A Happy Day!

Today Lea took Diesel out for a little spin around the block - if you will!

She decided to play with him at liberty in the outdoor and then do a little soft line ground driving.  The result was a half hour of complete fun!  The look on Diesel's face is the one I have been waiting for since he came here in April of 2009.  

Joy!

It has been a long road to "fun" for Diesel. But he seems to finally be ready mentally to move forward. His draw has been so great. Lea and I will play with him together and he will trot to us constantly. I am really proud of him. He is confident with the line driving using the light lines and it is fun to try to "motivate" him across cavaletti's and playing point-to-point.

I guess sometimes you have to go through trials to come out shining on the other side.

Because today was a shining moment for him and me!

Marianne

Moving Forward

It has now been a week and a couple of days since Diesel had his laminitis attack.  All I can say, is that I am so blessed that after all the meds, and hosing down his legs, he still loves us and trusts us. I was pretty worried that he would lump us together with the worthless humans that treated him badly before he came to live with us.

I sort of always put him up on this pedestal because he was abused and abandoned.  Looking back that probably was the wrong direction to take.  I knew it was important to spend undemanding time to build trust with us, but he never had a purpose here but to be loved, to eat, to bug his herdmates, and be the cutest lawn ornament you have ever seen.

I have a deep tendency to put human emotions and thoughts into my animals - all of them all the time.  I am beginning to see that this is not always the right thing to do!

I don't regret how he has lived here the last two years, but now I can see that we have filled a spot in his heart that is safe a secure.  It is okay to move forward with living and trying new things.

Because he is on a dry lot, he has required a lot more attention on my part.  I have to admit that owning him has been easy.  It has taken only time spent and lots of love on my part, but very little horsemanship. Now his routine includes me in his activities.  We take him out for 4-5 laps a day on our track.  Coupled with the walking he gets a snippet of grazing here and there.  On Monday, Lea hooked him up to some very lightweight laundry line and tried ground driving with him.  And guess what, he survived just fine.  I was always afraid it would flood back memories of painful days past.  But nope.  He just moved forward like it was no big deal.  I think he actually liked being in the driver's seat!  Lea only did one lap and ended on a good note and a handful of pellets.  Then we went back to walking with a lead line.

We have also been taking him into our outdoor arena to trot around at liberty.  He seems to really like that and keeps trying to steal a bite of grass here and there.  Lea worked yesterday doing a little point to point and Diesel picked it right up.  His draw is great - especially when you have a pocket full of feed pellets (diet ones of course!).

I am excited about what lies ahead.  We are waiting on our very kind neighbor to come try to rough up the track.  We certainly want Scout and Diesel to be able to use all that space. 

So, here is hoping we can get the track down to a nice soft dirt and to lots of fun new days learning to play with Diesel and giving him a purpose!
Lots of love,
Marianne and Diesel!

Diesel is Doing G-R-E-A-T!

Remember the Tony the Tiger ad....G-R-E-A-T!  Well, that pretty much sums up Diesel's last couple of days.

He is completely recovered from his low-grade laminitis attack and ready to get back to being a spunky mini hinny.
On the down side (from Diesel's perspective), he has to be off the grass until further notice!  Luckily we have a nice sized dry lot and we are taking him for lots of walks.  He gets a 2-lap walk around our track in the morning and "5 minutes" of free grazing time.  Talk about soaking up every moment of that!
Then in the afternoon we take him into the outdoor arena and have him trot around, work on his draw, and try to keep him moving in between little snitches of grazing (the arena has some very short grass).  After the 20 minute play time, he goes for another 2-lap walk around the track, and we finish up with another 5-minute grazing time. 
He seems to be enjoying his new routine, although the early morning turn-out for the other 2 horses is a little hard on him.  He gets sort of upset, but then after rolling a dozen times, will settle in for eating his morning hay.
Yesterday, on Monday, during our afternoon walk, Lea put some driving lines on him.  We know that he was abused by his previous owners when being taught and used to drive a cart, so we have avoided it like the plague!  But, Lea has the magic touch; as she does with every animal on this farm!  She worked with a light laundry line and that was just fine by him.  She did a whole lap around our track with the lines and he didn't mind it one bit!  She ended a on good note with lots of treats and he was a happy camper. 

It is so good to see how much he has come to trust us.  To overcome simple tasks that used to be so traumatic is a real testimony to his willingness to trust humans again.
We will continue to work with him at an even pace so not to overwhelm him. 

Baby steps on the driving lines!

