Perfect.

Last night I went out to visit Memphis with intentions of pulling him out and grooming him. Instead I found him munching on his hay in his stall. I decided not to remove him from his dinner and did some in the stall grooming. He didn't really even care I was there. I removed his hobbles and then started to rub him down with the curry and using the soft brush to remove the dirt. Kinda a wax on, wax off movement with both hands.

I then just gave up and stuck my head on his side and just stood there listening to him munch on hay. We both stood there for about 15-20 minutes. It was beyond peaceful.

This is why I have a horse.

Lobster!

So I bought 10 lobsters. You guys have no idea my love affair with these insects of the sea. It's actually an obsession really, I'll go to a steak house and order lobster. MMMMM

Anywho, tonight I decided to make lobster bisque, because what else am I supposed to do with the bodies?

Lobster Bisque

4-8 lobster bodies
4-8 shells from lobsters
1 diced onion
2 cloves of diced garlic
1 medium carrot
1.5 cups white wine (I used a Chardonney)
1.5 cups crushed tomato
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups lobster water (the water you boil lobsters in)
2 bay leaves
1 teas thyme
1.5 cup Half and Half
1 table cornstarch mixed with 2 tabl water
2 tabls butter


Melt the butter in a large saucepan, you want a VERY large saucepan. Nothing small will do, use a stockpot if you have to. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and saute until the onion starts to get soft. Add all the lobster body parts and shells. Stir for about 10-15 minutes.

Add the wine and the tomato's to the pan and stir well. (I use tongs for this step) Cover the saucepan and let simmer for 15 minutes. (Drink more white wine in this step, the bottle is already open)Stir the lobster bodies around again and add the stock and lobster water. Also add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, periodically tossing everything around.

Pull out the lobster pieces being sure to drain each one back into the saucepan. Discard the lobster bodies and shells. In batches add the broth to a blender and blend until smooth. Add everything back to saucepan and bring back to a low boil. Add the half and half. Mix the cornstarch and water and add to the bisque. Let simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.

Add any extra lobster meat you may have.

Enjoy.

I hit my horse *cry*

Ok, no not really, no tears. He was being a total ass yesterday. When I showed up to stick the halter on him, he turned around and ran to the back of the stall. Not good as there could be a kick there even if he has never offered to do so before. So I'm creeping as close as I can to his rump and he whips around and tries to run out. HA!

I grabbed the first thing I could, his tail and yanked him back. Now before one jumps on the OMG bandwagon, yes I know that was a stupid stupid move. I just grabbed and after my hands were already on his tail I realized that wasn't a smart idea. But he did turn around and allow me to halter him so I didn't make too big of a deal out of the events.

Walk him into the barn and start grooming. I get three hooves picked out and the last one, which is a hind foot, he starts being an ass about. He kept trying to kick out. I had it with his tantrums at this point and hit him hard in the ribs and screamed stop it. He whips his head around and looks at me like "What?!" He then let me finish what I was doing and was a perfect angel after that.

I still love my horsey :D

The Joys of trail riding with your own horse

I absolutely love this damn horse. Really. From going to see him to do nothing with him but snuggle into his neck while he's quietly munching on hay, to working him into a slight sweat in the barn.

Yesterday I went on a 1.5 hour ride on him. My barn owner was slightly nervous once we got to the place to ride since Memphis decided to bolt off the trailer. Hopped up on him and rode him around looking to see what would make him spook first, he is actually a really solid mount! He perks his ears forward and just goes over and through just about anything.

We crossed down logs, creeks, puddles, and climbed a few simple mundane hills. While deer spooked two of the trainers horses, Memphis just stood there like a champ. He does not like being in the back of the pack, but that is because he is a Walker, they naturally walk faster than stock type horses.

He did get us lost when he choose the wrong path back to the trailer, which was fine. Even my barn owner was impressed with how well he did overall though. When she gets impressed by a horse, that says a lot.

I need to get his hooves done... I've been waiting on my barn owner to do her horses but I'm not sure if she is going to do hers anytime soon or not. I may just go ahead and get the farrier out there. I cannot stand bad hooves. Like it drives me absolutely nuts to have long hooves.

I hope to get some recent pics of him up soon, I really do. Every time I go out I forget to get any. I'm too busy being enamored by him.

Sad Country Songs...

Always bring tears to my eyes. I guess it a little bit of being the middle child and having a fucked up childhood. Maybe that's why I hang onto things that I shouldn't, maybe its why I can find peace in a rainstorm, maybe it's why I did so much fucked up shit in my past.

Now my life is so straight, so on the right track.

