Susan's Viewpoint

All about my horses!

Who Rang my Doorbell at 10:30 PM?

Who could possibly ring my doorbell at 10:30 PM?  I had to put on an item of clothing so I could be decent when answering the door.

Were my horses loose?  Did they get out of their pasture.?

I tuned on lights, turned off the alarm and opened the front door.  There was a county patrolman standing at my front door.  I exclaimed.  I immediately assumed I had hit the fall button or emergency button on my new Apple Watch.  I tried apologizing for my error.

The patrolman asked me if I was Hope Robinson.  No, she’s a friend of mine. Oh, I thought.  My watch contacted my close friends.  Hope must be an emergency contact.  Again, the patrolman asked if I was Hope.  No, Hope is a friend.

For two days my small county in the world has been knocked off the Internet.  AT&T  is a huge cell phone and WiFi provider.

Hope had tried to message me about our plans the next day. I never answered.  She called and immediately got my voicemail.  The phone did not ring.

it’s the damn Internet the handsome young patrolman and I decided.  I told him the Hope Robinson lives in Grandview.

We both cursed the Internet.  I ran out out of Kindle books to read last night.  Thankfully it was time to sleep.  Cell service  is functioning this morning.  The grocery store in town was selling groceries with check or money order.  My tire shop had a tough time getting a replacement for my flat tire wheel.  Our Internet was out part of a day and nearly all day yesterday.  It was hell!

Fancy Lost Her Domination and Slid into #3 Dominate Horse

 When Tenor arrived there was heated exchange between Sonny and Tenor.  Fancy also played a big role in the domination battle.  Tenor has ended up with a few teeth marks on his back, I believe most are from Fancy.  Sonny is so powerful, he snarls and runs at the new horse and instantly wins. The horses tell me where they are in the domination determination by the stalls they inhabit at feed time.  Sonny is always #1.  Fancy has been #2 as was she was at morning’s feed time.

The situation changed at afternoon feed time.  Tenor took #2 stall and after a few seconds, Fancy went into #3 stall.  Stall#1 gets fed first as it’s nearest to the feed room.  Stalls are “free choice” for the horses.

Fancy has never lasted this long being dominate with any horse except for young horses and she tied for dominance with her beloved mule,  “Mulie”, ar her boarding stable.

This was a big day; the day Fancy became #3.  Herd life is like that,  but she will try every day to win back #2.

HOLD ON!  This morning Fancy is back in stall#2.  My my!

Nathan Granner- Movie Star – Susan Engle’s son

Usually the story is about the usher, but you will all be astounded at the Usher Mom story. Some of you know my son, long time Kansas City resident Opera singer Nathan Granner.  He was the artistic director of the first non Kauffman Center resident production about composer Virgil Thomson’s music sung by a variety of Kansas City  produced by an Atlanta PBS station.  (The production was never aired.) Being the mom of the artistic director and singer, I got a backstage pass and sat in the green room during rehearsals pretending to be a famous person.  I also got to sit on the Helzburg stage during a UMKC Conservatory performance where Nathan was one of the singers.  I had no idea that I would be an usher in late 2012.

Nathan left Kansas City to get a Masters of Music at UCLA.  Turns out, that was the winning ticket for his opera career.  UCLA music professors can help navigate a student’s opera career, during and after their student status.  Most of the Nathan’s professors are also opera singers.  Win Win for referrals!

His career sustained the cost of living in LA, even during the pandemic.  Two years ago, the big blast came.  Nathan got a call to ask if he would take a role in a movie!  The original plan was to produce an opera, but everything locked down when Covid hit.  Restrictions loosened but opera venues were still closed.   It was decided to make a movie instead of an opera!

Your Kansas City boy is the star of Mr. Chips!  The book was written in 1939 and two movies were made of it.  This version of Mr. Chips is the first ever OPERA MOVIE!

Yours truly got to watch two days of filming.  When I was there, 3 people were filmed with a movie crew of 54 people!  Movies are filmed in San Francisco Treasure Island in huge WW II Air Force hangers!  (HUGE). The crew are professional set designers, sound people, 6 people on the camera crew, producer, director etc!  Nathan had his own trailer in the hanger!

Tenor Receipt Day

Kevin and Tenor

Today, Tenor came from Florida and returned to me.

Long, long ago, I gave young Tenor to Kevin from Florida when his horse, Delta, became allergic to Florida. Tenor was old enough to “start.”

I bought Tenor as a weanling and took him to Jenny and Tony “Parelli” colt starts and young horse clinics as he developed. Tenor is a left-brain horse, exceedingly friendly, always begging for attention.

