Biscuit's Blog

Nils

2009-06-06T07:17:00.001-07:00

Just like people are all unique, so are horses. This morning's New York Times has an interesting Op Ed piece by Sean Clancy, a horse racing journalist, about racing. Today is the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Mr. Clancy says:

"Horses are just like people; there are smart ones, dumb ones, miserable ones, honest ones, simple ones, cheats, freaks, leaders and laggards. They have good days, bad days and plenty of average days. They can be brilliant one minute, horrible the next. They can remember something that happened a year ago and forget what they learned yesterday. They’ll walk placidly into a metal starting gate that clangs and rings when the doors open, and then be scared of a bucket that wasn’t there yesterday."

I just think this is really interesting, and true! It describes us as all the contradictions you can think of - strong but fragile, brave but flighty. We are all unique! Today I start a series of posts profiling the horses of Fish Bowl Farm.

Nils
Nils is my half brother; we have the same sire (dad). Nils was foaled in 1989 in Stehekin, Washington. He is a brown dun Norwegian Fjord, so he looks like me. Nils is fun. He is one of those horses who adjusts well to his rider, but if the rider doesn't ask for things just right he ignores them. Some riders think he's stubborn, but really, would you know what someone wanted to do if they pushed you and pulled you? He is just waiting for the aids to be clear, and then he is light and forward and happy. Nils lived with his previous family for fifteen years! He came to Fish Bowl in 2007 when he was 18 years young. Nils is about 14.1 and weighs about 1000 lbs or more. He is really sturdy, but his body shape is more like a regular horse than a Fjord. His legs are short and very stout - he is a wonderfully heavy boned fellow. When Emily went to Wenatchee to meet him, she rode Nils for only about 10 minutes in a round pen and said "ok, I think I've seen enough." The nice owner who was sadly selling him was worried that she didn't like him, but Emily quickly explained that he was just perfect! The owner asked if she wanted to take him on a trail ride to see what he was like outside an arena, and they went for a short walk off the property and Nils was very happy and fun. He loves trail rides. He is a great longe horse - he goes steadily around and around for riders to learn balance and feel in the saddle. His canter is fun and his lateral (sideways) movement is really good. In the paddocks and the fields Nils is the boss of his group. I try to boss him a little, but he's older than I am and takes great pride in managing other horses. He knows he's not the biggest horse, but he is still the boss of the smaller horses. He is a fiend for carrots! Nils doesn't get treats very much because he gets so excited to have food that he is not very polite. Can you imagine? I don't know any other horses that are like that ...except maybe for me! Nils loves to go places - to shows, parades, other places to ride, and he gets really happy and energetic, but always keeps his wits about him. The only time he spooks is when he is concentrating hard for a student and something startles him, but he always calms right down. Nothing really bothers him too much. He is my neighbor and my "brother of another mother" and I love Nils.

Meet our new friend, Springstar!

2009-05-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

She is a connemara mare, and she moved in on Monday. She has two horse neighbors who already like her a lot: Annie and Rio. Welcome Springstar!

Look at Me!

2009-05-15T16:23:00.001-07:00

Emily snapped this photo of me and Ava this afternoon in our lesson. I think I blinked, but I don't take pictures of myself very often, and I thought I should show you how well my youngest rider is doing! We walked and trotted, and practiced steering all around the arena and between the dressage letters. Then we played a game where she collected fir cones and we walked them over to a barrel and put them on top. Fun! What did you do today? I had a great ride!

Don't forget to watch the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event on NBC at 12:30 PDT tomorrow - Saturday!

Walkin' Down the Trail

2009-05-12T18:17:00.001-07:00

I like to go on trail rides, do you? I sometimes get skitterish when there are deer hiding in the woods, and sometimes the crunching of sticks and dry leaves scares me (I'm kind of silly), but I do love to get out of the arena. Before I moved to Fish Bowl Farm I lived in Ellensburg, and there aren't so many dense woods there, it's more sage brushy, so when I moved to Western Washington the Doug Fir and Madrona woods were something to get used to! Here is a really cool website where you can download and read a document about sharing the trails with others on foot, on horseback, bicycle or atv (where they're allowed). (Look on the bottom right of that website for ELCR News Flashes and the Trail Guide. The photo above is of one of the trails at Fish Bowl with the flowering apple tree.

