Horse Sense....
So Boo's favourite phrase is, Wuv you, Tarns... as he hoons past.
Seriously, he has two speeds...un-fucking-believable and stop.
He's bloody terrifying at the pace he lives his life.
Let me give you an example:
I was shifting the cows today, because there was grass in the other paddocks, and theirs was looking a little light. This meant that I had to shut gates so that Boo was not able to play with cows.
The morning was fine, night time not so much. Fenny and Flash came when called, which was kind of cool, but then changed their mind and didn't wish to be separated from new grass after all. So kept following me. Not cool.
Then I got them all sorted, shut gate, had feed ready for my babes, then opened the gate to let them into feed. Caps walzed in with not a care. Boo saw me and decided to play, and then bloody Mumma had the hump and refused to move from paddock. So I had Caps where I wanted him, Mumma where I didn't and me squished inbetween the gate and fence with Boo wishing to play.
With me.
O.M.F.G.
It worked out he only wanted to Touch/play with extra's (like having a run up and down the fence) but even so, fuck he was feisty.
Tarns! Tarns! Check it out! As he was thrusting his ass towards me. Then he would have a little gallop, turn, gallop back, (I'm still inbetween fence and gate) Tarns! Tarns! Check it out! And then he would throw a leg out so I could see how long and gorgeous it was.
I am absolutely not shifting the cows tomorrow. I'll have to have a new Plan A, because I'm not doing that shite again.
Chew refuses to go in paddock.
Suz is with Chew.
I'm with both of them.
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Oh, and there has been a fantastic side effect with the sand....it's smoothing their hooves.
Let me re-phrase this so I know that I am explaining it properly. So farrier came the day after, when Boo and Mumma had just joined the herd. Farrier comes every six weeks, Caps had not been done the previous time. He is a little precious about his hooves as you know, so he tends to only get them done every second time unless he is bad. So he was due when farrier came. But because everyone was trying to find their dynamics in the herd, I left Caps alone. Then he really needed his hooves done.
And then I couldn't find a farrier.
So I went, Fuck it, he'll have to wait.
I have been watching his hooves on a daily basis though, and the sand has smoothed his hooves. And kind of rounded them off, not really, but kind of. It's odd.
In fact, if I didn't know better, it is almost as if the sand has naturally farriered his hooves.
Mumma and Boo's hooves are also looking beautiful.
Too weird for words.
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Caps was so cute with his teachings today.
Boo, the little terror, was soooooooooo happy this morning. He was bucking and kicking and doing all sorts of non-helpful behaviour, but Caps, delicately (to make sure he didn't hurt Boo), kicked out and showed him boundaries again. He's a bloody legend.
It's also a bloody cool way of living here at the moment. I'm learning so much about boundaries.
Mine, unfortunately, are still a work in progress, but I'm trying to get it right.
And the cows were like, Can we go play in the paddock next door?
No.
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And the first lot of herbs are winging their way from overseas to our home.
I'm super excited, but do have to say that there is something wrong with our economy. We are such a green country, yet I can buy herbs overseas, get them sent here to New Zealand, and pay a smidgen just over half the price that it would cost for me to buy them here.
That's wrong.
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Ooooohhhhhh....one of my favourite horses won last night. He's such a dude - he tries so hard and has such a cool personality, it was great to see his hard work rewarded.
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And after a super busy morning, I headed into town to do a few quick errands before heading home and getting naked in the sun. So I was thinking about the sun while I was driving, then I got a text from a girlfriend, Are you at the baby races, want to do lunch?
No, but I'm just passing...and ended up having a lovely afternoon - grabbed a pie, watched the horses and had a bit of a catch up with peeps.
And Belle's baby Daddy colt was racing again. He's looking good - smarter, more put together and did better time. Whoooooooo!
But my friend and I were talking about Belle (who is not training right now because she is growing) and my friend said, And shite just got real.
Which is kind of funny.
Because I don't look at it like that. I've done my jigsaw puzzle, fed her, herbed her, Miri-Miri-ed her, Touch/play-ed her and generally done my thing. So this is just a natural progression. It's not like I've woken up one day, crossed my fingers, kissed the Blarney Stone and done a little prayer to the Gods of Racing.
But that comment made me think, I just don't get people. Which is weird, considering I make my living through talking with people.
Actually, let me explain, I understand the Rhythms of the World and hear the Whispers of Spirit, I just don't understand people and their preoccupation with money.
I do not know how to tell people that money only buys you things, and the things that you really need, money can't buy.
That whether you have $5, $5000, 5 million or too many millions to count, this money doesn't define you.
You define you.
Thoughts, words, actions, intent. Actually, scrap intent, the thoughts you think and the words you speak, but mostly, action.
