Tania Kettle

So my hands are all hot this morning and I'm really looking forward to the young one, but the next minute (as I'm driving down the road), Spirit are like, Don't you be touching that horse this morning.

Bugger.

I was really looking forward to it, but you know, Spirit work like this.  I'll be all ready and then they're like, No.  I've learnt there is a method to their madness, and they are never wrong, so I just sat in the Silence with them this morning.  

Then came home and played with Az.

****

You and I need to have a little tutu, jelly baby.

First off, I need to ask you a question, How many parts does a soy have?

If you are like me, you would say, one.  

Soy.

However, this is inaccurate, as I found out today.  After I had bought 4 (different) bags of non-soy food.

Now, before I go any further, I have no problem with the shop that sold them to me, nor the lovely sales girl who actually sold them to me.  No problem at all, and you will understand why in a minute.

I went in for herbs and saw a new brand of feed.  Ooooohhhhhh...and started chatting away to the lovely shop girl about non-soy feed.  Which this was.  We had a great conversation.  We checked for soy, double checked for soy and then I bought four different kinds of it.  I do all the ground work for my horses, but ultimately leave the final choice to them.  

Hoofed all the stuff back to the little one and everyone (humans) started having chit chats and touching, feeling and tasting these new potential foods.  First test was good.  Gave some to Belle and she was like, Oooooohhhhh, that's delicious!  

Then we went, What's extruded protein?  Now we've got clever, because soy is given lots of different names on the back of the feeds, none being soy.  So, I called the company and we had a bit of a chat.  All good and then I said, Your products say they don't have soy, I'm just checking, they don't have soy, right?

Silence.

*mutter* *mutter* skins.

Silence.

Did you say horse skin?

No.  Soy skin.

To be fair, I was having trouble getting my head round this.

I'm sorry, did you say soy skin?  As in the skin of soy?  But I've just brought 4 bags of your food that said they didn't have soy in them.

But they don't have soy.  They have the skin.

Silence, while I digest this information.

Yes, but soy skin.  The skin of soy.

Let's just say the conversation degenerated pretty quickly after that, with the words, Bad attitude being bandied about, and my stubborn refusal to see reason about spending $200 on soy-non-soy feed.

To be fair the woman, right at the end, said she would be happy to make up a feed of my choice for me...in half tonne lots.

That's a no.  Just no.

But you need to ask yourself this one question, jelly baby:

If soy is ok, why are companies lying about it?

****

I woke up feeling pretty amazing today.  Thank fuck.  After yesterday's hiccup, I realized what a blessing it had actually been, scrapped everything, and started with a New Plan A.  

I'm making my own food from scratch again.  Some new, some same, some different.

And I couldn't care less what anyone thinks.  I am sick of hearing, You're not a vet, or scientist, or qualified equine person.  You're not even a trainer.  You feed wrong, you don't listen... and the list goes on.

Correct.  I am also stubborn as shite.  

But what I do do, is listen to my horses and work really, really hard, with and for, them.

The bullying and nasty put down's stop here.

And I can't do anything about the gossip, but can you at least make it interesting and add in one broken chandelier, a rugby team, an ex playboy bunny and two llamas.

****

And I emailed two other companies that I buy from, re soy.

One was offended that I would ask if they use soy skin (and not put it on the packaging).  He was very upset actually.  

The second one gave me a lovely email saying that their product was made on the same line as soy feeds so might have traces (that's fine and is put on the disclaimer) but definitely, 100% no actual soy of any kind.

****

The rest of my time has just been spent connecting in with Caps, Az and Mumma.  No pom pom girls or whoo hoo moments, just finding our way, one hoof at a time.

So that's been our week:

It's been fucking Alice-in-Wonderland-y insane.  There's been some real wins and unfortunately, some less than positive moments.  But even at those times, there have been some magickal minutes.  So I'm interested to see how the next few weeks go.  I know Spirit never let me down, but I can't see a clear path at the moment.  Literally, I'm doing us with the daily (and sometimes minute) plan of, Nope, we're not doing that, but let's try this...  

And it's been weird with humans.  If I say I have been offered everything that I could possibly want, but it's not been what I wanted, then you are going to think that I am ungrateful.  And that's not true.  I am seriously grateful.  But words are not actions.  

When all is said is done, and we are at grass root basics, all that matters is not the golden words that you speak, but what you rock on up with.

Hells bell's and holy water, baby.

On a positive note, my horses are all chatting away to me with their thoughts, ideas, wants, needs and desires and I know some beautiful humans who solidly have my back.

For that I am truly grateful.

Big hugs and horsey kisses from us here, to you there.