Rescueriders's Weblog

I have been working on facebook pages for Rescue Riders and my crafting hobby Crafty Rider. Here are the links.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rescue-Riders/416732985088241

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crafty-Rider/343334185766948

I cuddled a horses chin. It was soft and wiskery. It felt really nice and cozy to hang out with her like that.

I was cleaning the dog pens and enjoying my life. The horses were all fed, happy, where they belonged, and the stalls were all clean. I could look across the lake and see some of the horses enjoying the late evening sun. The osprey were calling each other and one of them was splashing in the lake taking a bath (yes, they do that!) The gardenia is blooming (first good smell), dinner was in the crock pot smelling really good, a fire was in the fireplace also smelling good, and the dog pens were clean and smelling like bleach. The sun was warm on my feet as I looked out over the lake in the golden light watching the birds. Then I went inside to make biscuits and serve up dinner. And I got to talk to good friends today.

George was here. Katharine had him work on my side of the road. He cleared some brush. We will have a new jumping/ riding/ cantering area as well as a parking area for the horse show. I don’t recognize the place, but it is really nice. And I can see the horses all the time. 

Hi, I’m Jealous. My full name is Paint Me Jealous. I used to be called Paint. Sometimes, I am Jelly Belly. I am telling my story now, because I am getting tired. I want to go somewhere and take a long rest where my body doesn’t hurt me anymore, then maybe I can come back in the midst of a thundering herd carrying Heavenly Hosts. I sure used to like to run. 
I was a barrel horse in my younger days. My owner took really good care of me and loved me lots. I got to go race very often. It was fun and I loved it. Eventually, I had to stop racing, I didn’t want to. But my knee hurt and I couldn’t run fast any more. My owner still loved me though. She kept me and rode me on trail rides. I liked to go fast on those rides. They were really fun.

Sadly she had to move to Texas. She didn’t think I could make the trip that far and stay healthy, so she gave me to this really nice Indian looking man. I think he was a real Indian. He lived in a round house, but we couldn’t run around it. He really liked me and took good care of me. I was happy there. He took me out on trail rides sometimes, and I tried to behave. It was kind of hard to though, He was putting my bridle on backwards.
Well he decided to move too. I hoped I could go back to my other owner, but I still couldn’t go to Texas. I came to Rescue Riders. I got tack I could wear properly and they tried to teach me to go slower. Moving slowly isn’t for me though. I like to run. So I got fostered. That is a good thing. I got to go stay with a girl who really knew how to ride.

We went on wonderful trail rides. 

They were the best, maybe better than being with my old owner. I loved that girl. One of her horses died and another got sold. I was an only horse. That was the best. I missed them for a couple days, but then I realized I could get all the attention and there were other horses near by.

They had to move, some where nearby but no room for horses, so I got to go back to Rescue Riders. Other people rode me, but I was happiest when the girl who fostered me came and rode.


I was slowing down, but I still wanted to go fast. Walking was not for me.

I got retired from riding because I was to sore to trot, but didn’t want to walk. My legs and neck and back were really starting to ache. I was sad when I was retired. I did not like to stand around and do nothing. 
So they let me come out and get ridden again. I got the smaller, light weight kids. They tried to keep me walking, but I would sneak in a trot whenever I thought I could. I did have to give up running though. 

My legs got so achy and my back hurt so much that I couldn’t carry even the lightest rider any more. I needed pain killer just to move around the pasture. 
At least I could hang out with Buddy. He didn’t like me at first and used to chase me, but I kept pestering him and now we are best friends. I get to go in a nice stall to eat and rest by myself, but I am always happier back in the pasture with Buddy and those giant hay rolls. I love it when people curry me. It feels so good. I can’t scratch my back anymore. If I lay down to roll, I know I couldn’t get back up again. I miss those good rolls, and napping flat on my side in the sun, and running. I think I miss running the most. I think I will see if that thundering herd will thunder by Texas. That would be so fun. 

Jealous is running with the thundering herd now. I hope she got to lay down and take a good roll before she leaped up to run. We will miss her, but are glad she is out of the constant pain she was in. No longer will she fear laying down or falling and not being able to get back up.

My life turned haywire and is just settling a bit. (kind of anyway). I was getting ready for the horse show and keeping up with everything else when one of my husband’s friends came by. We had been separated for several years due to alcoholism and domestic violence. (He had PTSD really bad from Vietnam  She told me he was dying of prostrate cancer and the lady who was taking care of him just wanted his money. Got a friend of mine to go with me to check up the situation. Bedridden, emaciated, in pain, with a 70 year old lady trying to take care of him, but he didn’t trust her. Katharine let me rearrange the house and I moved him in here, set up care with very little help from HOSPICE the Tuesday before thanksgiving. Put on the horse show the Saturday after thanksgiving, he died Monday  Now I get to take care of all the paperwork, clean out his house and 3 storage units (he was also a hoarder and an artist) and still keep up with regular life. Somehow I am getting most of it done.