Kevin revisited Missouri with his horse trailer. He successfully rode Tenor and soon took him back to Florida. It was a happy day to unite with the Vaughts again when they moved to Florida.
Delta lived with Tony and Jenny in southern Missouri. When the Vaughts moved to Florida, Delta came to live with me. We lost Delta this year due to bone damage making her unable to get up when she lay down.

Many years before this, I had bought a weanling from Teresa Osborn. He was so excellent and so friendly. I knew Kevin and Ginny were in Missouri about Delta and were coming to visit me. I let Tenor loose in the yard so they could meet him immediately. They met. We all went into the barn and sat on some hay bales. Tenor came in with us and laid down at Kevin’s feet, remarkable in two ways: Tenor had no fear, and he had connected to Kevin. Why he chose Kevin and not me is remarkable. That is why I gave Tenor to Kevin when he lost his horse in Florida.

Amazingly, another horse from Kevin and Ginny, Sonny, became allergic to Florida and had recently come to live with me. Sonny and Tenor lived together in the same Florida herd for years. Kevin started spending more time traveling long distances and working for his job. He decided it was unfair to Tenor to decrease his time spent with him. He decided to give Tenor back to me! Kevin was trained by Tony and Jenny, as was I. We use the same methods and cues. Kevin and the Vaughts developed Tenor into an advanced horsemanship state using the Parelli methods. Thanks Kevin for training Tenor for ME!

Ginny, Kevin, and Tenor spent two days driving from Florida to Tenor’s former home. Fancy and Sonny could see a horse and were jammed together in #1stall. I had locked #2stall. I experienced drama trying to get Fancy out of #1stall with Sonny. Success happened, and Sonny was locked alone in #1stall. Fancy roamed free. The barn has three walls, open in the back.

Kevin got Tenor placed in #2stall and exited. The drama happened when Fancy stuck her nose into Tenor’s stall, touched his friendly head, and screamed. She also kicked his stall panels. (This can be how mares react.) Everyone appeared to calm down. Sonny and Tenor ignored each other. What happened to the best friend thing? Ha!

Humans took a long time to unhitch Kevin’s and Ginny’s trailer. That darn trailer has a secret unhitch safety feature. After ten to fifteen minutes of Kevin trying to lift the truck from the trailer ball, it gave up its secret and unhitched. Luckily it wasn’t a 100-degree high humidity day. I think we were enjoying an upper 70-degree day, and Kevin didn’t expire from fighting the trailer.

We went out to eat. The horses were left to get acquainted with each other and calm down. Ginny and Kevin left to get on with his job.

I returned to the barn. Sonny was relaxed, eating the good Florida hay. Tenor was pacing the stall watching Fancy eat grass. I put food in all stalls and tried to open Tenor’s stall door without dying, but with Fancy, there was drama. I managed to get Sonny’s stall open and managed to open Tenor’s stall door, all without being killed. Time to turn them loose together!

Having girlfriend Fancy is more important than having a best friend. Sonny and Tenor were best herd friends in Florida for years, but today Sonny became a charging bull to Tenor with teeth. Fancy screamed. We had brief quiet moments while Sonny and Fancy finished the stall grain. Tenor rolled. Awwww.

The drama started again, and all three horses went thru the gate to the lake side pasture. Sonny chased Tenor into the lake. What! This had never before happened in “first turnout time.” Sonny and Fancy took off. Tenor LAID DOWN in lake. Good Lord. He stood up and left the lake. On the other side of a small piece of land that juts into the lake, I heard him splash, getting into the lake again! What!. Trees kept me from seeing him. I almost went into the pasture to see if he was drowning because I didn’t hear a splash to get out. But before I could do that, I saw all of them running. They ran. Sonny and Fancy chased Tenor, ate grass time and repeat. They covered all areas of lake pasture and returned; this time Tenor was usually behind the two, but they stopped and chased him for a few seconds.

Currently, Fancy and Sonny are munching on their Florida hay while Tenor rests beside the round pen. All is well. Whew! It will take a few days before Tenor is welcomed into the herd. It is the way of the herd animal!

Tenor is slowly earning his way into the herd.  He is on his third day, enjoying unlimited grass and his very own lake!

Sonny D. and Sharon

Sonny is my new Missouri Fox Trotter horse from Florida.  He became allergic to Florida and the only cure was to get him out of Florida.  He has been a lesson horse for Tony and Jenny Vaught for many years.  He has led a great life and it will continue in Missouri.  He is in his 20’s.