Feed Bag to Tote Bag

2009-05-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

Feed bags used to be made of cotton fabric. Then they morphed into paper or woven synthetic stuff. Then two paper layers sandwiched around clear plastic. Now they are also made out of tightly woven plastic a'la plastic tarp material. They are indestructible and amazing for many uses. They are also recyclable -- there is a smart human who has figured out how to recycle plastic feed bags and synthetic baling twine into plastic. I think that's smart. I don't know if we should have all this plastic around - I see tiny pieces of baling twine on the ground sometimes and it doesn't look like it will ever go away! Anyway... this feed sack stuff cuts and sews very nicely as you can see by the photo above! Emily tinkered with the sack and voila - a new tote bag for hay, farmers market produce, groceries, taking recycling to the center, donations to the thrift store, items to and from the library, and maybe even your boots and helmet to the farm for your weekly lesson or daily ride! If you need a sack to do some creative sewing on, let us know, we have lots of these beet pulp sacks just waiting for a new purpose.

Rainbows and Horsemanship

2009-05-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wild weekend of rain and sun and clouds and wind, but not very many of those things at the same time. It was constantly changing, that's for sure! Sunday when Emily was driving her little electric golf car/truck around feeding us there was a complete rainbow in the sky and it was lovely! There was even a little vertical piece of rainbow right by our riding arena!

Horsemanship for kids ages 5-15 is starting up on Wednesday, May 6th, from 3:30-5:00. $10/participant, please wear your boots and helmet, and we'll have some fun! Learning, playing, handling me and the other horses, and talking about caring for us. It's a drop in program for any kids interested in horses and ponies - Fish Bowl students are encouraged to come, and also to bring a friend. Open to all, parents can drop their kids off at 3:30 and pick them up at 5:00. Rain or shine, see you Wednesday!

Rolex TV Coverage Postponed....

2009-05-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

...to Saturday May 16th on NBC. It's right before the Preakness (those horses are FAST!), so check your local listings.

It was sadly pre-empted by Hockey Playoffs. But hockey does look fun!

A Student's New Pony, Show Saturday and Rolex!

2009-05-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

We are so happy for our young friend, Presley, who has a new pony! His name is Bobby, and as you can see, he is a very cute fellow! He lives at his owner's grandpa's stable, where Emily visits each week for their lesson. They're coming along well together, and Bobby has settled in nicely at his new home!

The Annual Shaggy Horse Show is tomorrow, Saturday at Paradise Ridge Park, here on Vashon Island. Just as she did at the show last weekend, Emily will collect non-perishable food items for the Vashon-Maury Food Bank. Come out to watch the horses and riders, and bring something canned or boxed for our neighbors.

Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event was last weekend, and it will be televised this Sunday on NBC at 5:00 pm EDT (2:00 on the West coast). Be sure to watch the great excitement of Lucinda Fredericks and her 15.2 mare, Headley Brittanica, Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo, and Buck Davidson and My Boy Bobby!

Jynx

2009-04-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Isn't she pretty? She's my paddock/pasture mate, and we are such friends! It is great fun to watch her grow up. Jynx will be two years old at the end of May, and I think today she's looking like quite a grown up. There is a saying that when we look at very young horses they really only look good at 3 days, 3 months and 3 years, and everything in between is quite possibly unbalanced and looking like unmatched parts all put together! Jynx has been rump-high for months, but is evening out. She's certainly pretty in the foggy morning we had yesterday.

After this photo was taken, nine of the ten horses currently living at Fish Bowl had their feet "done" by our farrier, Jim. He pulled shoes, trimmed hooves, and re-shod those who wear shoes, and simply trimmed those of us who are barefoot. He trimmed Jynx and me in the field, and I stood very still for him. Jynx mostly did, but was a bit grabby with her hind feet. She's learning...

If you come to the OPC Dressage/CT Show today please bring nonperishable food donations for the Vashon-Maury Food Bank. Find Emily's enormous white and red truck in the parking area (it'll have a sign on it) and please put your donations in the bed of the truck. Our community thanks you!!

Horse Show Saturday 4/25/09

2009-04-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Olympus Pony Club is hosting a dressage, jumping and combined test (dressage+show jumping) show at Paradise Ridge Park on Saturday, 4/25/09. Go watch! It'll be fun! Dressage tests will be ridden from 9:30-2:30, then jumping from 3:00-4:30 or finished. Emily is the course designer for the jumping, which is great fun! She's having a very nice crew of pony club members and families help set up the course, enjoy pizza and pop, and have a course walk late Friday afternoon. It's all about the learning and the fun, with the jumping thrown in for good measure!

Speaking of jumping, one of our students did her first jumping ever in her lesson this week! Fun! She rode Rio, and she did really well - never out of balance, learning about where to put her hands, how to get the horse to the fence in balance and straight, etc. Yea!!

How much grass can a horse eat?

2009-04-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

A lot!

The first photo is where I did not graze today. The second photo is where I ate all the grass I possibly could!

The grass is really growing at Fish Bowl Farm because it is Springy warm weather and the sun is up for over 15 hours each day. I love to eat the grass! Today Emily set up a pen for me along a fence line so I could "mow" the grass. Did I do a good job? My tummy was full, and the grass is noticeably shorter as you can see in the photos!

