Friday, October 24, 2008

Ride 'em Cowboy

Little Cowpoke would ride a horse every day if I would let him. He is always asking if he can ride. When my Nanny comes to the house to watch the kids, Little Cowpoke always comes with me to the barn. He helps me do everything. He always wants to curry the horses. He wants to get the dirt off Peanut. He is such a great helper. He also tells me that he will ride Peanut first. He always wants to ride first. But since Peanut is fairly new here, I get to ride Peanut first. So, after I rode Peanut, I met Little Cowpoke back at the barn for his ride. Here they are. Walking away from the barn. This little sorrel is such a good boy. His barn sour issues seem to have been put aside. Peanut really likes Little Cowpoke. I love Peanut's ears. When the kids get on him to ride, his ears are always really relaxed looking. Also, Little Cowpoke doesn't ride "all by himself". I walk right in front of the horse. I am never more than an arms length away from him. I am such a nervous Nelly these days. We walked Peanut through the "trail" of "treasures". Peanut is very good at responding to Little Cowpoke's neck rein cues. Little Cowpoke and Peanut did the imaginary barrels. Because we don't have our barrels out, we just go around the dead grass where the barrels used to be. Then we practiced saying "whoa". Then Little Cowpoke wanted to do poles. I don't have any poles so we just went around the cones. So, around the cones they went. I keep trying to get Little Cowpoke to make a bit larger turns. Peanut really just goes where Little Cowpoke wants to go. After about 20 minutes of imaginary barrels and poles, it was time to stop. Little Cowpoke wanted to play soccer. He jumped off Peanut and then walked him back to his tie post. Great ground manners Peanut. Let's see how Little Cowpoke felt about his ride. Way to go Little Cowpoke. We tried to trot again, but Peanut would not trot. He did walk a bit faster. Little Cowpoke thought he was trotting, so I just smiled and agreed. After untacking Peanut we had to give Ozzie some love too. Ozzie is so sweet. Right now Ozzie is taking a small break. He started bucking a lot while I lunged him. So, now I am giving him a month off. He would only buck while he was saddled and bridled. I think he might be having flash backs to being tied down with the crazy trainer. Ozzie is only 3 years old. So, I think he needs a little break. I will come back to him in December and get him ready to go to the trainer in January. He is going to the cutting trainer, Corey, for two months. He is going to ride Ozzie and use him as a turn back horse. I wish I could have Ozzie go off to a ranch somewhere and be used as a trail horse for 6 months. Ozzie is a good boy, he just needs miles. And I am too big of a scaredy cat to ride the miles he needs. But anyway, back to Peanut. Here is his goopy eye before I cleaned it. We have given him antibiotics and it didn't clear it up. So, on to the vet next week to see what he can do for old Peanut. His other eye is starting to get a little green too. Hopefully the vet can get it cleared up.

16 comments:

Danielle Michelle said...

Yeah! The cute cutting trainer! Whoo hoo!

I think your right to give Ozzie a break. It's amazing how much growing up they can do.

Peanut Rocks!

Mrs. Mom said...

Awwww!! Look at that old champ taking care of your sweet little man!! Too freaking cute Andrea.

Hope Peanuts eye turns out OK. Poor man sounds like he has been through a lot, but boy is he in a good place now!

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I'm amazed that those little legs can hang on. I vaguely remember a vet offering to flush out the tear ducts of my filly when her eyes were gooped up.

Karen said...

I love Peanut. I'd take him in a heartbeat if you didn't want him. And I love that Little Cowpoke loves the horses. How nice to have a little prodigy in the stable with you.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Awww, the photos of your little man on Peanut are too sweet.

I'm glad he's working out so well for you guys.

And I hope Ozzie stops his bucking fits soon, too.

Oh! And poor Peanut. Keep us posted on his eye condition. I hope it's nothing serious and that he heals fast.

~Lisa

Cactus Jack Splash said...

You little guy sure looks cut on Peanut. Looks like you guys found a treasure.

Amanda said...

Little Cowpoke looks so cute in that helmet! And all was well and good until I got down to the goopy eye. Yuck!

Laura said...

GROSSSSSSS!!!!!!

The eye, and the bottom of the page pic!!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Yay for your kiddos and Peanut! Little cowpoke looks very happy with his new buddy!!

I bet the vet will give you a little tube of eye ointment and that infection will clear right up. Sure looks yucky now tho...I would clean his eyes as often as you can with a warm washcloth and maybe put a flymask on him to shade his eyes until the vet can check him out.

Good for Ozzie-no reason not to give him some time off if he is giving you problems. Those babies need a little work and then some time off, a little work and then some more time off. Gives em a chance to "think" about things and mentally mature. He has plenty of years to look forward to getting those wet saddleblankets.;) But hey-this is coming from someone who doesn't mind if they are 5 or 6 or 7 before I get some of them broke. I figure if I wait long enough on some of them, they will just be too darn old to buck me off-LMAO.

Melanie said...

Yep...it looks like Peanut is a keeper!!!

Lil' cowpoke sure seems to know, or at least look like he knows, what he is doing, and I bet that your mommy nerves go down a tad once you know more about Peanut and how he reacts to things (you sound just like me!).

About that eye...my great grandmother (who was an old midwife) used to say that warm, salt/saline water would help draw an infection out, and sometimes cure, just about any type of eye infection (it works good for slivers to).

You just make up a solution of warm (body temperature) tap water, and table salt, and mix it until it tastes about as salty as tears. Then just sponge it, or use a dropper to squirt it (carefully), into hs eye. Most horses love it when you squirt or sponge it in, and then just cover their eye with the warm sponge/cloth for a minute. Their lips will usually start to twitch, they'll drop their heads...

Initially TONS of goop comes out and it even looks a little worse, but if you have the time to do it (ideally it should be done 4-5 times a day, but we always have managed with two-three),you will usually see a huge improvement.The key is, that you have to get the salt water on the inside of his eye, and not just the outside.

I would still have the vet come out and give you a tue of goop (as BEC said!), but this will help prevent it from getting worse over the weekend.

Sorry to sound like a bossy old horse person, but is worth giving it a try! :)

Rambling Woods said...

I LOVE the thumbs up photo..Love this as usual...

TjandMark/AKA PearlandHawkeye said...

Perfect Peanut. Ole Charlie is difficult for kids to get to trot too. But as they become more confident then he picks up speed. Good luck on the eye. Blessings

Callie said...

ute little rider! Yikes! that's a cruddy lookin' eye!

Train Wreck said...

Aw he is a little Cowboy! I have a watercolor that I did that reminds me of your little Cowboy. I call it "Little Man" It is my nephew in his daddies boots! Little Cobboys are the cuttest!
I hope you figure out what is wron with your horses eye! Poor guy!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

I will have to remember Melanie's eye treatment. That sounds like it would really work. Since vets are few and far away around here-we have to do almost everything ourselves. It's good to know of home remedies that work.

KD said...

What a big Little Cowpoke to ride Peanut by himself like that! Looks like you got a keeper.