We had the big Sharon and Sonny test today and Sonny aced it. We did our round pen warmup, rode my pasture and then went out to the real world. I coached Sharon in the round pen on flat foot walk. Mostly Sonny walked fast, but every now and then he had a comfortable fox trot which was amazing.
Occasionally, he paced, so Sharon got to feel that too.

In the pasture, I led and did some flat foot walking. Sharon kept up which I found amazing.
Sharon has become the boss. She rides one handed and carries the end of the reins as a permanent spanker.  She and Sonny are a team now.

We did some stopping too. I demonstrated the flat foot walk using the words “hunk of meat and two potatoes.”  Fancy also showed Sharon what the fox trot looks like.

Upon leaving the pasture…we rode up the gravel road to the cement road and returned. I coached there too. I just call out the gaits Sonny is doing. Sharon is using her motivation spanking reins now and Sonny believes her.  Sharon is enforcing the rule, “Don’t Change Gait.”

Next we enter the site where the new house being built. There are strange things all over the place. I put Sonny and Sharon in the lead. If I was riding Fancy there alone we would stopped and stared a long time at suspicious things. Sonny led at a fast walk. Sharon said he was looking at things! Sonny never faltered or reacted to anything! We followed a mowed path leading to trees, but the mowed stopped, and I decided we had done enough. We returned past the opposite side of the house with more strange things and walked over a large expanse of leveled dirt. I suggested to Sharon that this could be an arena! Sadly it’s for a storage barn. Sharon is going to suggest it become an indoor arena!

Sonny earned his “Million Dollar Horse” title on this day.

I had my phone for this ride.  Sadly it was dead.  I didn’t charge it last night, so still no pictures.

We rode home and into our stalls. I felt very weak when I got off. It was difficult to take off the saddle. I led Fancy to our tie pole and told Sharon she could tie Sonny there too since they get along so well. I went into barn and cleared out a chair. I let Sharon wash Sonny and asked if she would also wash Fancy. Sharon did everything and got horses back into their open stalls.

I managed to walk to the house and fell into my air conditioned bed. My heart rate was around 140.I’m having an episode. My heart is not pounding like it does sometimes. I now know the weakness is rapid heart beat. It did get hot and were were out in full sun for 45 minutes or so. (I discovered the heat index was 100 on this day and humidity is high.  Not good.)

When I was typing this story, sitting in my favorite Thai Spice restaurant, I caught a glimpse of something moving on my shirt.
It was a tick.

Those were the “Days My Friends”

Fancy Returns Home

Fancy spent over a month in training with Erin Patterson while my husband was in hospital and nursing home.  Fancy expected a vacation homecoming.  Susan expected and got a compliant smooth gaited horse with great cantering, great stops, great leg yields etc.  Thank you Erin!

Fancy suffered today from too much riding.  Instead of a home vacation, she was ridden. She wants a phone so she can call horse abuse hot line. I rode in an indoor arena, no fan. It was hot and stuffy in there. I rode outside at the stable. Here ‘s where rules were broken:  I forgot about wearing spurs today, but they were not needed.  My boot heels and body language communicated perfectly.
We went back inside and rode more. This is against the rule. We did more cantering.  When Fancy canters, I get a breeze. I dismounted finally and the rule is, I take off saddle and let her roll in that wonderful arena. Nope. I made her get into trailer wearing her saddle. Swear words!
I took her home, put on her bridle and rode her. Gawd. Never before has this happened.  NEVER! Also she had to go through road puddles filled with sharks. She had to back thru the puddles because she would not go forward through them (sharks). We left our property where there is a frightening patch of shade and more puddles. We had to back quite a ways before she agreed to move forward.
The abusive day ended in a bath! Oh no!

more abuse to come….

Forty Degree Temperature Change – Winter to Instant Summer

Fancy ride in another 40 degree temperature change day..from 30’s to 75 degrees.

My first goal was passenger riding faster than a walk for ten minutes.  We did five minutes before she froze in place when the pigs made noises.  She did stay out on the rail at the very last two minutes before she froze in concern at little piglet noise from their pen just outside the arena.
Note:  Passenger Riding means human stays on the horse and horse decides where to go in the arena.  Horse always starts out making short turns or tries to go through a too narrow barn door opening…she did get her head through the too narrow opening.  We had a discussion about that….