A horse needs 2% of her body weight in roughage each day. What is roughage? Hay and grass. Hay is dried grass. I weigh about 1,200 pounds, so I need about 24 pounds of hay and grass each day. Fresh grass has a lot of water content, so maybe I need even more grass than I need hay.... do you think Emily will fall for that and let me graze even longer tomorrow? I'll let you know!

Have fun, Blossom!

2009-04-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Blossom left this morning at 7:30 a.m. for her new home in Pullman, Washington. Blossom is being leased, and possibly purchased, by a nice family. Blossom whinnied as she went up the driveway in the horse trailer, and Jynx, Coco and Annie all whinnied back. Jynx will miss her very much, and I will too, although I really will enjoy having one less pony to live with and keep track of! Did you know I'm the boss of my little group? I am! The pecking order was: me, then Blossom, then Molly when she's with us, and then young Jynx. It's funny because I'm just over 14.2 hands tall, and Jynx is 15.2, but I'm still in charge because Jynx is so young. She'll be two years at the end of May. I wish Blossom all the best at her new home! I know Blossom will enjoy all the open space and grass in the Palouse, the beautiful countryside around Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho.

Equine Dental Work

2009-04-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Rio had a day in the dentist's chair. Not really, he didn't sit down, but he did have a session with Dr. Kent Tooman, DVM, getting his (Rio's) teeth floated. What is teeth floating? It's the process a veterinarian performs on a horse's mouth to file, shape and smooth the teeth so the horse's mouth is once again comfortable and as functional as possible. When horses chew, our teeth get worn (we grind hay and grass hard between our top and bottom molars!), and eventually the uneven wear on our teeth makes "points" and sharp edges that poke our cheeks. Dr. Tooman gave Rio a sedative so he would hold still, put a speculum in his mouth so his mouth stayed open, and tied his head (gently) up to an overhead timber in our grooming shed. Rio looks funny and a little weird with his tongue sticking out, as you can see in the photo! Dr. Tooman uses an electric drill with a file attachment to file down the sharp points and edges, and a hand tool to finish. Rio didn't like it very much, and his tongue looked like a geoduck, but he feels much better now. Dr. Tooman and his assistant were very good at this whole process, and considering that Rio didn't want to hold still despite additional doses of sedative, they held him still enough and worked fast to get it all done. They showed us and explained that Rio has a slight "wave mouth" which means that his teeth go up and down like a roller coaster track in his mouth. Before Emily purchased Rio she had another veterinarian do a thorough exam on him, and that vet told her that Rio has a wave mouth and that he would need his teeth floated. I'll have my mouth checked next month when I have my spring vaccinations and check up with our vet. I'll let you know what shots I get and how my mouth looks!

Open House Today!

2009-03-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

Emily is having an Open House (Open Farm?) today, Tuesday 3/17/09, from 10:00 to 12:30 for homeschooling families. We hope they'll come visit, meet me and the other horses and talk about Emily's lessons and horsemanship program. Visit our website for the address and directions. Follow the green balloons down the driveway to the tackroom for some cookies. Don't the little helmet, boots and horse cookies look delicious? But I hope there are carrots too.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When Did Humans Domesticate the Horse?

2009-03-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

New information shows that humans domesticated the horse around 3500 BC, which is 1000 years earlier than previously thought. Where were these horses and people? Kazakhstan! Read all about it in this New York Times article.

Back to School

2009-03-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

Riding school, that is. The other school horses and I went back to work this week with the riding students coming for their weekly lessons. Nils was ridden yesterday and today. Here he is with Presley in the saddle. She is a good rider, and she was practicing her posting diagonals on the longe line during her lesson. Diagonals are tough to get correctly - posting up and down at the trot in the same rhythm and timing as the horse's outside fore- and inside hind-legs. They didn't get rained or hailed on - phew, but it's cold. Here they are taking a little break - isn't Nils the furriest horse you've seen in a while? If he is, then you haven't seen me! I'm glad to see you, riders - it must almost be Spring!

Cupcake Watches Mr. Ed

2009-03-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

My little cat friend, Cupcake, likes to watch television on gloomy, rainy days like today. We had a little hail, a little rain and a good bit of wild wind over night and today on Vashon. Cupcake lives at Kristine's house, and she's smart - look at her sitting indoors, smug and warm. She probably even had popcorn and cocoa!

B-A-L-A-N-C-E

2009-02-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

And the Winners Are....

2009-02-27T06:26:00.001-08:00

Alison and Kristine! Thank you very much to all of you who emailed Emily or commented here on the blog about why you ride. The answers were interesting and varied. Alison will get a surprise package in the mail (send me your mailing address please), and Kristine gets hers in person here on Vashon Island.