Yet I still crave drama.

I have to stop this. I have to get back on the tracks and keep chugging along. I love everything I am and become... yet there is that little voice in the back of my mind that sometimes says "more".

Maybe I've had too much wine, but sometimes I just want a change, knowing it will make me unhappy.

I seriously just want to snuggle into Memphis right now, I just need to smell him. I know that makes no god damned sense.. because it doesn't, yet it makes perfect sense. I knew early on that horses were to be my life, although they took so damn long to trot right into my life.

Now I will never have it any other way. I will drive the shitbox, I will work the second job, or I will sacrifice what I love just to have a horse.

I need a good long ride in my future.

Sundays

I'm fairly certain this is THE best day during the week. I don't know if it is because its my only day off, which probably is the reason, but this day is pretty freaking awesome. I've got a fresh pot of coffee on the coffee maker, a fresh batch of banana nut muffins in the oven, and happy dogs at my feet. The weather is chilly and there is a light blanket of snow on the ground, but ya know what? I'm still incredibly happy with everything.

Memphis, by the way, is doing amazing! I honestly love this horse. I'm worried that I don't have that "click" connection with him yet, but I didn't have that with Buck either in the beginning. That took about a year for Buck and I, but in the end, Buck is the ONLY dog for me. Buck knows it too, he always wants "mama" whenever I'm around and I'm fairly certain that he would do just about anything to please me. I have to admit, I am known to sit on the floor with him, my head on his chest, and baby talk him while rubbing his ears. He may be 120lbs, but he is the biggest baby I have ever known. Which, I guess in one light is a great thing, as I have about 3 families and friends that have told me that they will take him if I am ever not able to care for him.

Sunday's are good for rambling on and on too :D

Back to Memphis. I think we have the bolting out of the stall thing taken care of, and by "we", I mean Fair (which will be a pseudonym for my trainer lady from here on out) has this taken care of. She spends seven days a week with my big dumb animal, so she,unfortunately, has to deal with more of his antics than I do. There isn't much, I honestly think he is an all around good horse and I hope to have him for the rest of his goofy life. He just has the bolting out of the stall and pawing when bored.

I was out with him on Weds night last week to groom him, since I figured he would be muddy. He was actually pretty clean and was a very good boy for grooming. He just stands there and lets it happen. He is iffy about his hooves, which I wonder if the front ones aren't sore because he paws so dagon much at feeding time. I'm waiting on the farrier atm and while his hooves aren't "bad" by any means, I am beyond anal about horse care. Any who, Memphis like I said is a little iffy about his front feet being picked, but is usually fine with the backs. He gets the one, two, three method that I had used with Dodge for discipline and it seems to work VERY well with him. He has a good head on his shoulders and learns quickly.

I've only ridden him twice since I've had him because it has been MUDDY. Where he is stabled at, it has a water drainage issue. So while he is safe and dry in the barn, the pasture tends to get standing pools of water and it has nowhere to go. I'm too concerned about my safety and Memphis's safety to take the chance. Which is fine, we can work on ground work and just basically get to know one another better.

I know what I want to work on in the spring with him with riding. I hope to do plenty of trail riding and hope to buy a trailer by summers end so that I can take him to the trails safely. I'm sure Fair won't mind to trailer him with her as long as I come help her with the trail rides next year, but there are going to be times where I'm not going to want to do the same trail over and over again.

I also hope to start him on some poles and get some bending happening as I want to start working him in patterns.I need to get him responsive to leg and get him neck reining. In a few years I hope he is a responsive horse that is my "trusty steed".

Anywho, I'm going out to see him today, so I hope to get some pictures and what not!

Mephis

So I bought another horse! Lets just say bring on the horse expenses is an understatement.

500 - The horse himself
30 - To move him
25 - Farrier
14 - Wormer
250 - Board
65 - Pulling the Coggins
17 - Two buckets for stall

I'm sure I'm forgetting something somewhere but this is all the immediate up front costs to bringing him home. Yikes.

He has the same issue Dodge did which is rushing out of the stall. I asked around for some advice and have a game plan in my head. I know he is just testing me to see what he can get away with and I try to be somewhat fair in how I treat my animals. On Friday we are going to work our asses off at the stall scenario. I'll get him.

In all he is what I wanted: 15 hands or taller, Tennesse Walking Horse, and a easy goig disposition. Oh and to be gaited, he has WONDERFUL gaits. On Sunday I'll work with him more with that and hopefully come to a understanding with him. (I said hopefully, not expecting miracles here.)

I'll get pics up soon, I'm too lazy to copy and paste.