Maybe it's the way I'm saying it.
Anyway, my life's interesting at the moment and I'm excited about the future.
Because more than anything else in the world, I love risk and high stakes (but not speed and scary things) and the anticipation of, What would happen if I did this?
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I got my cows moved!!
Well, I thought about it and thought about it, and I just couldn't get past the whole, I have so much grass... So I had to find a way to get the cows to it.
So I got up full of enthusiam for it yesterday, had a look and went, Yeah, nah.
But that didn't sit well with me. Well, to be fair, I can do this. I just didn't know how. So I let the thought of how just sit and germinate.
And I got up this morning with a new attitude.
Fed everyone, then did the sneak, shut the gates to the horses, un-did other gates and Hello! cows moved. Gates for horses un-locked again and everyone sweet.
Until dinner time.
It took me over 2 hours to get it sorted.
Because horses wouldn't move. I tried bribery of food in paddock over...that didn't work. Boo came, but Mumma and Caps wouldn't. Then I had to heft the food back over fence, and into Welcome Paddock. Then shift cows. Then I messed up and needed to re-open one paddock.
Re-move cows, re-open gates.
Then muck out stalls, put baleage in and then do a bit of Touch/play, because everyone was a bit miffy by then.
And then Voila! everyone was where I wanted them.
I'm fucking stoked.
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OMFG...he's a shite!
No, seriously, a shite. After all that work I did yesterday shifting cows, opening and closing gates, making sure horses were all safe and loved up, well, I got up this morning and had lost Boo.
I bloody looked everywhere, and was just at the point of calling my friends to say, Come help me trawl the pond, Boo's drowned... and what do I see?
Boo's head poking up next to Az. With the cows next to him.
Fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck.
Works out Mumma had opened up the gate, and he had just popped himself through and was hanging out!
Mumma did it on purpose you know, she's been like, OMG, he's exhausting, Tarns.
Here, let me open the gate for you, Boo...
On a positive note, no one is dead, hurt, mained, lost an eye or been gouged. Boo is also going to be a dream to wean and will be totally socialized, which will be awesome for him later.
And the cows can stay, no new home needed if everyone behaves.
A bloody brilliant end result.
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And as I'm writing this, everyone is getting on fantastically.
There was one teensy little issue when Boo was trying to get a sneaky shag in with the little ones, but Chew gave him a gentle double barrel, to remind him of boundaries, while Ralph gave him a double barrel with all he had. Three times. Just to make sure and a, Get that fucking thing away from my ass!
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Boo was like, Ok, ok, keep your hair on, no problem here...
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Oh, wait...a couple of cool things happened just before this blog went out, that I want to share with you before I forget:
1) I've decided not to put Mumma into foal this season.
The reason being, we're just not ready. Normally the Energy would be clear and vibrant and fresh, ready for me to do my magick. And it's not. I don't mean it's all nasty and messy, but we haven't finished our process this time. We are smack bang in the middle of learning.
I'm learning how to work with, and be part of, our herd, and I'm learning how to live my cycle. That's weird, right? I mean, you've heard me talk about my cycle and how to work with it, for well over a year now, but having a colt is making me live it.
'Cause colts know. Like know.
And the dynamics of a herd are so intricate and complex. To be a part of one, is mind blowing. So these things that I'm learning, I don't want to rush through. I want these learnings to become part of my tapestry, and weave into my DNA. And that can't be rushed.
So the young one and I have decided that I will fly over to America next year, he will meet me, and we will go stud shopping.
We're going to put Mumma to an American Stallion.
A new one that as I am writing this, will still be racing, but will be finished by the time I get over there. He possibly could just be finishing now. Either way, we're Americanna-ing.
Mumma's stoked.
2) Boo got his official racing name today:
Tennessee-Ghost-Pepper
Tennessee - is for family. Whether it is through the water of the womb, blood in your veins or the tribe you choose, it speaks of loyalty, commitment and belonging. A 'united we stand' front. It talks of perservance to goals, achievement, success and contentment of home. This started with my Grandfather and has carried on down the generations.
Be a man or woman who is strong, independent and successful…and don't take any shite.
Ghost - Because Boo was conceived the week of Halloweeen.
Pepper - Because he is quick.
I know, we love our name too! Thanks Liam and Stephanie, you picked a good one xx
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So that's been our week:
We've turned a corner without me realizing, the path ahead is looking amazing, and I can breathe again.
As I'm writing this.
Big hugs and horsey kisses from us here, to you there.
Caps, me, Spirit, Az, Ralph, Chew, Suz, and of course, my beautiful Mumma Bear, Belle and Little Boo, Fenny, Flash, Pat, Chuck and Lightning and 4 little chickadees.
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