Having the "contest" was a kick - we tracked statistics about where our blog readers live and how they found my blog. Of course we don't know who you are - that would be too weird, but we can see where you are on a world map. We've had readers from all over the United States, one in Germany, and one in South Korea. The visitor from South Korea Googled "camel biscuits" and that's how she found us - poor dear, I hope she wasn't too disappointed. But what are camel biscuits?!? I'll have to Google it and find out! If our German visitor comes back, and you feel like commenting below, let us know where you are in Germany, a little about yourself, and do you know our friend Kate, an American in Germany for a year of school?! Emily thinks maybe you are a fan of Fjord horses (who isn't?!) and that's how you found my blog.

Winter Continues

2009-02-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Wednesday we got a little more snow, which was pretty, but startling. We have had a dry February, and rain for just a couple of days before the temperatures dropped enough for our usual rain to turn to the white stuff. I stood in the shed for a while on Wednesday while it was raining, but Jynx and Blossom just wandered and grazed. By 10:00 am on Thursday the sun was out and the snow was gone except in the shadows. Jynx and Blossom lay down for sun naps in the lower part of the big field, far enough from each other that they both seemed to have their own area, and they were very sleepy. I stood watch while they slept, as the lead horse in a herd usually does.

Why Do You Ride? Pssst - there are PRIZES involved, so read this!

2009-02-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

Why ride a horse or pony? Emily is having the Fish Bowl Farm website re-done, and in the process of writing new information for the website she is thinking a lot about riding and caring for horses. She would like to talk directly with you, so I (Biscuit the horse) will take the keyboard back into the house for her to use. clip-clop-clip-clop...off I go down the driveway (Jynx!! Stay in the pasture with Blossom, I'll be right back!)...clip-clop-clip-clop...knock-knock... "Here's the keyboard, Emily!"

Thanks, Biscuit! Be sure to close the gate when you go back out to the field.

Hi friends, Emily the human being here! As Biscuit said, I'd like to talk to you. I teach people to ride and enjoy horses for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is that I enjoy riding and being around horses so much, and I like to share that with people. But why do I like to ride?

• Because it is fun to feel the air on my face, and the motion of the horse.

• Because working with an animal is so different from (and so similar to) working with people. Different kind of language: body language and physical communication as well as verbal communication and listening.

• Because I can do it alone when I want to be alone with an animal, or I can ride with people when I want company. Yesterday I rode Echo alone and then Annie came out to the arena and rode Inigo, we had a great time riding together. Annie rode Echo for the first time ever - and they had fun getting to know one another. I rode Inigo a lot when he was really young, so I just stood with him and we watched Annie and Echo.

• Because it's outside and I like being outside. Even if it's cold or rainy or snowy -- not too cold or rainy or snowy though! I love observing what's going on around me - the other horses in their fields and paddocks, the birds flying around, the smells of the seasons, the growth of plants. This morning I saw a redtail hawk. Last weekend there was a bald eagle way up in the sky. Yesterday there were raccoon footprints in the arena. I would see these things if I was outside doing something else, but riding and being with horses gives me a reason to be outside, and being with an animal gives me an entrance into the natural world.

• Because riding and continuing my learning and training is a challenge. It's hard to get the horse to do exactly what I want - clear that jump in such a way, bend her body like that for a good leg yield or shoulders in movement. It's a great challenge. My husband and I talk about our individual natures sometimes. He's competitive, but I sometimes think I'm not. I'm not competitive in a "must win" kind of way, but more in an "I can do this better than myself/that" way. It's interesting how many reasons and motives there are for pursuing something.

Mostly I ride because I like horses. We'll save why I like horses for another day!

Why do you ride or want to ride? Let me and Biscuit know: write us a comment below or send Emily an email at ewigley@mindspring.com If you send us a really good reason why you ride or want to learn to ride, we'll give you a prize. No kidding, and it's not something icky or dumb, I have in mind two very nice prizes: one if you're far away (I can send it) and one if you're nearby and can come to Fish Bowl Farm. So get thinking and let us know "Why you like to ride!" Thanks!

Brentina's Positive Progress

2009-02-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

Brentina, Debbie McDonald's horse, is doing well after her colic surgery last week. Read all about it, including interesting info on colic, surgery and recovery from Brentina's veterinary surgeon here.

We'll be right back after these messages!

2009-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

When Emily was little she thought commercials on television were called "messages." The announcer would say "We'll be right back after these messages," and on would come the ads. Messages, commercials, whatever, I'm interrupting our regular news and information with an ad for breeches from Emily.