I am just so grateful for my boss for putting up with me overloading my life and hers to help those who need me,  my friends who are helping me out, for the DAV helping me with paperwork, for the new Vietnam veteran buddies I have met, and most of all for the kids who come ride here. They have helped me keep my sanity more than they realize. I am trying to think of a way to let other veterans, especially those with cancer to be able to come here for some R and R and sanity and peace. Not to live here, just come out like the kids do. Without adding too much more work for me.

One of my goals yesterday was to take 100 pictures. I think I succeeded. I took a lot of Goldie because I was working on a portrait of her for a project. I think I got a good picture of her, but she hates having her picture taken and hides from the camera.

I tried to take a picture of Snickers and Derby eating, but Derby stuck his nose in the camera, so I just got Snickers.

Mara and Shauna are good friends and are usually together.

Priscilla was helping me spread compost, but piglet just wanted a drink. I have to take water to Piglet. He will stand and grind his teeth until I bring it.

The goats are so pretty and colorful. They are always eager to go in for dinner. But I have to work to keep the horses out. They would really like to share the goats pen.

Gage asked how Rescue Riders started. It basically started with Ginger. My best friend Pam liked my horses so much that she wanted on for herself and her kids to ride. Her husband knew of a horse for sale from someone at his work so we went up to Canaveral Groves to look at it.  We had to go back a week later to have her coggins pulled and she was in worse shape then, than when we originally saw her. We knew we had to move her immediately or she wouldn’t make it. We pulled into a boarding barn and found someone willing to trailer her the hour to my boss’ property. We couldn’t take her to where my horses were boarded, she was in too bad shape. The vet was not sure she would make it.  We successfully rehabilitated her and she became a lovely riding horse for my friend and her kids. She also taught us to teach other kids how to ride and work with horses. When my friend moved to Tennessee she took Ginger and a couple other horses with her.  While in Tennessee, my friend met people with a big barn and lots of riding kids. When she had to move further north where it got really cold, she gave Ginger and another horse to these people. She hears from them a couple times a year and Ginger is still happily teaching kids to ride. Ginger lived with Rescue Riders from Sept 4 2003 until she moved in 2007(I think)

Ginger the day Pam bought her

Ginger the day we brought her home.

Ginger fully recovered.

Ginger doing her favorite thing,

I am trying a slightly different format for our November horse show. Instead of buying ribbons and medal and giving awards for the top 6 places, I am making the prizes and everyone who rides each event will get a prize for that event. Riders will still be timed and placed and the high point rider will get a high point award. I won’t say what it is, you will have to wait til after the show on Nov 24.  Some of the prizes are being detailed on my craft blog. Here is a class list for the show though.

Medieval Adventure Class List

Classes 2-9 top 5 placings count for high point award.

1. Costume class–Dress up before the show starts. Ride in to show off your costumes. Keep your costume on all day if you want! (or can) Participation counts for points for high point award.

2. Jousting– Retrieve inflatable sword. Collect all the rings. Deposit them at the finish line. Claim your trophy.

3. Sword fighting–Attack the castle with your sword. Must get in 3 hits to stop the clock. After everyone gets a go with the swords, you will get off your horses and bust open the castle to retrieve your prizes.

4. Archery– When you knock your prize down with the arrow, you get to claim it.

5. Capture the token– Ribbon pairs.– You retrieve your token from an audience member, and try to stay connected to your partner as long as possible. When it breaks you get to keep your half.

6. Water cup challenge–Keep your golden goblet full as long as possible.

7. Bird n spoon– Egg and spoon– Keep the little birdie on the golden spoon.

8. Obstacle course–Follow the path through the castle and claim your gold from the treasure chest.

9. Bareback to the rescue– Buck a back– Whoever keeps the kings dollar (yours) under their knee the longest while riding bareback, gets to keep them all.

10. High point award ceremony– parade of riders– Parade into the ring on your magnificent steeds and find out who is the ruler of the land.

11. Pole bending–Just for fun, not counting for high point award.

12. Barrel Racing–Just for fun, not counting for high point award.

It has been fun to adapt these ideas to safe horse back riding. I hope they actually do work out well.

Actually had to break out the blankets for October. We went fro 80 to 40 in about 30 hours. I don’t think the horses minded it, and I found it quite nice. I do like Florida winter. I get to drink coffee longer and start chores later. Then I have to work faster to finish before dark. But it still feels relaxing. Especially when I am going to sleep under my blankets knowing everyone here is warm and cozy.