In the meantime, we are working furiously to try to figure out how to drag the track so that we can get it down to just dirt.  That way he and Scout can be turned out for LOTS of exercise and movement.  We will put hay nets out and there will be little "oasis" areas of grass then can nibble down for a treat.

More on that later.  Until then, Diesel is gonna get more exercise than he has in the last two years!  And he doesn't seem to mind it at all. 
Marianne

Diesel's Journey Takes a Turn

Back Tracking to Last Saturday, May 7th
Diesel seemed a little off today.  Almost stiff.  He didn't have the sparkle or spunk he always does.  Did he fall, did he get kicked, did he sleep in a weird position?  What did our little guy do???  I watched him all day and he was on his normal routine.  Out to the track in the morning (6:30 to 8:30) to graze, back in to have hay in his dry lot (8:30 to 10:30), then out for a little more grazing time (10:30 to 12:00), drylotted for 2 more hours and then out to graze one last hour for the day.  He wanted to go out and be with the herd.  He was eating, pooping, everything seemed normal except this stiffness in his forearm.

Sunday, May 8th
The same as Saturday.  When I would touch his forearm, he actually flinched, so I was sure he must have taken a tumble and hurt himself.  Well, we will just watch him like a hawk and hope he begins to improve.

Monday, May 9th
Diesel seems a little better today. He is moving a little looser and still eating good.  Again, normal routine and watch his every move.

Tuesday, May 10th
This is the day everything changed.  I noticed right away in the morning that he was shifting his front feet back and forth - that's it - RED FLAG!!!  I immediately went in to call the vet. 

He said he wouldn't be able to get out until after lunch and to "hose down his front legs for a minimum of 20 minutes every 3-4 hours.  It sounds like laminitis."  Out came the hose - Diesel does not like water, so this was a bit challenge for him.  But he stood so good.  It must have felt cooling and relieved some of the inflammation. I stayed home from work today, so Lea and I could take care of him.
Lea and I have been taking online equine courses, so we got out our notes and looked up laminitis symptoms.  There it was, he had 7 out of 10 low-grade laminitis symptoms.  How could this be???  I thought we had done everything possible to avoid this kind of thing?

We waited patiently for the vet and he didn't get out until almost 5:00pm.  But, he is worth waiting for - he is a brilliant vet!  He spent 90 minutes with us and could see that Diesel was already improving just from the hydro therapy.  He put him on 4 doses of Banamine (pain killer and anti-inflammatory) 12 hours apart and another 24 hours of hydro-therapy.
How could this have happened?  We watch our boys so closely, know the symptoms of laminitis (or thought we did), keep the grass on the track very short.  What went wrong? What did we miss?  How could this be?



Diesel getting hydro therapy on his front legs

Well, I have now heard from several vets and other horse friends that this spring - the grasses are out of control with sugar.  Must be the right combination of cold/rain/warm/sun to make the grass grow like gang-busters and the sugars to be extreme. That helps to explain some things.  Must have been too much grass - even the small number of hours they were out was too much.  Dang!

Getting the Banamine in Diesel was a huge relief for me knowing that soon he would be more comfortable.  Like a child, when your pets hurt - you hurt!

Wednesday, May 11th
Stayed home from work today so that we could continue Diesel's care.  Same routine - Banamine every 12 hours and more hydro theraphy.  Diesel was clearly more comfortable today.  Thank you Lord!  Getting the Banamine in him was an interesting endeavor.  We had to change our tactics every time to try to administer it to him.  He is one smart cookie!  Anyway, we got it in him - slowly and patiently.  It is so good to see him feeling better.  But, with feeling better comes more spunkiness. 

Monday and Tuesday he didn't mind staying close to the barn - he was a hurting little pup!  But now that the Banamine is kicking in, he wants so bad to go back out to graze and to play!

Sadly, he has to be dry lotted while the other boys are out.  We kept Scout close by in the outdoor, so Diesel toughed it out pretty well.  He always had hay and we had a big grooming session today to pass the time for him.  He is a good little patient!


Such a good boy!



Hydro Therpy and Kisses!

Thursday, May 12th
I typically don't work on Thursday, so it was good to be home again.  Lea and I continued pretty much the same routine as Wednesday.  He is doing great and off the pain killer.  Feet feel cool (versus very warm when inflammed), sparkle in his eye is back, and he even trotted a couple of steps!

Friday, May 13th
Wow, what a difference a couple of days can make. Diesel is completely off the hydro therapy and the pain killers and today he did a full out trot! He is pretty much back to normal. It has been a long and worrisome week, but I am happy to report that we have his feet stabilized and what I am calling Phase One complete. 

