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The Alexander Menagerie -- July 2007

Aslan's summer 'do

Aslan has sooo much coat, and since he prefers to spend most of his time outside, I decided to shave him for the summer. So I took the day off and took him to Great Dog today. I haven't gotten used to his new look yet -- nor has he or Pax. They've been growling at each other since he got home.

I have no worries that his coat won't grow back. He is anything but hair-challenged. I wasn't sure how he'd do at the groomer, but he was a champ. Stressed, but so sweet. I stayed for the initial rough cut, not sure how he'd react to it all, but he wasn't a bit of a problem. The groomers said he'd been a super good boy. (Yay!)

I was glad to do this, if only so I could get a good visual assessment of his weight. He's not fat -- has a waistline -- but he has a little excess skin there. He doesn't have quite as much waist as I like to see. Pax is in the same boat, though I suppose he looks thinner because he has more spring of rib.. Both are probably at a good conformation weight, but I want to trim a few pounds off. I'd rather have them at a performance weight, not a conformation weight.

(I got a good look at Aslan's conformation too. Ugh. He's too straight in the rear and in the shoulder. Good thing I had no agility aspirations for this guy!)

Pax was absolutely heart-broken that I left him home today. Poor dog tried to climb through the fence as I drove away. I have no doubt that had he been successful, he'd have chased the car. I bought him a guilt gift -- something called a Kong Wubba. He liked it muchly and forgave me for abandoning him.

Pax, though he's a retriever, was never really taught to retrieve. He'll go out and pick up anything thrown, but he's not much on bringing it back. Since I haven't done any dog sports with him, that was never a problem. If I want to play with him, I'll just use two or three toys and rotate throwing them. He also has never been taught to wait to be released before chasing something that's thrown. As soon as he sees the throwing motion, he bolts. This means, of course, that the dogs can't take turns retrieving.

Well, today I thought I'd play around a little. I got his new toy and pulled out a toy I bought some time ago to use in an obedience class that had been kept up where he couldn't play with it whenever he wanted. So I had two high-value retrieve items. I asked him to sit at heel -- which he remembered beautifully -- asked him to stay, wrapped my arm loosely around his chest to hold him if he broke, and then tossed a toy.

Needless to say, he tried very hard to chase that toy. I held him and asked him to sit. As soon as he sat, I released him to get the toy. I switched toys to get him to repeat the exercise -- and on the very next rep, he had only a slight bobble on the throw. He tried bolting again on the third throw, and then was better on the fourth. So he'll need practice, but he's catching onto the idea darn quick!

I want to teach him this, because I want to be able to throw retrieves for the new puppy without having to put Pax away. I want them to be able to take turns. Teaching him to be steady on the throw is the first step. "Honoring" another dog's retrieve is quite a ways down the road. But this was an auspicious start.

Aslan is exhausted and should sleep well tonight. I can only pray Pax does the same. He was restless last night, and he was up and down and up and down and up and down from 3AM on. I got very little sleep after that. He was being whiny and barky and needy -- kept coming up and needing to lick my face. I thought maybe there was something outside, but the horses were out where I could see them from my bedroom and they were stretched out flat, snoring away. Considering the restlessness of the dogs right next to them, if there was anything to be concerned about, they'd have been up, ready to run.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Leslie is going to visit again

Kyra called me yesterday. She and Monica want Leslie to come up and work with their horses, and she wanted me to call and negotiate times and costs with Leslie. I love this because it means I get to see her, but I don't have to empty my own coffers to do so. :-)

Leslie is going to come up next Friday night, and then work with them on Saturday and Sunday. I'll be around for part of it. I've got plans with my girlfriends next Saturday afternoon and evening though.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that Monica is living at Kalisa's house or that Monica got a mini-horse. Well, they've moved the mini to Kalisa's. They've created a pen off the basement, and she can come inside and visit with the family. Last night they were clicking her for going up and down stairs so she can visit the rest of the house.

I, of course, think this is wonderful, because I've been wanting a mini-horse as a house pet for a couple of years. Jay thinks it's horrible because he doesn't want a horse as a house pet, and now he's faced with a friend of mine who can say, "It's great!"

I just can't stop laughing though, as I think about Kalisa's poor husband. He didn't want to get into horses in the first place, and now he's got one living in his house!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

The pros and CONS of spaying and neutering

I am not a big fan of spaying and neutering, for several reasons, not the least of which is I think it's foolish to cut off hormone-producing bodyparts without good reason. (If I have a reason, I'm all for it -- just not across the board.)

