Country Time Acres Blog

My Chincoteague Pony by Susan Jeffers

Susan Jeffers is a well known author of children’s books, but I must say, this is by far my favorite! The illistrations are truely a work of art and I love the pink cover. I also have a soft spot for Chincoteague Island which is located off the shores of Virginia. Her story, My Chincoteague Pony is based on the annual pony swim the island has every year to thin their herd of wild ponies. Although fiction, there are many true facts about the event.  I recently read this book at one of my “I Love Horses” events and the children loved it as much as I did.  Suggested for children ages 3-8,  a must for any child’s horse book collection!  Did you visit? Leave a comment!

Sometimes it is very difficult to be a nice person. We are all surrounded by evil and pressured by work, family and society to do things that really aren’t in our character just to fit in or survive.  Sometimes I stop to take a good look at the situation and myself and ask “Is this the person I really want to be? Or is this the way people really see me and if it’s so, what am I going to do to change it?”  Recently I did an event at the elementary school  my children attended and where I served as a P.T.A. President. I told my husband, Terry that I saw some of the teachers who were there when I was there and that not one of them spoke to me, said hello or even thanked me for coming to the event. He said ” Well no wonder, those teachers hated you!”  So, I thought about it.  When I took the office as President no one else wanted it. I knew that not everyone would like the job I did but, I put my a full effort into the job. And it was a job. Why shouldn’t they have  hated me?  After all, I worked 40 hours a week as a volunteer, in the classroom, helping in the library, planning events, raising thousands of dollars and teaching dance classes. When I look in the mirror what do I see? That after 15 years nothing has changed. Those few teachers are still as mean and snotty as ever and here I am, at their school as a volunteer, helping to make thier event a success and servicing their students.  What I discovered is that even though those people made every effort to make my life miserable, I didn’t let that change me. I am only human and I certainly wasn’t perfect but, I can live with that. I am a good person!

When the world says, “Give up, Hope whispers, ‘try it one more time.” ” Unknown”.   I believe that kindness and patience and faith are more powerful than negativity. “Buck Brannaman”.  Thank you for visiting.

The Soul of a Horse by Joe Camp

I have recently finished reading another great horse book, The Soul of a Horse, Life’s Lessons from the Herd, written by Joe Camp. Joe says ” We have taken this majestic animal, which is fully capable of keeping himself is superb condition and living a long, healthy, happy life and turned him into a beast of convenience, trained by pain and fear, cooped up in a small stall most of the time, subjected to a host of diseases caused in most cases, by us. Joe takes “natural” to a whole new level, no metal shoes, no stalls, no blankets and he even created a natural playground for his horses. I am not so sure I agree with everything he says but, I admit it did make me think and I took a good look at my horses to see if I felt they were happy or at the very  least, content. My horses don’t wear shoes. I blanket them when the temperature gets to 20 and below and remove them as needed. I have no trees to protect my horses so, I do feel the blankets protect them from the wind, pouring cold rain and icy snow. I do not clip my horses, the whiskers help them feel what they are eating and protect their faces from the icy weather. Every night my horses come into a stall and paddock area to keep them from the weather, especially spring thunder storms and winter snow storms. I live on a two acre ranch so rotational grazing is necessary. I also observe that they lay down at night to rest which shows me they are comfortable with their surroundings and living conditions. Joe didn’t address such things as vaccines and dental and maternity care. I would be interested in knowing his thoughts on that. In reading this book it is clear that Joe is very passionate about the horse. Like myself, he got into horses late in life. This is good for the horse because those who are introduced to the natural way of being with a horse come with no baggage and few bad habits that are later hard to undo. He is fortunate that he found a good mentor, Monty Roberts from the start of his journey. This indeed makes learning less complicated as we do not have to figure out what advise is really in the best interest of the horse and what isn’t. There is a lot of good stuff in this book and I really enjoyed reading it. I leave you with this thought: We humans are in such a hurry that there’s no time to build a relationship. To learn to communicate, to gain and give understanding. To walk in the horses boots, so to speak. To begin at the beginning.

The soul prospers from sharing, caring, relating, and fulfilling. Nothing can make you feel better than doing something good for another being. Not cars, not houses, not face-lifts. Not blue ribbons or trophies, and there is nothing more important in life than love. Not money, not status, not winning. You can’t say it any better than that !!!!! Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

Savannah after she returns from the hospital.

It is a milestone for any foal when they turn one year old. Savannah was orphaned at just six weeks old. Orphans in general are slow developers compaired to other foals. This was not the case for her. I kept her on formula for amost nine months so she would have strong, healthy bones and teeth. She was socialized slowly and allowed to learn from the horses till she knew her place in the herd. She was a happy little horse and enjoyed the company of children.    Just one day after her first birthday celebrating her life she was suddenly fighting for her life. The day began as any other day, I put the horses out, threw them some hay and started cleaning the barn. I noticed that Gypsy, one of my miniature horses was laying down. By the time I got to her she had flopped over on her side. I knew this was probably a sign of colic so, I ran to the house to call the vet. After calling her I called Terry to tell him the news. The vet arrived within a half hour with Terry close behind. We assisted the vet as she put a tube into Gypsy’s stomach and put mineral oil and water into her to help work out any obstruction. Before leaving we asked the vet to check Savannah, we thought she was acting a little strang the night before. Sure enough, Terry found her in the pasture lieing down.   The vet didn’t have a tube small enough to give her a tubal. Terry made a quick trip to Lowes and returned with a small tube he had fit with a funnel. She could finally get her treatment. All we could do then was wait. Gypsy stayed in her paddock area and was calm but, Savannah grew worse as the hours passed till she finally couldn’t walk anymore. The vet suggested surgery but, the cost was very high with no promise that she would survive. Savannah lay on the ground and I was kneeling over her crying. I told her I didn’t know what to do. “Do I let you go and end your suffering,” I asked her,” or do I send you to the hospital for one last treatment?”  At that time Savannah lifted her head and touched my face with her muzzle, as if to say “It’s going to be ok, mommy.” I knew I had to give her one last chance. Terry and I took her to the animal hospital; when we left I thought it would be the last time I would see her.  All  night I tossed and turned and prayed for Savannah. By morning I didn’t have the courage to call the vet to see what had happened to my baby. Terry found me out in the pasture with Gypsy. When he told me that not only have Savannah made it through the night but, had improved 75%, my knees went weak and I fell into his arms. With Savannah on the mend I still had to help Gypsy. She still wasn’t going to the bathroom. When we picked Savannah up we took Gypsy to the vet  to do another tubal. It was decided we would take her to the hospital the next morning for an IV treatment. Our horses are now on the mend. Savannah proved to be such a strong willed soul. I look forward to the many public appearances she will be attending this summer.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!