Now on to Phase Two - what do we do with the track.  It is clear that he no longer can be on the track - even as sparse as it is, there is too much grass.  Plus, Scout has gained a little weight this spring and we decided that whatever treatment Diesel gets would be good for Scout too.  So, we are looking for an excavator to come and completely scrape the track down to dirt.  We will leave a few pockets of grass for them to nibble, but mostly they will just get hay on the track.  More on "Phase Two" next week.

Diesel is having a great day, not happy to be dry lotted, but he is tolerating it well.  Maybe tomorrow we will turn him out for some play time.

Saturday, May 14th
Today was a very windy day.  Lea, Allison and I decided we would take everybody for a walk on the track.  But, the horses had other plans.  It was cold, cloudy and very windy and I think everybody was feeling pretty spooky.  The horses were about to explode into a Seabiscuit moment!  We immediately abandonded that plan and got Eddie and Scout back in their paddocks. 

I decided to turn Diesel loose out in the outdoor arena so he could run off some much needed steam.  And boy did he.  Wish I had brought out the camera - he had a ball!
He ran around like a maniac, he bucked and jumped, rang his neck around, and ran all over the place.  He was so glad to finally get out and stretch his little mini hinny legs and have some fun.  We even let him graze a little. 

So, now it is time to implement some changes in his life and make some necessary track changes too.  We had a big grooming session with all the boys and even Diesel stood to be curried off - which he never does!  I think he was so happy for the attention and freedom of running around.  It was a glorious day and I am so thankful to our vet for all his help getting him sound again.  We did two laps around the track and a nice fast pace and I think he loved the exercise.  This will probably be our routine for a while!

So, here we are to today, Sunday, May 15
Well, after church I went out and turned Diesel loose for 15 minutes in the outdoor.  He had so much fun taking a bite of grass here and there and chasing around.  I kept him moving for about 20 minutes and then thought I would take him for a walk around the track.  We almost got 2 laps in, but he was a little spooked by the wind and all the moving brush on the south line.  So, we got in a good lap and a half brisk walk.  After all that I let him loose to graze in the outdoor which has very short grass.  He only got 5 minutes (literally), but seemed happy and content with that.

Looks like the future will be a little different for Diesel and Scout.  No more lush grass or even sparse grass on the track.  More exercise for both of them and hopefully that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.
I am on a diet too, so this will be great for Diesel and I to get lots of exercise together.  I am committing to him a 1/2 hour to one hour a day of arena work, long walks, and a little snippet of grazing time.

Lea and I would like to try some soft line driving with him.  Since we know that he was abused in the past - the bulk of it looks to be from driving.  If I can convince him that line driving (that would be with no cart - just long lines) is fun, hopefully he will respond positively.  It is clear that he loves us and trusts us (especially after having to give him four doses of Banamine), so I think it will go well!

I am so looking forward to the future with him.  What I thought would be a dry-lot prison sentence has turned into an opportunity for him and me to bond closer, get more exercise, and have lots of fun!

I will be posting here regularly to chronical our journey of a healthy lifestyle change for a little equine guy!  Hope you come back often!

Marianne and Diesel!

Ramming Speed!

Now, I bet you wouldn't put that title right along side a sweet little mini hinny???  

But, that is just what it describes, DIESEL!

In case you don't know what a mini hinny is; he is 1/2 miniature horse and 1/2 miniature Sicilian Donkey.  He has very horse like traits (versus the long donkey ears), and other characteristics that puts him in the hinny category.

Because Diesel is a miniature little guy, his diet must match his size.  BUT, Diesel likes Eddie's hay better (our almost 16-hand gelding).  Eddie gets some alfalfa because he is a very big boy with very big nutritional needs.  Diesel gets VERY NICE straight grass hay.  He is, by no means, starved - he pretty much has hay available all day long!  We have also put in a Paddock Paradise for he and Scout to share to be sure they get lots of exercise, lots of movement, some grass, feeling like they are out in the pasture, etc., etc., etc.  Bottom line, Diesel has got a REALLY nice set up here.

In order to accommodate each horse's special dietary needs, each guy has his own paddock.  That way at feeding time, there is no fighting, no dominance games, and everybody gets the right kind of feed according to their waistline!  And Diesels happens to be the biggest.  We are working on that!

Anyway, in order to keep his "Princeliness" out of the big boy's hay, we had to up our "security" (if you will).  In other words, despite the fence dividing the paddocks we had to add snow fencing to keep Diesel on his side of the buffet table!