Vets have a tendency to push spay'neuter to everyone. They quote the statistics that spay/neuter has health benefits -- decreases in testicular and mammary cancer -- and, of course, it prevents unplanned litters. They don't, however, spend much time talking about the health problems that spayed'neutered animals are at an increased risk for, and that bugs me. It's just not right to give part of the story.

That's PROPOGANDA, folks, not medical advice. (Problem is, I'd be willing to bet a lot of vets don't KNOW the downsides to spaying and neutering because those aren't well publicized.)

Anyway, here's an awesome article that reviews the data from 50+ veterinary studies and comes up with an excellent discussion of the pros and cons of spaying and neutering:

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Friday, July 27, 2007

Rabbits, rabbits everywhere

Or so Pax thinks.

Pax loves rabbits. More than loves. When he sees a rabbit, he goes all trembly and begins going "Oooooooooo." Problem is, he usually spots them through our basement window, which is level with the ground outside and level with the landing of the stairs (where he lies most of the day) inside. And when he sees one of these rabbits, instead of running out the dog door, he stands on the back of my chair, oooooing out the window, until I open said window, so he can climb through.

The further problem is that for the past two days, he has been convinced there's a rabbit out there that isn't a rabbit. It's a rock -- on the other side of the fence. So today I let him out the gate, and we went together to examine that dastardly rock. He was unimpressed, and was certain I had hidden his bunny, so he ran manically around and searched for it.

Poor dog was terribly disappointed. He'll be further disappointed when he looks out the window again, because I tossed that rock in the bushes.

In other news, Jay e-mailed Pax's breeder and told her he wants a boy puppy, not a girl puppy. Now, since I do 99% of the puppy raising around here, I don't really think he gets a vote, but I'll concede that if there are two pups in the litter, and the boy is more suited to us than the girl, then we should get the girl. But if the girl is more suited for us OR if they are equally suited, I want the girl. After all, I've already named her.

Of course, I've named the boy too -- Shaden Zane. (It's an inside joke... But I really will name the boy puppy that.)

Friday, July 20, 2007

Rowan's second hoof trim

Today was Rowan's second hoof trim -- her first by Christina, my regular barefoot trimmer. It was, as Christina said, a non-event. I don't know if it's a testament to clicker training or to her incredible base personality, but depsite the lack of training I've done with her, she's gentle and calm and willing. I'm absolutely besotted with her.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Really -- I'm not getting my hopes up

This puppy I'm being totally realistic about and not getting my hopes up over? Yeah. I've named her.

Registered name: SoftMaple's Everlasting Love

Call name: Je t'aime (Pronounced zjuh tem -- French for "I love you." Will probably nickname her Jet, with the French J.)

That means we'll have Pax and Je t'aime -- peace and love. Get it? Okay, cloyingly sweet, but I still love the name Je t'aime.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Puppy fever starts early

Torre and Hunter were bred for the first time on July 6. This is a natural breeding, so the breeding will be repeated as many times as Torre will allow it. Puppies, if she "takes," will be due sometime in the first week of September.

I'm already visiting her site three or four times per day to check for updates!

Even if Torre has a litter, and even if that litter is good-sized, that doesn't mean there will be a pup for me in it. Cathy has in no way promised me a pup out of the litter. My guess is that she will wait not only until there are pups on the ground but until she's certain that all the pups are thriving and will survive before she pairs pups with owners. My guess is that I'll hear one way or another around the first week of October.

In some ways that feels like an eternity. In other ways, it's just around the corner. I feel like an expectant mother... I'm writing down potential names and making lists of things to buy and planning my child's (erm... pup's) future.

Jay wants another boy, but I'm leaning toward a girl this time. A little black girl. Oh, my estimate for when the pups were ready to go home was off. I bet the pups are ready to go to their new homes at the end of October or beginning of November.

I'll have to arrange time off from work, if I get a new baby. (Is that pup-ternity leave?) One month minimum, but through the end of the year would be nice. Because of the rules for contractors at this job I'm working right now, it might need to be three months. Good thing this is a lucrative contract!

Monday, July 9, 2007

Catching up!

I can't believe I haven't made an entry since April. Shameful, I tell you.

I'm not sure where to start. If you read the General News page, you know we're moving, and that when the idea first came up I considered selling my horses. I've finally accepted that I'm not going to ride them, and they are extremely expensive pasture ornaments. So I started thinking about who I'd sell them to...

  • Blue would probably go to Monica or Kyra.
  • Guin is adored at Eden Farms, and I wouldn't have any trouble selling her there.
  • Leslie would probably know someone who would take Rowan, and if not, she shouldn't be too hard to place.
  • And then Princess... Maybe Kalisa or Lesley would like her?