I’m developing a Parelli Level 4 Freestyle (bridleless) audition and rode Fancy in an indoor arena. I got slightly overheated. Poor Fancy, she was the one doing the hard work. It didn’t occur to me that three arena doors could be opened along with two half doors for a breeze. Breeze is a term not pleasantly associated with winter. Plus there is a very nice usable outdoor arena at this stable…duh

Do not ever give Fancy the number to the Stupid Human Horse Abuse Hotline.

We tried the two foot jump, but she stopped, tried to step over the pole, and knocked over the entire jump. No more jump try today.  But we did try to consistently gait and canter over the pole on the ground.

We did some flying changes, but I held the reins.  Some of the changes were successful! I tried to follow Erin’s instruction to use more “enthusiasm”. I probably omitted another requirement or more.  It’s difficult to remember all the million and one flying change requirements at the same time…see much earlier post for detailed flying change requirements.

I tried to do my plan for the audition.  Some of the hastily made up plan didn’t work, even using reins.

We worked on my new side pass goal…side pass when my leg comes off her barrel and I assume the sidepass and head position.  Second stage is leg cue with opposite leg.  I’m getting a very slow “don’t wanna” response.  Third stage is to use more pressure.  Fourth stage is to reward with treat and rest when a quick side pass response achieved.  We followed up with gaiting around the arena with leg yields. Improvement was noted!  We need immediate leg yield for flying change!

We ended with her saddle off and a wonderful roll in the yummy arena dirt.

 

 

4.8 Mile Solo Trail Ride

A horse in my past life evidentially made me afraid to ride outside of an arena.  I’ve conquered that fear down to “ride outside with other people”.  I first became aware of my new found freedom from outdoor fear last month when I rode Fancy around the neighbor’s property.  The realization of what I had done had not “hit me” until later in the afternoon.

On this day, I agreed to ride at a nearby park with other people, good solid people who are safe to ride with.  I arrived at the park on the minute that the ride was to start.  Usually, I’m an early person and stress out unless I’m early.  I looked for my people and didn’t see them.  I was sitting in my truck waiting, when the park police car who had been “following me” pulled up and wanted to talk to me.  He parked and I had gotten out of the truck.  He explained that this was a Cass County Park and I needed a sticker permit to ride in the park.  Of course, since I’m so cute, he was going to let me ride.  I decided to check another parking place wondering if my people were parked there.  I drove to that area and saw no one.  ALL RIGHTY!  I’m going to go to my favorite park, James A Reed, and ride there!

FANCY:  I’m taking over the story now:  I was very upset when we drove into this area and saw other horses.  Mom did not let me out of the trailer so I could meet them and dominate them.  Plus, this funny marked car followed us and Mom got out to talk to a young man.  I was worried about her as he was unusually dressed in some kind of black outfit.  What if Mom needed me to for protection and I’m locked up in this darn trailer!  Sheesh!

Mom survived and I was now being transported back on the highway to who knows where.  I’m not in control locked in this trailer!  We pulled into another parking lot and not one horse was there to greet us.  Cars and bikes drove by, but no one talked to us.  Mom let me out of the trailer and proceeded to groom and then saddle me.  What was she thinking?  By golly, she took me here to ride me.  I was upset at this place and nervous.  Mean Mom made me run around in those ridiculous circles.  I might add, it’s hot out here.  I’ve been used to winter and this weather is not winter.  I have a lot of winter hair to keep me warm and the hair is not needed in this weather.  Sigh.  We took a short walk and went back to the trailer and Mom told me she was going to get on me with the help of the trailer.  Being a sweet and wonderful mare, I stood still where she needed me.  I wanted to move out as soon as her little rear nestled in the saddle.  She made a few comments about needed to get her other foot in the saddle and my halter rope secured around the horn.  She has never before kept the halter rope on the halter when she rode me.  Odd.

Off we went.  I was so excited about seeing the outdoors after years of being cooped up in indoor and outdoor arenas.  This is the real world and I can’t wait to see what is out there.

I settled down into a nice fast walk and Mom left my mouth alone.  She didn’t haul back on the bridle.  I was grateful. I quickly figured out to follow the trail and not go off track.  I could feel Mom smiling.  I wanted to go faster, but she reminded me to keep my steady fast walk and I did.  Mom kept smiling.

Slight scream…the world dropped off, but Mom guided me to the side of the “end of the world” and I avoided falling into a void of killer blue moving stuff Mom called puddles.  I know this.  I trusted Mom several times and managed to cross the 3” slice of killer water.  Mom and I have worked on gravel road puddles, but these things are even more evil.