 He is SO mad about this.  He is a roamer.  He loves to be on the move.  So, the fact that he 1. can not roam everywhere he wants, and 2. he cannot get to the really good alfalfa hay has made this a very unhappy little mini hinny.  It actually is sort of cute!  We give him so much love and attention, that I am sure he will get through this.

That is Scout the paint and Eddie on the right.  They are just so good about this new little change to their paddock - truly, they could care less.  They take these changes in stride!

But not Diesel.  Now to the reason for the title of this post.  Diesel, today, decided he was not happy with the new arrangement and "head-butted" smack into the fence and ripped it open (the fence that is, not his head!).  Ah, now he can get back over to Eddie's side of the paddock.  So, we tried to shore it up (in the freezing cold, I might add).  And WHAM!  He rammed right through it again.  There was just no stopping this little guy.  He was quite determined.

I think Lea finally got it fixed so he couldn't go under it (yes, he did that too - do you see that orange fence that is touching the ground - he somehow went under it), he couldn't ram through it, and he was finally contained.

I do feel kind of sorry for him.  He doesn't do real well with change.  I have learned a lot about how he sees the world by reading Temple Grandin's book, Animals in Translation.  If you have animals - read this book!  It will completely change how you interact with your pets!

Anyway, here is to a better day tomorrow for our little guy.  Lea and I will shower him with lots of love, take him for walks, and help him through this little crisis he feels he is being put through.

Lots of love and lots of carrots always help make things right with the world!

Marianne

One Little Moment

It has been really hot here lately – humid and in the 90’s. So we aren’t doing very much with the horses. They are turned out to pasture, occasionally hosed off, and then brought in to their dry lots/stalls to rest, sleep, eat, and be in the shade and in front of their fans. They seem very happy with the routine and look forward to when we are out and being busy in the barn.
Since Diesel has come to the farm, we have had no expectations from him. We wanted him to learn to trust us, become part of the herd, be healthy, feel safe, and just take some time to settle into our farm routine.
He has been here for 16 months. He has simply become part of our family. However, since we really don’t ask much of him, he sort of just goes along with the herd. When Scout and Eddie are being played with, Diesel usually just comes along and hangs out. We know he has been trained to drive, but that seems to have been a very frightening experience for him. He sees no point to the Parelli games, so he just goes along. And that’s okay!
He loves long walks, treats, and scratches – so that pretty much is what we do with him.
Some days I wonder if he is bored. As he just sort of has that look about him. On those days I will take him for an extra walk (or ask Lea or Allison to), groom him, or just hang out with him.
But this morning, we had this moment. It was a moment that I have longed for since he came to live with us. He was just waking up from a nap when I went over to take off his fly mask and just say hello. I took off his mask, proceeded to give him some gentle scratches and he leaned over to me and put his head right up next to me. He just leaned on me, sort of laying his head against me. I softly whispered in his ear and he didn’t move. I kept talking softly, just telling him how much I loved him, how glad I was that he was with us, and kept on scratching. He continued to lean on me. We just stood for a moment, together. I could really feel that he felt safe; new he was loved, and seemed to be content.
It was a moment I will never forget; because that moment was the reason we spent 6 months trying to rescue him and spent the last 16 months building trust. What a gift that moment was. How lucky am I that I had the opportunity to experience it. Thank you Diesel, for being a teacher of patience, a companion like no other, and a little donk who is willing to share his heart!
Love, your mom - Marianne

Catch Me if You Can!

"Ellloooo!!!!!!!"
This is Diesel.
I have found a new game!
And it is FUN!

So, the humans put me in the same paddock as the bi-colored wonder. (aka Scout)

 Then I sneak through the fence...

And get in with the monochromatic hypochondriac.

And he chases me!

UGH!

So I kick him with my powerful little distal appendages!

Then the quiet human scolds the Edward, and I get to run back into my pen.

It's like a game of tag.

But I always win.

The End!