Breeches! Riding pants shouldn't be that tough to figure out, right? But the thought of shopping for breeches for many people is a bit mind bending. They're tough to fit many shapes and sizes, they're usually expensive, and it's critical that they're comfy in the saddle. After vowing to try on every pair in the tack shop every time you visit and getting discouraged after the first pair comes up to your armpits and the second pair doesn't snap and zip quite as easily as one would hope... aaargh. Enter TuffRider!! Ta-daaa! They give, they move, they're snug but not like a sausage casing, they come in two lengths, they go in the washer and dryer, they're delightfully low priced, and they come in a zillion great colors! Really, these are the best breeches - go find a couple pair of the ribbed TuffRiders at your local tack shop or online!

Now back to our program...

Brentina's Doing Well after Colic Surgery

2009-02-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Brentina, ridden by Debbie McDonald (see blog entry below) had colic surgery on February 10th. Always a high risk, colic surgery involves full anesthesia, days of i.v. meds and fluids, and careful monitoring. Brentina is doing well as of a report on Equisearch.com Hooray!! McDonald put out a heartfelt request for positive thoughts and prayers for her amazing dressage partner, "Mama," and the beautiful chestnut Hanoverian mare is looking good!

We're really lucky at Fish Bowl to have only had a few mild colics. There was one very serious colic requiring surgery on a horse who arrived here to board, and within a few hours was in distress. She was also a chestnut mare, a thoroughbred, and she was whisked away to Pilchuk Animal Hospital in Snohomish where she had colic surgery. That horse recovered at Pilchuk for about a week and then returned to Fish Bowl where she fully recovered and was back to being ridden in a few months.

Braeburn, the biggest horse in the Fish Bowl at 17.2, had colic surgery a few years ago before we met him. He was on his way to a big hunter-jumper show in Bend, Oregon, and coliced in transit from the Seattle area. His smart handlers recognized the signs of colic and got him to a veterinary surgery. He recovered well and is a "whole" healthy horse. Knock on wood.

All these horses are chestnuts! Yikes! I think it's just a coincidence, but really!

(photo of Brentina and D. McDonald courtesy of Equisearch; original website linked above)

Emily adds: my thoroughbred mare, Naughty, was a chestnut and she didn't colic in the five years I had her!!

The Hay Truck is Here

2009-02-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

The horses at Fish Bowl Farm eat orchard grass hay. It is delicious and nutritious, bright green and clean smelling. When the hay truck comes down the driveway we hear and see it of course, but the smell is the best part! The horses and I all track it as it comes down the hill - watching with our ears forward and heads up. Coco always whinnies, and sometimes another horse or two does also. The 2 men from Dayville Hay & Grain park right by the feed room and unload it, stacking it carefully and efficiently so it all fits well. Today we got six tons, enough to last at least 2-3 months, depending on how much we all work and how many horses are on the farm. I wish you could smell and taste it!!

Mr. Ed

2009-02-12T10:07:00.001-08:00

Mr. Ed was a television show (in black and white) in the '60's. If you're too young to remember those days, you can watch a couple of episodes here . Thanks to Kristine for sending us to that site!

Welcome, Rio!

2009-02-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

We have a new horse at Fish Bowl! His name is DJ's Diamond Rio, and we call him Rio. He is a very handsome 15 year old 15.1 hand Quarter Horse gelding. Rio is very good in the arena, on the trail and over jumps. See him jumping above with his last owner? Don't they look great? Rio is a school horse. Call or email Emily, or leave a comment below, to schedule a lesson with Rio!

New Shoes & Trimmed Feet

2009-02-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

This morning, Jim Bergevin, our farrier (horse shoer) came to Fish Bowl to take care of all the horses' feet. Some of us are barefoot, some wear shoes only on our front feet, and some wear shoes on all four feet. I am barefoot right now, but will have shoes put on next time Jim is here since lessons will be in full swing by then and I'll need some protection from excess wear on my hooves. Since I don't wear shoes, I just have my hooves trimmed when Jim visits every 6-8 weeks. Three of us are barefoot right now: me, Blossom, who stays barefoot all year around, and Jynx, who will be barefoot until she learns to be ridden as a 3 year old. Jynx has learned to stand pretty well for Jim to trim her hooves. He uses a tool called nippers to trim the hooves and then a rasp to smooth them. It doesn't hurt to have our feet trimmed; it's just like having your finger nails trimmed. Hooves grow, just like hair and nails. A farrier neesd to know where and how much to trim, and how to keep the hooves balanced and correct so it feels good for us to move. It's a technical job, and one that requires understanding how horses move, the anatomy of feet and legs, the proper use of the tools and how to handle horses.