We left those behind and started flat foot walking.  We came upon a strange sight and heard noise in the distance.  I stopped and stared.  Mom stared too.  She had no idea what the big monster thing was in a place where she admitted “I’ve never seen or heard anything like this at this location in the park.  I waited for a while and we went closer.  We stopped several times and stared.  Gradually we got close enough to see it was a a mamouth Jeep with music blaring and a young man on the roof.  I can take vehicles and loud music so I carefully went closer.  Suddenly two cars show up and parked behind the mamouth Jeep thing.  Young men got out of the car and stared at us.  They stared at my blue eyes.  I knew they were humans.  Humans are good.  One of them ripped some grass and fed me.  I now loved these young men.  One of them said his father used to raise quarter horses, so I had Mom explain what gaited horses are.  She said I was going to “gait” across the dam and show them how smooth I am.

We passed them and started “gaiting” across the dam.  Whoops, there is a monster in the water next to the damn.  Whoa!  The monster is making sloshing water sounds.  It might try to kill me.  I stared at it and noted no movement.  I crept forward a few steps.  I wait for movement.  It did not attack me..  I decided I was safe for a few more forward steps.  I got even with it and hurried past.  Mom said it was a metal water dam controller.  Hmmm, maybe it was like the metal bit in my mouth controlling my tongue.
Now ahead on the dam were some small monsters that would eat me.  We stopped and stared for a while.  Mom encouraged me to move and I did take a few steps before braking to a full stop.  I just wanted to save both our lives.

Mom tried tricks to get me to move.  They worked for a few more steps.  She tries to zigzag me.  But the monsters still existed and were moving.  Finally, the geese went into the lake and out of my path.  I decided it was safe to proceed.

Oh we gaited and gaited and both of us were exhilarated!   We were on the path on the way to the trailer, when the true end of the world came.  It was at least 3000 miles deep and filled with that unsolid substance.  I tried to turn around a go back the way we came.  Mom said, no.  It’s too far to go back.  We need to go forward where your safe trailer and grain bribe awaits.  No, I said.  Mom tried to have me cross the void in different places, but I refused.  Mom said, “My body wants to go home.  I refused.  Mom did a really evil thing to me.  EVIL.  She backed me through the water filled evil killer water ditch.  I was so scared that my back leg muscles started quaking and shivering in fear.  I knew death was just moments away.  Still, I obeyed.  What the heck?  How did she do that?  She rubbed my neck and rear with positive murmurs of love.  SHE TRICKED ME!

We did come to another smaller void and I learned how to jump over it.  Oh I was proud!  Mom was proud too and I got words of love again and more rubbing as we went on the path.

I wish Mom would have showed me off riding bridleless.  We would not have experienced any dirt water void ditches with nothing on my head.  Give me freedom!!  Mom said,  trust is great but control is better.  Wonder what that meant!

Mom was really getting tired now and so was I, and she decided we could go on the pavement!  We flat foot walked and fox trotted on the pavement.  We made the famous “hunk of meat and two potatoes” fox trot noise.  We were both happy. Tired and happy!

She decided we could cut across an unplanted corn field to get back to the trailer quicker.  I learned to stay in the row.  Oh I was a great horse and there was the heavenly trailer.  Saddle off. Sweat curried and I got to zoom into the trailer and eat my grain bribe.

I took the next day off, went to my chiropractic adjustment the next day and felt a lot better.  I haven’t been ridden since. I’m ready to go again!  Mom actually enjoyed the trail ride and enjoys telling people how she tricked me.  Maybe she will take me out there again so I can thwart her trick and pay her back.  We’ll see…..

Best Bridleless Ride

 

Look at that front leg reach,swish of the trail…perfect foxtrot!
We started with a bridle and did the gaits, leg yields and a repeat of yesterday’s reining pattern, but slow motion at a flat foot walk.
I took off the bridle.  We practiced doing leg yields without reins.  I’m remembering Velvet now.  Velvet and I did leg yields bridleless, in one direction with it being difficult the other direction. Ah, the memories…

When we were resting, I remembered sidepassing.  We experimented with bridleless sidepassing.

I had a neck rope while riding bridleless until it became untied.  I used my body, leg cues and horsemanship stick to provide Fancy with my direction and speed requests.

I’m thrilled to report Fancy stopped when I asked.  Stopping is a very big deal when riding bridleless!  Fancy did wonderful!  We did all the gaits while bridleless, flat foot walk, fox trot and canter.

Erin Patterson, instructor emeritus, said, “Best bridleless ride!”

WONDERFUL!  I’m very fortunate lucky to have this horse.  Her bloodline proves what our fox trotter ancestors wanted!

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