A New Friendship

Well, I have not been here in some time. And that is a good thing! Only because things are going along really well and Diesel is just being allowed to be Diesel! Diesel is really doing great. I think that is because we have no expectations from him. We have decided that "doing" specific tasks are something he finds intimidating. So, we have come to enjoy long walks all around the property and that is really helping him connect to us. I think he see a purpose for being with us.
He and Eddie have struck up quite a keen friendship. We have always put Diesel with Scout since Scout was the easier going in the herd. They always got along great and Scout doesn't ever "pick" on Diesel because he is so much smaller. But Diesel has had other ideas.
When the herd is dry lotted, Diesel and Scout are right next to each other, so we would very often open up the gate that separates them and they would be together. Well, Diesel can then get easily over to Eddie. The two of them would play through the fence. It was really something to watch. They seem to have formed quite an attachment. So much so, that Diesel started to walk and wiggle through the fence and we would find him in Eddie's dry lot.....with Eddie!
They would nap together, Diesel would eat Eddie's hay with him. It is really rather amusing.
Now, the whole reason we always kept Diesel and Eddie separated was because Eddie is almost 16 hands and Diesel is 9. Eddie is the herd leader and VERY playful. So, a few times when they accidentally got together, Eddie would want to "play." We were worried that Eddie's play might inadvertently hurt Diesel. So, we, us humans, decided they should be separated. Diesel thought differently.
So, almost everyday, Diesel slips through the fence and there they are together. We keep a watchful eye, but so far-so good!
So, the mostly unlikely friendships can form when you least expect them!
Way to go Diesel. You know exactly what YOU need! :o)
Hope to keep you updated more regularly on the life and times of our little mini hinny!
Marianne

I love my walks!

Yes, Diesel loves his walks!


Lea, the quiet and shy one comes up to halter me. She slips it over my nose, and gently lifts it behind my ears. I love how gentle these people are.
She opens my gate and leads me out to the yard, where I graze and munch on some clover. But she has one thing that makes me REALLY interested!
Her treat bag.
She wiggles it and I lift up my head.


MMmmmm.......... Pure BLISS!

sweet feed.


My favorite!!!!!!!!


So I eat some more grass, before we go on a walk. Through the pine trees, under the wahoo trees, through the mosquitoes, and then through some bushes too.
I love these walks and they make me so interested.
Then she wiggles that treat bag again...


MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM-MMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!


More sweet feed!


I love it.


I love these peoples!




~Diesel

Herd Dynamics with a Mini Hinny

Last week Eddie our big gelding got hurt. He had a bit of a tussle with a T-post....and the T-post won! He cut up his backs legs pretty bad, so he had to be stalled and kept sort of quiet. So, when one of our horses are on "bed rest," we keep the whole herd together. When one is stalled, everybody is stalled!
Luckily it rained so we would have kept them in anyway. But Diesel wasn't too happy about this arrangement. Eddie had to be kept in his stall or paddock for about 4 days. Lea would hand graze him, so we would put Diesel and Scout in the outdoor to at least get a little grazing in and some exercise. But Diesel, again, wasn't too happy about this arrangement.
He is a funny little bug. When he wants to go, he sure acts like he doesn't need his herd. But, if Scout and Eddie leave, better not leave Diesel behind.
Every day we bring in the horses and feed them at 5:30. If the weather is good, we leave their stall doors open and they can come and go in their paddocks. If it is too windy or crummy weather, we close up their doors. I think one of Diesel's favorite time of day is after we feed and go back out about 7:00, he loves to be taken out of his stall and taken for a walk and a graze. No problem leaving his herd behind. He really acts like he could care less.
BUT, a couple weeks ago, our trimmer Mike was out to trim up the big boys. So, while Eddie gets trimmed, Scout usually grazes so they can see each other or vice versa.
Let me tell you what a fit Diesel threw. He could not see them and he wanted out! I have never heard him be so vocal. He has the kookiest little whinny/bray thing. He was fit to be tied!
So, interesting how herd dynamics affect him.
Kinda' my way or the highway! Go figure! :o)

He is Such a Good Boy!

He loves to roll, get all dirty, and lay in the sun!
What a cutie bug!
We have been trying to play in the outdoor arena lately. Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes....it just goes. We have been playing the catching game. I attempt to "hide his hiney" and once he puts two eyes on me I relax into "neutral." Hopefully, he comes over to me and when he does he gets a treat. Then, hopefully, he will "stick with me" and we will go and do different things.
So, sometimes it goes well and he is interested and SO playful and then other times he sort of shuts down like he is afraid. So, we have decided to let that rest for a while and just take long walks around the property. THAT, he really seems to enjoy. So that it shall be.
I have always said that I hope to really find Diesel's joy. I think I have. He is so content to be with this herd, get treats out of my coat pocket, lots of scratches and love, a nice pile of hay, and a good long walk. So that is what we will do.
Until, he changes his mind and decides he would like to do something else!
And that is just fine with me.
Along with Scott and the girls, he is my joy! My only goal is to return the favor!

Exciting News from the U.K.

