back for updates! We will continue working with Miss Magic for as long as she is here. We will continue with the trick training, and I will begin gentling her to saddle and teaching her the bridle cues.
PS...for good measure...here are some more awesome photos of this gorgeous girl!
PPS ~ For those of you that have emailed in regards to my CAT Blogyou can click here:Forever kittens Cattery Blog
In 1997 I needed jumper cables in order to jump start my ever-lovin-blue hoopty ride. I asked a neighbor for a jump. The neighbor was overjoyed??? I thought it was weird, but whatever, the car needed to be jumped it's all good. She rushed into her garage, and brings me a set of bran new, never opened jumper cables.
" I have been waiting for this day for over 4 years!" she exclaimed with excitement...
(in my mind I am thinking, glad I could help you out) I didn't say that of course, I just smiled quizzically.
She explained further, "Four years ago, I needed jumper cables, I was in a parking lot and asked a man nearby if he had some, he opened his trunk and handed me a bran new never been used set and he said ~ keep them, just pay it forward. If anyone ever asks you for a jump you pass these on. I promised him I would, and you my dear friend have answered my prayers of four years. That day, I went and bought these to hand on to the next person and here they are."
She finished by brandishing the jumper cables towards me. I reached tentatively for them, almost feeling guilty. I started to tell her I would bring them right back. She would have not of it!
My happy neighbor leaned towards me and said
"Now, I am going to ask the same thing of you. If anyone ever needs a set of cables, please pass them on"
I thanked her profusely and promised to myself that I would do so. I didn't buy a new set of cables that day, but about a week later.
It wasn't until 2008 that I was in an apartment complex parking lot when a young gentleman walked up to me and said
"Excuse me, Miss, do you happen to have a set of jumper cables I can borrow?"
I was thrilled! My reaction got the same response from him that I had those many years ago. I clasped my hands together and said
"OH! Yes, I have been waiting for just this occasion!"
The gentleman literally started to turn away from me, thinking I was being sarcastic. I quickly reassured him.
"No, no, I am serious!" I opened my trunk and brandished bran new jumper cables at him with a flourish.
I told him my story and asked him to please do the same for someone else should they ever need a set of jumper cables. He promised he would.
I really hope he does, I hope that it's the set of jumper cables that makes it around the world, all because one man in 1993 helped my neighbor, she helped me in 1997, and I helped someone in 2008, maybe in 2015 we will see a facebook post, or Youtube video of the jumper cables continued saga.
~ Those of you who were there that day ~ do you remember this?!
For real, pay it forward people. It's a feeling that really can't be beat. Be awesome today!
Today is Day #3 since Morning Glory arrived. I have to admit, I seriously considered making this a "foster fail." I live this little girl. She is so willing, so sweet, so trusting. You couldn't ask for better in a Mini ~ or any other size horse.
After considering it for awhile and discussing it with my son, we collectively decided that it's best to just allow Morning Glory to go to a great forever home. The biggest reason being, we will do not need another horse around here. That would mean selling pony (in with the new and out with the old and all of that.)
"Pony"
That would be okay, except for a few minor details:
Pony is an escape artist ~he would end up back here anyway ~ with a passport, stickers and an attitude.
He likes it here ~ he may not like it anywhere else.
Pony and Donkey have a love/hate relationship and if Pony leaves Donkey will be sad.
Pony may rebel and never be caught again by his new owners.
A friend of mine has "shared custody" of Pony and it woudl be hard to give him his half.
No none except for us would put up with Pony's shenanigans.
It's all true you know, Pony is here to stay. We have made a commitment to tolerate, bribe, brush, coddle and roll our eyes at him forever. Thus, the charming, and endearing Morning Glory will have to be allowed to go to a wonderful forever home that will dote on her and allow her to enjoy the wonderful life she so richly deserves. I hope they have children. She really likes children. This will also give us the opportunity to help more Equines in need. We can't keep them all and I am not going to be a collector.
I really believe that in situations like this, when the right family comes along it will be an instant match and all of us will be happy about it.
But I digress, because Morning Glory is such a wonderful mare, I decided to go ahead and put the harness on her and do some long-lining with her in the halter.
***Disclaimer I don't share each and every step with you on this blog. You see "jumps" in progress. I wouldn't recommend putting a new horse in a harness without previous work prior to doing so. Please keep this in mind when you see huge improvements within a day. That simply means I worked with the animal earlier in the day and based on the body language and attitude of the horse, I felt it was okay to move forward in the training. This applies to all scenarios." ****
(ahem) having said all of that so that no one (horse or human) gets hurt lets move on. It started out a bit rocky, she was confused when I put the long lines on tried to steer her. It didn't take long for her to catch on and we went down the driveway and back up several times with very few issues. I have found that when training to cart, the thing so many people seemingly skip is the quiet "whoa." What is it with a cart horse that makes it so hard for them to stop and stand? We are starting Morning Glory out right. She is going to stand quietly and stop immediately. We will make certain of it.
Morning Glory in the Harness learning to long line.
~ Speaking of which, this harness is a bit small for the larger Morning Glory, so I would be happy to take a donated harness ~ hint hint. What a sweet, lovely mare. She is progressing so quickly. I knew in my heart of hearts she would have no problems with the harness at all. I will be doing this for awhile, then we will add some weight to equation. Last but not least, the bridle and then, finally, the cart. It shouldn't take long at all with this girl!
Meanwhile, I didn't want to slack off on her trick training either. If she stays around long enough I expect her to be a very well-rounded girl that will be happy to do anything asked of her.
This time, my son did the honors of asking her for the obeisance. I took a yucky photo, but the result of the request was awesome!
A more proper looking Obeisance!
The catch with asking Obeisance is getting the horse to understand several things, one of the most important things in this exercise is that the horse understands to rock back on her hindquarters and lower her withers. Morning Glory is getting much closer to doing that. This is the closest yet. The rocking back on her hindquarters does several things, it teaches balance, it encourages her to use her back muscles and engage her hind, and it will help her to be more fluid under saddle or pulling the cart. I don't want a horse stuck in frame like a block, but a fluid moving happy horse.
We will be doing more of the same things for a while, so I will take a break from the posts until we can make another "jump" in training.
Thanks to everyone for the private emails and PM's on facebook! I am enjoying this so much and I am so very happy to help!
**Last Plug I promise **
Morning Glory is available for adoption for the VERY low price of $150.00
(nope, I'm not even kidding)
Adoption application must be filled out, interview conducted, references checked etc.
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