While I was gone

Although it pains me to do so, I must try to keep this blog real and show you the less pretty side of things after a drought turned our pasture into Yakima, Washington, and what Mag looks like when he hasn't been groomed in over 2 weeks.

No worries, in the end he'll be clean, if you can manage to suffer through this huge photo dump! Also, there's a video....

First, my favorite photo, Gimped, obviously, for contrast.


The spring in the middle of our field has dried completely up, so there isn't a single damp spot for Mag to roll in. Oh, how he wishes he were filthy *lol*. Here he's staring to the street two fields away, as people are walking on it. Omygosh, PEOPLE! Red alert!

I love how "bald" his face is in August, no shaving required. It won't always be this way.




Our pasture has never looked like this in the 9 years we've lived here. It's crispy.











So there you have it. Poop-tail Mag. I thought I might have to cut it but my secret recipe worked. This is only 2 weeks without a tail wash.





See all those weeds behind him? For the first time ever today I took my push lawn mower and cut them all down. Mostly nettles, about thigh high. I spent hours out there and probably mowed 3/4 of an acre in total, of lumpy hoof-pocked ground, where the mower's wheels just spun and spun, going nowhere. I thought the neighbors would call Lawn Mower Control on me because that was not a job for a little mower! The one factor that allowed me to do this - no more horse flies!!!!!!! Bye bye til next year!





This is the moment he noticed the people. Too bad he blinked, I really like this photo.





How long did he stand like this? Too long for a 7 year old horse who sees people walking by. (Note the grunge tail.)





Those weeds! Now you can actually see the fence behind him. I'm so proud of myself.











That's not lush at all: (





This one is for Aarene. I planted 20 bean plants and this is what I got. 3 beans. *cry* I just can't do vegetables in Germany. Herbs, berries, nuts, fruuits, but no veggies.





The plum tree is covered in juicy plums that the ants share a few of each day. Most get thrown to the donkey after the ants get into them. Bellis will just hang out by the gate waiting for a plum to fall or for me to throw one to her. Mag has learned to spit out the seeds, good boy, I don't think a belly full of seeds is good.





Giving Mag another "spot-bath" on Spa Day, I noticed how many scars he has under his mane. He's got scars everywhere but I'd never noticed these.

The weather finally broke these last few days and it's not warm enough to give him a full on bath. Actually I am not sure I've ever bathed him completely, stem to stern. He's so sensitive to cold, even on warm days he shivers. So here I just did his mane, tail, legs, and face, with warm water (buckets) and briefly cold to rinse, toweling him immediately.





I love anything Mag does that reminds me of Baasha, like pawing the ground impatiently, and hating a wet towel touching his face. But I was careful to wring it out thoroughly and use very warm water. He said, "You're hurting me, you're hurting me!" until he realized it felt good and he leaned into it and even took the towel in his mouth. I was thrilled to see how black his skin turned when clean and damp.





I wanted to show you his white leg patterns, which I've only recently discovered. When washed with my secret recipe, his legs are cleaner than horses I've seen at shows!





This is my favorite marking, see how it shoots up in a stripe? I love learning new things about Mag.





Pose for a Clean Mane/Clean Face photo Mag!











But I want cookies! He got lots of cookies as I trimmed his hooves.





Tail much better. Secret recipe - not so secret - Quic Silver mixed with Dr Bronners Castile soap and a splash of Spray&Wash (yikes, I know). Let to sit for a full half hour, it came out good.





Now that I'm home he can resume his vitamin/mineral intake, mixed in with a tiny bit of hay pellet mash. They're so thrilled I'm home, when they see me they leave the area and go stand in the "Waiting for buckets" area!





This is what it looks like when a horse rolls next to a Tpost and the Tpost wins. *sigh*





I can almost reach the cookie section!





I can stretch like a show horse! Just give me a cookie! He's in the tackroom/shed as far as he can get without breaking the rules (no hooves!).


They were happy to see me, in hopes of apples/plums, but I had nothing so they didn't join me.