I met a wonderful woman on the Parelli Forum named Sharon. I sent her a brief private message regarding donkeys and mules. Her picture (avatar) on the forum was of two of the cutest donkeys ever. So, thinking she might own donks, I was hoping she could help me.
Well, I came to find out that she is a donkey foster mom, and works for a donkey sanctuary in England. How amazing is that!
I was really trying to find more information about "how donkey's/mules think!" There just isn't much information out there! Well, not only did she send me donkey behavour PDF's, but then she offered to mail me a whole packet about donkey's and mules.
What a wonderful gal! I learned more from her than any Parelli instructor, vet, professional, etc.!
So, a huge thank you to a lovely lady I have never met, but jumped right in to help me out with more information into the amazing world of Diesel's mind!

Doin' Amazing!

Well, we have been playing only a couple of times with the help of our resident professional, Lea! Diesel and I go out to our outdoor arena and play "catch me" and "stick to me." He is so interested and really seems to like it. I wish there were more days in the month. Lea pitches in and plays with him when I am busy with "life" chores or at work. I wish I had more time!

I am feeling SO confident that we are truly finding Diesel's joy! That has been my heartfelt wish since the day we got him! (Which our one year anniversary is quickly approaching at the end of this month!)

Diesel has become such a wonderful part of our farm family! His confidence grows each day and he is starting to become more interesting in playing with us and much more willing. And on days that he is JUST NOT INTERESTED one little bit, he just makes us laugh and love him more!

The weather is quickly approaching temperatures when he can get a bath. And boy does he need it! I can't wait. The last bath he had was last spring/early summer when he first came here. And quite frankly, we were all pretty unsure how he would react! This year it will be so much easier and thorough! Since he was very afraid to have his "back half" even touched, much less bathed....well, you get the picture. He is a dirty little mini hinny! Soon!

Lea is keeping a keen eye on his feet and keeping them trimmed up nicely. Don't think Mike our trimmer will ever get close to him again. Being a 6 foot-something extrovert..well, that just doesn't mix well with Diesel's personality!
Nice Job Lea!

Yikes!

Oh, no excuses, I haven't been here for forever! I am determined to change that though because there are new things happening in Diesel's little hinny life!
He is doing great by the way! Loving all the mud that spring has to offer, being with his herd and buggin' them! But, mostly, enjoying the spring grass coming up. We really have to watch he and Scout, because spring grass can be great nutritionally, but dangerous sugar-wise. So, the boys are rotated on and off the grass and they are pretty content with their spring routine.
Okay, anyway, back to Diesel. Wow, he is doing amazing. There was a 5-star professional that was offering video coaching and Lea and I decided to send a video to him. That was SO disappointing. All he could say after watching a 15 minute video was to give Diesel more treats. Well, let me tell you, Diesel should be an orange mini hinny for all the carrot treats he gets.
But, God is so good and opened another door for us! We belong to a forum for people who are involved in Parelli. I sent a message to a lovely gal who had a picture of mules on her post and thought perhaps she had mules and could share some experiences with me.
Well, this dear woman, Sharon, has shared more with me in the last 48 hours than I could hope to get from any 5-star professional! So, we are really beginning to understand how Diesel "thinks" which helps us be more interesting for him.
Lea has once again not abandoned me with her brilliant Parelli ways and is helping me with Diesel. (Poor Lea is always at the mercy of "when" I have time to play with Diesel. Months may pass before I get going again and she is always there to guide me through! So thank you Lea, once again)
She is having me play "stick to me" with Diesel. And we have only done it twice and what a change in his perception of me. Sort of like, "by golly, this little chap is really interested in me and what I am doing." Stick to me is Diesel being at Liberty in our outdoor and I drive his hindquarters away and once he looks at me with both eyes, I go into a neutral position and put my hand out and ask him to draw into me. And he does by golly!!!! It might take 10-15 times of gently driving his hindquarters, but he gets it!!! Once he is interested in me he will actually "stick" to me and walk with me, hop up on the pedestal with me, put his nose on something. WOW!!!!!
So, stay tuned for my next play session which will be on Thursday. (Drat, I have to work all day tomorrow).
If you haven't been around Diesel's blog for a while, I promise to be more diligent so you can enjoy his journey as much as we are!
Thanks!
Marianne