Good plans, but the more I thought about it, the more problems I found.

  • Princess is going to be a tough one to keep sound, and there aren't many people who are going to be willing to put the money into her that will be necessary to keep her pain free if they can't ride her. That ultimately puts her in danger of being resold and eventually slaughtered. That is not acceptable to me, so I'll have to keep her.
  • Rowan is my baby. I truly believe she'd be an excellent dressage horse or hunter, but I've seen the training methods used in both those camps, and I just can't see sending my baby off to that future. I really don't want to sell her.
  • Guin. Ah, sweet Guin. Out of all of my horses, this is the only one I would ride if I rode -- and we're perfect for each other. It would cost a fortune to replace her. So if I sell her, I'm making the decision to give up riding forever. I'm just not ready to do that, so I can't sell her.
  • That left Blue. As much as I love him, he's very sensitive, and he needs a more advanced rider. I can sell him, right?

I invited Monica and Kalisa and Kyra to come out and check out the horses. I was still hoping at the time that Kalisa might like Princess. At the same time I was talking with Leslie in Olympia about coming up to give Rowan her first trim. When she heard that Monica would be checking out Blue, she wanted to come up and give her approval.

So the big day came, and everyone had a wonderful time. (More on Rowan's trim in a minute.) Monica and Kyra, under Leslie's tutelage, worked with and then rode Blue. Kalisa and her kids played with and rode Princess (who is a doll!). Everything was great! Except...

It has been a year since Leslie and Blue worked together. He has been with me everyday of that year, and yet it's clear that he is not as bonded to me as he is to her. He adores her every bit as much as she adores him. He let Monica and Kyra work with and ride him, but he didn't connect with them anymore than he does with me. He is a one person horse. I realized then that I can't sell Blue, because he's not mine to sell. He belongs to Leslie, and I'm just holding on to him until she has room for him.

So four horses, and I can't sell any of them. We're stuck with each other for the long haul.

Blue is just in a holding pattern right now. Leslie will get him someday, and I love on him a bit, but I don't work with him. I could move him out to Eden Farms, and Monica and Kyra would be happy to ride him day in and day out, but I just don't want to do that. He's Leslie's horse, and I don't want to risk something happening to him.

Princess is also in a holding pattern. I'd love to have a light rider come out and ride her a bit a few times a week. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone I'd trust to do that. (And I don't have tack for her either.) So she's just eating her head off in retirement.

That leaves Rowan and Guin....

I promised to tell you about Rowan's first hoof trim. We spent the afternoon outside with the horses, and it was a rather chaotic scene... Monica on Blue in the arena, Kalisa and Kyra grooming and tacking up Princess next to the arena, Kalisa's two younger daughters flitting from group to group or playing on the tire swing, and finally, Leslie and I with Rowan, right in the middle of the action -- about to attempt Rowan's first hoof trim. (And did I mention Leslie's dog running around?)

If you recall, I got Rowan as an unhandled, wild-as-a-March-hare yearling in April 2006. I clicker trained her for a month, and then got lazy. Leslie popped over in June of last year and we halter broke her (Rowan, I mean -- Leslie was already halter broken) and introduced her to picking up her front feet. We didn't touch the back feet at the time, because Leslie wasn't sure she was reliable enough around her back end.

In the year that followed, I'd love to say I worked with her and put a fabulous start on her, but... um, no. I picked up her front feet in maybe half a dozen sessions scattered throughout the year, and I did a couple of sessions where I attempted to teach her to tie, but that was it. She's a big lap dog, but she's as untrained as she was a year ago.

Rowan's feet have been caring for themselves quite nicely, so I felt no rush to get her trimmed, but I finally decided it was time. I love Leslie, and she's both a clicker trainer and a barefoot trimmer so I asked her up from Olympia to help me.

Leslie positioned me at the end of the lead rope, about three or four feet from Rowan. She didn't want me close because she didn't want to risk clicking for her feet when she might be mugging me. So each time Leslie clicked, I had to rush up, feed Rowan, and then retreat to the end of the rope out of reach.

(Let me also add that it just happened that Kyra was having a problem working with her own yearling's back feet, so in addition to all the other chaos, she was coming over to ask questions and we were yelling back and forth to Monica.)

Leslie began by picking up each front foot, wiping off the mud, and cleaning it out -- and, of course, clicking for it. Then she did the back feet the same way, showing Kyra how to safely approach her own yearling and how to handle the kicking issue. Rowan, who hadn't ever had her back feet touched, was an absolute champ -- didn't kick, lifted the foot promptly, and let her hold it. Leslie had just done the fronts, so I figure Rowan just assumed we wanted the same with the backs.