Inigo and Nils wear shoes only on their front feet. Did you know horses naturally carry two thirds of their weight on their front feet? They do! Inny and NIls are quite good for Jim, standing quietly as he moves from foot to foot to pull the front shoes, trim all the hooves, and shape and nail on the new shoes on the fronts. Jim uses a forge to heat up the steel shoes and shape them with his hammer and tools so each shoe fits each foot correctly, and then he nails them on.

Braeburn and Echo both wear shoes on all four feet. Echo used to go barefoot, but she is ridden regularly, and the shoes protect her feet from wear. Echo's shoes will be drilled and tapped for studs the next time Jim is here. Studs are like cleats: they are removable traction devices for horseshoes, and will give her traction on slippery grass.

The shoe in this picture is one of mine, pulled last Fall when lessons were over for the year. Horse shoes are fun to make into picture frames or hang over door ways. Remember, if you hang up a shoe to hang it open end up... that way you'll keep all the good luck in the shoe!

Shameless Commerce Division

2009-01-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

When you go to the stable how do you carry all your gear? Your helmet and gloves need a bag to keep them organized in the car. Here's your chance to get a really handy tote bag! If you would like one, please email Emily for price and info (ewigley at mindspring dot com). If you come straight from school to the stable it would be so handy to have a bag for your breeches, sox, boots, helmet and gloves....and don't forget a carrot for me!

Where did that come from?

2009-01-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

It snowed early this morning!

Clinic Auditing

2009-01-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

What does one do when an international dressage star comes to town? Audit her clinic, of course! Debbie McDonald is giving a dressage clinic at Traumhof in Carnation this weekend. Auditing is limited due to parking limitations, and Emily is very pleased to be able to attend. More during/after the weekend! More info about Debbie and and her horse, Brentina here.

Hair...EVERYWHERE!

2009-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

I showed you a photo (below) of the fence where I'd rubbed my side because I'm starting to shed my winter coat, and now I'll show you what was on the floor of the grooming shed after Emily brushed me for only fifteen minutes and clipped my mane off. Nicely groomed Fjord horses have a lovely long-roached mane, generally clipped at angles on the sides so you can see the black dorsal stripe, but mine has been shaggy and cozy this winter! Now it's time to get shaping up for Spring when I'll be enjoying my times with riding students in lessons, and that means a mane cut and regular grooming. Look at all that fur and hair on the floor!! If any birds are ready to make nests, my old fur will be handy interior decorating!

Zebras

2009-01-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

While we have been here in Washington state enduring winter weather (snow, ice, rain and melty messes here, flooding elsewhere), Emily went on a very exciting trip.... to Tanzania in Africa! I don't really know how far away that is, but she told me about the striped equids called zebras she saw there! I have my exotic dorsal stripe but zebras have stripes all over, and vertical stripes in their manes! They are so handsome, and lucky Emily got to see babies and adults walking, trotting, cantering and just having a good natural time in the wild. How many zebras do you see in this photo? I see eight.... good luck finding them all!

The Days are Getting Shorter.... Really!

2009-01-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

The days have been extra dark feeling lately because we've had fog. Fog: down to the deck, can't see more than 100' in front of you, you know there's blue sky above, but it's thick and dark outside kind of fog. Really eerie at night, when Emily has to shine her light on us to be sure we're where she should be. Last night she fed us just after darkness fell, and it was very quiet and muffly outside as well as difficult to see very far. Emily thought she knew where she was in the big field, but she underestimated and she was two fence sections away from the gate when she was finished feeding us! She looked surprised, but just re-aimed her headlamp and went on to feed the others.

With the darkness of fog it is difficult to tell that the days are, indeed, getting longer! The sunrise is a few minutes before 7:47 a.m., and sunset is at 4:54, so it is dark for 14 hours each 24-hour day.

However.... as evidenced by the photo above, I am beginning to shed! What?! Yes, the days are getting longer, so my coat is starting to loosen and itch and I rubbed on the fences the last two nights. That's why there is fur in the fence! The daffodil and tulip bulbs have sprouted also, so I'm not the only one thinking that Spring and longer days are in the not too distant future! What do you see around you that makes you know Spring will be here in two months??!

It's Melting!

2008-12-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

The snow is melting... melting... and the world is turning green and grey once more. I missed our green fields! I missed our easy temperatures in the 40's and 50's, and now they're back! The ice is melting in our stock tanks, and getting water to us is much easier for the people. Next year they'll have an insulated water spigot right by the paddocks and field, but this year they don't, so it's been a week of carrying water with the little electric golf car. I think Nils, Britta and I enjoyed the snow most of all. We Fjord horses have no problem warding off ice and snow! We had snow and ice on our backs and manes, and little balls of ice on our leg feathers and beards. It's good to be so shaggy when the weather is so wintery! What kind of weather are you having?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

There is about 15" of snow on the ground. Our street is plowed and smooth going, but many of our Island neighbors are stuck at home. Power is on. Phones are on. Even cable is still flowing. Water is flowing, but hoses are mostly frozes, so the humans carry water to us a few times a day. It is lovely. It is not cold. It is time for the snow to go away! Emily heard from a smart Fjord horse owner in Bothell (thanks Corinne!) that plasticky feed sacks make great sleds. She's going to try it today. Maybe Alex or Annie will take a photo and I'll put it on my blog! We horses will be very pleased when Santa Claus and his reindeer bring us Christmas carrots on Thursday morning! Merry Christmas to you and your family, and especially to all your animals.