Lovin' Winter

Well, Diesel is doing remarkable. We are finding his joy!! He loves to be free (at liberty, Parelli calls it). He loves to run around, ring his neck and chase after the big boys. He has a personality that is abundantly wonderful! He packs a lot of spunk for a 36" high equine.
He never fails to amuse us. Lately, he wants to be in the snow and dig around until he finds a little patch of grass. Then he rolls and jumps and kicks up his heels! I do believe that he completely prefers the mud to snow, but he makes the best of it.
He has a bit of a hard time when we have to keep him in during bad weather. But he does really well and tries very hard to please. After being left to roam around 24 acres, I know life in a stall - for even just a few hours, tests his patience. But, the great thing is he loves lock up time. We stall our herd at night to keep everybody safe. And he, like the big boys, loves to come in at night, he takes a big deep breath is ready for hot mash and fresh hay. We check the boys usually once in the early evening and then right before we all head to sleep and many times we will find him dozing in his corner and flat out laying down. All the horses seem to really like life in the barn at night!
So, we will continue to work on Liberty play time and help Diesel just have fun. It is so rewarding to watch him blossom and trust, want to play, and settle in so securely here on our farm!
Winter Blessings to you all!

Finding Diesel's Joy

He loves to be dirty! It is Diesel's favorite hobby. This I know is one of his greatest JOYS!

The days go by so quickly. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day activities and responsibilities. But, every now and then you have a day that stands out in your mind.

I have been wondering how to find Diesel's "JOY." How to make him so interested in me and what I am doing with him. He is so kind, obedient, does what he is told...... but where was his JOY???? When I would lead him, I would walk right by his side with my hand on his withers. I wanted him to know me as his partner. I always felt like I disrespected him if I would lead him and walk in front of him. Even though he is the smallest of the herd, he deserves to be respected and treated with dignity. So, I would look in his eyes everyday that I fed him, played with him, groomed him and wonder -- how do I find his JOY? What makes him happy?

I think I finally found it!! On days when I just don't have the time to play the Parelli games with Diesel, but Allison and Lea have Scout and Eddie in the big pasture, we turn Diesel loose to just graze and be with the herd. I usually start out doing a little something with him. Maybe a couple games, maybe I might hope for one complete circle during the circling game, maybe a cavaletti or sideways. Anyway, usually after 15 or 20 minutes I turn him loose to just hang out in the pasture while the other boys are playing, since I usually have something I SHOULD be doing.

Well, last week, after I turned him loose, I walked up to him to doing something - a treat, a pat on the face, can't really remember. But, off he trotted, away from me, ringing his neck. Hmmm..... sort of a catching game?? So, I pursued him again and this time he ran off, ringing his neck, almost skipping ~~ do horses skip???? Not really, but he looked like it! So, we did this for another 15 minutes or so and he just looked like he was having a blast. Running around, getting in the big boy's way, ringing his neck, maybe even a little buck or poke!

I think I found his JOY! A silly little game of "you can't catch me," but a connection that brings us closer together each and every day. I'm glad that day that I put off my things I thought I SHOULD have been doing and took a little time with him. Because, like I said, I think I found a little piece of JOY in this little hinny's life. I don't believe he has had a lot of JOY in his life. So this was very special.

What a blessing this little, fuzzy white guy is in my life! Thank you Diesel, for always making me smile, for giving me a reason to go to the barn every day, for just bringing "JOY" into my life everyday. I hope I continue to grow and give you as much JOY as you give me!

I Get So MAD!!

Okay, so this is from Diesel's point of view - he is such a sweet pea! I just gotta share:



"Grrrr....... I get so mad! I love my new people and I would never hurt them. But when I get left behind, I just wanna spit!!! (Can Hinnys spit????)"

"Okay, so here is the deal. The two cute blondes that usually fuss over me, take out the two other dudes. That really big fat guy Eddie and the one I like to pick on, Scout (I love to run up behind him and BITE HIS BUTT). AND I GET LEFT BEHIND!!! So, I run around and ring my neck and let them know I am madder than a ..... oh, I don't know what."

"So, I throw my little Diesel temper-tantrum and they come runnin'! Woo-Hoo, works every time. And what do they do with me.......put me in the pasture to graze, graze, graze!"

"Ah, life is good." Until the next time they leave me behind and we do it all again!"

"I love this family ~~ they are such pushovers!"

See ya next time! Diesel!

Diesel Goes Dutch!

In a manner of speaking that is! A couple weeks ago, Scott had several days off in a row and the weather truly cooperated! So, we cut through the east side of Diesel's wall and put in a little dutch door for him. He also got a new gate to Scout's paddock run and a great little paddock of his own.





So, each of our boys (all 3) have dutch doors that lead to individual paddocks. We rotate all of them on either pasture or our Paddock Paradise Track. Scout and Diesel get the track and Eddie gets the pasture. They all three have very different nutritional needs, so this has worked out to be a real blessing at feeding time. We can weigh each of the boys hay and know exactly how much they are eating each day. And there are no fights over who eats what.