Leslie picked up all four feet with no real problems and decided it was time to trim. She started with the front right foot. Rowan struggled a little at first. She wanted that foot back! She even went down into a bow twice. (Okay, that was the CUTEST thing ever, and I wanted desperately to click her, but that would have been a bad idea.) Leslie held onto the foot, and she got it trimmed, though she had to stop twice and let Rowan have a no-treat rest period. (Rule for Rowan: Treats happen only when she's holding her foot up calmly.)

Then Leslie did the other front foot. She stopped once, I think, during that foot. Leslie was really impressed that Rowan was letting her stretch the foot forward and put it on the hoof stand -- she said moving the foot forward sometimes startles horses who've never done it.

Then came the back feet. She did the first back foot in a single session -- didn't even need to let Rowan rest. Rowan, who hadn't had her back feet touched before yesterday, didn't even struggle. It took all of five minutes. Last foot was equally as good -- so good, in fact, that Leslie used a rear foot stand to make her own job easier.

Leslie said she thought Rowan must have had a trim when she was younger, before I got her. I reminded her that she wasn't halter broken when I got her. Leslie shook her head and said this had to go on record as the easiest first trim ever. Man, I wish I had it on video. It was sincerely EASY. After the first foot she stood there like a pro.

After Leslie trimmed her, we put her in the little arena and ran her around a bit to check her movement. I *did* video tape that and pop it up in a file on YouTube, if you want to see her. It's nothing exciting -- just a two year old filly trotting around. She's a pretty thing though: 1/4 Percheron, 3/4 Thoroughbred, seal brown, about 14.3 hands, will likely mature small at 15.1 or 15.2.

(I couldn't get the audio to mute, so please mute it unless you want to hear my guests yelling their goodbyes.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oISr8JML4Hk

I had such fun with Leslie when she was here that I've been more motivated to work with Rowan. I'd really like to train her for classical dressage -- think Spanish Riding School, not competition dressage -- at least as much as I can without riding her. I'd like for her to learn to offer the various movements, and I'd like to be able to cue them from the ground without side reins, longe line, or other equipment.

I've been doing a lot of reading to figure out how to start her. One thing I've learned is that I need to be careful with her at this age. She doesn't need to work on circles smaller than 20 meters yet. So thus far I'm concentrating on free leading. And since I'm working on free leading, I'm also going to work on stops and stays and coming when called and backing. Everything is everything (as Alex says)!

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to work with her since I started my new job. I've been working 16 hour days, and when I'm not working, I'm simply exhausted. Hopefully I'm past that now, and I can develop a schedule.

Leslie worked with Guin too. She's a lovely mare, but she has a problem in her left front. We've had the vet out, but we don't know anything definitive yet. We're seeing if MSM, flax, and a low dose of bute once a day will manage the problem. If so, we probably won't pursue it further. If not, the next step is nerve blocks and x-rays.

Guin doesn't love arena work -- of course the circles exacerbate her lameness, so who can blame her? -- but she adores the trails. I haven't ridden her out, but Wendy did, and she did great. She's not at all spooky.

Leslie made me ride Guin bareback! She says that riding bareback is best for insecure riders because they have nothing to brace on. Of course, all we did was walk and turn and stop, but I got progressively more comfortable. I was going to do more riding on my own, but then she went lame, and I started the new job.

Oh -- most hysterical thing I've ever seen. Jay and I went to the barn a couple of weeks ago to see how Guin was doing. We got there just as she was released into a paddock. TO m surprise, she "spooked" and cantered away from the guy who released her like she was feeling her oats -- and then she turned and jumped a four foot fence! I've never laughed so hard in my life. Damn -- that bute must be a heck of a pain killer. Too cute she was.

Finally, dogs. (Yes, dogs. It's not actually all horses, all the time at the Alexander menagerie, though it probably seems it here.) Aslan and Pax are doing splendidly. We were thinking our next dog would be a Newfie, but Pax's breeder is doing a breeding with a pedigree I'm very, very interested in. The dogs being bred are Torre and Hunter. Pax's father, Jet, is Torre's grandfather. And Pax's mother, Gabby is Hunter's mother. It's by no means a repeat of Pax's breeding, but it's certainly all the "right" genes.

Anyway, Torre went into heat on June 29. If all goes well, puppies would be on the ground in mid-September. If there's one in the litter for me, it would be ready to go home around Thanksgiving. Woo hoo!!

Saturday, July 7, 2007

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