Off With Her Shoes (Part 1 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)
A while back my wife Julia and I pulled the steel horseshoes on her pony Pie’s front feet. I thought you’d be interested how we’re transitioning her (Pie, not Julia) to bare feet. From here on out, she’ll go barefoot. For extra protection Pie might need on rocky trails or abrasive surfaces like asphalt, we’ll slap on a pair of hoof boots.
Happy New Year 2022
Happy 2022. Here are a few photos from ’21 that made me smile. I wish you all the best in the New Year.
Bernie
From Starved to Star
A kind soul rescued him from a herd of eighty feral horses, some of which were starved, others of which had broken legs. And yet, he survived. Read the amazing story of Magneto the Magnificent, my wife Julia’s new horse, at her blog Saddle Under the Stars.
Snake Bites Mule
A while back, Julia and I rode spent six weeks traveling with two saddle and one pack mule from our farm in western North Carolina to Virginia and back. We posted a lot of stories on this trip but here’s one I never got around to sharing with you.
Julia was riding a mule named Dusty we’d borrowed from our friend Ronald Hudson. I was riding my mule Brick. As… Continue reading
Obituary for an Imperfect Dog
Snookie was imperfect like the rest of us. This week he was put to sleep under our chestnut tree. Julia wrote him a beautiful obit at her ConsideringAnimals.com blog. It starts “He was comfort. He was afraid of thunder.” He also channeled Keith Richards and sometimes drank too much whiskey. Check out the full obit at: ConsideringAnimals.com.
Snookie: 2008 – 2021
He started life in a ditch, could out-howl a tin coyote and cleaned a skillet better than a scrub pad. Today, his life ended under our chestnut tree. Our dog Snookie is gone. My wife Julia and I are torn up over this. The longer story of his life is coming.
Robbins Farmers Day: Wagons, Faces and Feet
A teamster, a parade and a mule. This weekend mule Polly and I hung out with Ronald Hudson at Farmers Day in Robbins, NC. He and I were in the parade and I made some photos I thought you’d enjoy. They’re loosely in the order they happened.
LiL Eagleman: Loving a Leucstic Chipping Sparrow
Could you grow to love a leucistic sparrow? This week my wife Julia wrote about LiL Eagleman, a rare, white-headed sparrow she’s fallen for. You can read the whole story right here on her ConsideringAnimals.com blog.
How do you Pony Your Pony?
Let’s say you’re out riding your mule or horse and leading another next to you. What do you do with the end of the lead rope attached to the animal you’re leading? Do you Bunny Ear it, Under the Leg it or do the Loose Around the Horn thing? Or maybe something else?
Full Mule Moon
Last night’s super flower blood moon was accompanied by an eclipse in some parts of the world. We didn’t get the eclipse but caught the beautiful sight from between two pairs of mules’ ears. Just on dark my wife Julia and I rode our mules Brick and Cracker to the top of the mountain behind our cabin. Here are some photos I though you might enjoy.