So we have a little more tidying up to do on Diesel's stall. His inside gate (as you can see) still needs to be trimmed down and painted. and we need a little more ag lime in his turnout to be sure there are no depressions that can collect rain - or ice - as we move into the winter months.

It is going to be a glorious winter with our new little member of the herd. Diesel is already getting so fuzzy and ready for the cold months. We changed the clocks back this past weekend and everybody is adjusting to the new routine. But all are doing well.

I just love this little guy. Imagine if I had not stopped and taken the time to inquire about him. Who knows where he would be right now! But, as my daughters continue to remind me, I can't live in the past when he was abandonded. He lives in the now and so must I. Wise words from wise young women!

I'm FREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The gate was open from the paddock to the outside world. Allison was catching her pony, Scout, that was full of energy and Diesel was waiting behind him. You can guess what happened next. Allison took Scout out, Diesel followed...

"Watch this Scout!" I ran out from behind Scout and in front of him. I could hear the human behind me yelling to the other human, Lea out in the pasture. I  was headed to the gate. It was OPEN!!!
"LEA!" the human behind me yelled. Then Lea ran from the pasture to TRY and catch me. Oop, can't get me! I'm goin to the trailer! Haha, not the dad too! Weehoo!!! I'm going through the corncrib. Scout whinnied for me, "I'll be back Scouty!" I answered. I pranced through the pumpkin field while the humans yelled. I could hear one of them wiggle the grain bucket. Who needs grain?! I'm FREE!!!!!!!!! I galloped through the driveway and back around the garage. The whole time the humans are trying to get to come to the grain. Ok, fine. I trotted up to Lea, she had the grain. I grabbed a bite and ran off again! She wasn't happy. Then the dad came around. haha, watch this Eddie! Who is now galloping in the pasture. What a moron. I trotted through the tomatoes and galloped back up from behind the round pen. Aw man... Dad and Lea got me in the corner of the round pen and the pasture. I was cornered. Lea tried to feed me grain, but who needs grain? Eddie whinied again. I rolled my eyes. "You're not supposed to leave the humans Diesel!!!" He said. "They are part of the herd!" Ah, yeah no Ed... You baby! Then Allison, the person who so kindly let me out, opened the pasture wire and I went in. Fine... I guess my 15 MINUTES of freedom is over...

Cool Temps = LOTS OF ENERGY

Hi everybody,

Diesel is doing so well. I just have to tell you that in a short six months (yep, he has been here for six months already) he is just a member of our herd; like he has been here forever. He loves to cozy up for scratches, waits patiently for a handful (or two, or three) of sweet feed, gets a little TOO confident and wants to bite the big boys, and even gets a little bratty with us. But bratty in such a sweet way. And boy does he have energy. He and Scout ran about 5 laps around the track the other day. Even Lea got concerned.....are they gonna stop?!?!?!? He is such a nut. He rings his neck like he is the big boss, trots around like he owns the place, and is such a happy exuberant camper! I kept waiting for him to show us some inkling of his spunky hinny-enality -- I guess we just needed to wait for the cooler weather!

The other day he reached over to take a little nip from Lea and she responded, "oh, how cute is that!" Tells you where are heads are at with loving our boys. I think many folks would have yelled, "hey, quit that." Not us. We never want to knock the curiosity out of our boys. And, the best part is that we know he is not doing to be mean, but just to play. Because it is the kind of little nip that makes you smile.

Recently, Lea's very good friend Rebecca informed us that her barn owner rescued 3 mini's. Some older gentleman, all in a good way, bought these 2 mini horses and a mini donkey to give them a home. But, once he bought them, he basically just opened the trailer and let them be wild in a pasture (with food water and shelter, of course) for a couple of years. So, they haven't been handled by humans for those years. The 2 mini horses are shy, but coming around, but the mini donk is really feral. Oh, how I wish we could take him. I would take him in a minute and just help him to trust again. But, we are so totally out of room. As it is, we had to convert part of our aisleway into a stall for Diesel! So, sadly, he is off to a sale and who knows what will happen to the little dear. If you have room for him and would like to help him to learn to trust again, let me know!!!!

Anyway, back to Diesel. He progresses every day. We give him lots of space. And, it is good to know on these very cold and rainy days we have been having lately, he is warm and dry inside with all the hay he can eat!

Tomorrow promises to be sunnier. So while I am at work, perhaps I can have Lea play more games and begin to take him into Parelli Level Two! He is ready!

So, Diesel says hi and wants everybody to know that if he can learn to trust and become part of a family, any horse can!