Snow!

2008-12-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

We have about 6-8" of snow and more is falling right now. It's been really cold (19ºF), but is warming up a bit now. That's Nils looking through his pasture gate. Do you like his furry coat?!
Isn't the blue light at sunrise beautiful?
Have a great snow day like we are!

Beware the Scottish Highland Cattle at the Dressage Clinic

2008-12-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

My horse friend, Echo, and her rider Emily went to Port Orchard for a dressage clinic. They had a blast, but on the first of the two days they had a little walk to get to the outdoor arena for a short longe session. On the walk they saw some handsome horses, some fencing, some trees, a house and.... what are those???!!! The red Scottish Highland cow raced across his corral and charged the fence. Echo took a few gigantic strides to leap away, stopped, turned and snorted. She grew to seem like she was 19 hands tall, and was simply alarmed by the strange look and sudden appearance of this creature! She settled down and walked to the arena, was very good on the longe line, then walked back past the cattle with no excitement but some more snorting (just in case?).

The riding sessions during the clinic were terrific. After 2-1/2 years off from work (yikes!), she is coming back better than ever. Echo is just 8 years old, and while Emily has been wishing the two of them worked together more consistently, it looks like they're on their way! The clnician was Dora Dean, a very positive trainer based in Redmond. Dora urges her riders to pat and praise the horses often, which makes for happy horses and riders. All riders should praise their mounts! Dora is very precise and careful to ask the riders for correct work, always improving their way of going.

Echo traveled to the clinic with her old friend Sir. They were well behaved, which is a good thing, as they traveled down the road and onto the Rhododendron ferry to Tacoma, then about 25 miles to Port Orchard. Both horses enjoyed excellent hospitality in the barn and the big turn outs while staying at Big Steel Ranch. It was cool both days and rainy on Tuesday, but with a covered arena to ride in, the horses and people had nothing to complain about! Echo told the horses all about it when she got home on Tuesday night. We do enjoy hearing stories from off the farm. Good job in the arena, Echo, and especially good job keeping Emily safe from those long horned steers!

Patrick will be Greatly Missed

2008-12-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

From Emily...
It is with sadness that I let you know of Prince Patrick pony's death on November 21st. He suffered little and was helped to comfort and peace by Dr. Thorn, surrounded by three who loved him so much: Alex, Asia, and me. Patrick was 26, foaled March 17, 1982. He was 13.3 hands, a registered Pony of the Americas. Patrick loved many people, horses and things in life, among them his time teaching riders of all levels, eating grass, rolling with vigor and second guessing his handlers. He jumped his last jumps in June, walked his last trail and had his last arena ride on Saturday, November 8th. His life spanned many riding disciplines including dressage, jumping, eventing, trail riding, cow work, English and Western showing. He was the Shaggiest Pony at the 2006 Olympus Pony Club Shaggy Horse Show. Owned and dearly loved by Judi of Goldendale, and then Emma and her family until we were fortunate enough to be his people in May of 2006, Patrick has been surrounded by loving, happy humans his entire life.

Alex buried him in our big field, where he will overlook Fish Bowl Farm and his horse and human friends. I am so glad he passed quickly. Please give your kids a hug for me and help them to understand. This is the hardest part of loving these wonderful animals, but we can be so proud to have known one of the best. He will be greatly missed.

Horse Management Lessons - Saturdays for Everyone

2008-10-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

Fish Bowl is offering weekly horse management lessons for students, families and friends. One recent Saturday the people talked about assessing overall health and body condition scoring. Looking at a horse when you first meet them, or first see them on any given day is important. How you feel each day is important to how well you do in school and at work, right? Same for the horses. If you find a swollen spot, a cut, or a lazy attitude, you'll have to deal with them, as the horses can't take care of things on their own. Body condition scoring is about proper, healthy weight: too fat, too thin, no muscle, good muscle, etc., are what are involved. Email me or leave me a comment if you want more info on body condition scoring. Other weeks the discussion has been about tack (care, cleaning, fitting, types of bits, bridles, saddles, etc.), vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration) and first aid, colors and markings (there was a discussion that went on and on - it was such fun!). Dressage, the mechanics of the gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop) and jumping, so many topics!! Join us Saturday for a post-Halloween time! Treats but not tricks! And a door prize!

