Break from the Blog.........

I'm going to take a break from horses right now to say good bye to Ivy League - our 12y/o female tortie feline.  My son decided it was time to give Ivy peace and take away her pain.  She had lived most of her last year in his room - as they were best buds - he fed & loved her, cleaned out her  litter box and her messes which were increasing this past month.

We rescued her from a shelter in Ohio many years ago when she was just a kitten.  What attracted me to her was her one peach toe on her front paw.  She was in the back of the cage and not interested in anything when I saw her but it was love at first sight!

We had taken our Pug along that summer - so we had 2 adults, 2 boys, a dog and a kitten for the ride back.  I remember not even being down the driveway of my Aunts house and Festus ( our Pug ) went crazy in the back seat and knocked over her lil kitty litter pan which she had just used. We thought it would be a wild ride home - but it was not.  She simply laid on my lap purring for the majority of the drive.

                If you look closely - you can see the peach on her toe

                      
                         Ivy League in all her glory....

                One of my favorite photos - hanging with her canine family        watching the world go by..... 



Over the years Ivy raised MANY siblings - including an array of kittens, guinea pigs and was recently sharing her space with our rabbit .  She was quicker to accept the canines that entered our lives over the years - I think she just tolerated all the other species to make us happy.  She was the type of cat that if you just said her name - she would start purring - she was SO sweet and loving - even to the end. 


I am SO glad there is something we can do when our animals are hurting  - I only wish there was something for the  humans who are heartbroken.  I trust time will be the answer - but  - it sure is sad to go in my son's room and not see Ivy on his bed looking up at you with her motor running.

Mounts Minus Mine.......

This blog will be dedicated to some of the equine I have ridden, other than the Buddha, over the last couple of years.....

                

This is Charlie - 7y/o Percheron draft horse - I rode last week in the mountains of North Carolina  (hubby Bru was on his half brother Chief)

  

This is Chester - who I rode in the mountains of Hawaii 2 years ago - we actually saw wild mustangs and were told to sit very quietly b/c IF they spooked and took off - our horses would be in hot pursuit!

 

On top of Pardy - Mindy's horse - in Wisconsin 

      

Here I'm on a guy named Corona and had a private trail ride thru the beautiful hills of Galena where we saw some wild turkeys. (Bru's steed was also named after a cigar)

 

Also rode Lady - JoJo's horse - she had been a carriage horse and refuse to do more than a trot when you were riding - this photo proves she could really go :)

Rode Gracie Grace in Wisconsin - her trot is still the smoothest I have ever experienced......sorry Bud.

Margarita was the only horse who did not acknowledge a swinging lead rope when you entered the pasture (most horses respect the motion and move out of the way) - she was just positive you came to get HER!!!

  

My lil Honey -she was not sure of anything when I was riding her - but trusted I would never hurt her.....

          Blackjack - a gaited horse - can trot as fast as Bud canters  :)

Ms.Tia has both an English and Western background and she can even do barrels.



I must end this blog with the statement - as much as other horses are fun to ride - my heart belongs to my Buddha :)