This coming Saturday we'll do more horse management from 3:30-5:00. For more info about HM, please visit the News! page on our website. Thank you!

Emily can take it!!! Make a comment here to tell her what's wrong with her riding position in this photo. The best answer gets a prize. (Her feelings won't be hurt - she knows the camera caught her in a very awkward moment at this show a few years ago!)

Horse Management Takes on a New Meaning

2008-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is really interesting, and if you're like me, Biscuit, you'll want to listen to the NPR story, not just read it! (Emily can bring me her iPod more easily than she can bring me the entire computer to read the article!)

Horse Sense: New Breed of Executive Training

Dressage Camel, Duck Herding Dogs, Icelandics, and More!

2008-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Steering with Reins: Right, Left, Inside, Outside

2008-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

My blog used to be at another address on the web, but that is no longer accessible to you (and sometimes not to me!), so I'm digging into the old blog posts to put some of the oldies and goodies here where you can read it. Our first old-new one is about steering a horse with reins.

Steering a horse with reins sounds so easy... but it is not just a matter of tugging on my right rein to turn right, or the left to go left! In this photo of Spaten and Alex galloping, you can see his good contact with Spaten's bit and mouth through the reins - he is keeping equal tension on the left and right reins since he is galloping in a straight line. They have such fun together, and after some practice with me, Nils, Blossom, Patrick or Britta, you'll be steering and riding well too!

The first thing we have to understand is that the rein in the direction we are turning is the inside rein, and the rein on the outside of the turn (not the direction we are turning) is the outside rein. Understanding the inside and outside rein and how they help horses and ponies know which way you want to go will make your riding easier and more fun!

Riders use two basic rein aids in turning: the direct rein and the indirect rein. The direct rein works directly from the front to the back, pulling gently towards the rider's body. The indirect rein is used to move the pony's weight, or block the outside shoulder from going the wrong way.

When you want to turn me, or any horse or pony, to the left, your left rein is the direct rein. Pull the left rein towards your body, straight back, never up or down, by just squeezing the rein with your fingers. This left direct rein invites me to turn to the left (the inside). Your right (outside) rein is used as an indirect rein when turning left: put pressure on the outside rein and hold it to let me know you do not want me to go to the right at all. I like to think of the outside rein as blocking my direction on that side, or as Emily says "make a wall on the outside so Biscuit won't go to the right while you are trying to turn left."

One thing I feel when riders are learning to turn is floppy reins! If our reins get too long I can't tell what you want me to do or where we should go. Keep a contact, or a feel, of my bit and my mouth and I can better feel (or "hear") what you are asking me to do. Also, when the reins are too long your hands will go all over the place in order to make me feel your rein aids - behind your hip with your elbow up in the air to take up the extra rein, or even on the other side of my neck when your outside rein is too long in a turn. If it helps to stop and shorten your reins when they get too long, that is ok!

Remember that the bit, while a very gentle snaffle, is still a piece of stainless steel in my mouth. The old term "hard mouthed" refers to a horse who has become callous to the bit, and that happens with too much pulling on the reins. Please keep in mind my soft, willing mouth, and we'll turn left and right with no trouble, and it will be fun!

Important thing to keep in mind: ask me to move forward at a walk or trot before you turn us, keep your reins a good snug length, and we'll go places - left and right - at the walk, trot, canter and gallop! Here are the steps for turns:

• Legs on to go forward

• Ask with direct rein (left to go left, right to go right)

• Stay steady with the indirect rein (right when going left, left when going right)

• Keep your legs on my sides to tell me to keep moving forward.

Emily sometimes says it's like steering a bicycle: if you don't keep the bike moving the bike can't turn.... same with me - if you just pull on my reins I won't turn unless I'm moving! :-)

Popeye and Britta

2008-09-03T09:42:00.001-07:00

It just occurred to me that there has been a change at Fish Bowl in the last two weeks that I forgot to mention! Oh dear! It was a big change too. Our nice friend Popeye, the handsome appaloosa gelding, has gone to a new home. We'll miss Popeye a lot (Inigo and Braeburn miss him the most - they were great friends), but he has a wonderful new home with Jenifer in Wilkeson. Popeye started at Fish Bowl as the first school horse! He was good at his job until the rider was ready to do more on her own, and then he didn't want to listen to his rider, he wanted to listen to the instructor! This doesn't make for very independent riders, so Popeye was given to Annie last summer. She rode him English and Western (doesn't he look great?), in the arena, the field and the woods. Take care, Pop!

Britta is a very sweet Norwegian Fjord horse who lives at Fish Bowl Farm. She's been here since June and also gives lessons. She is owned by a good friend of Fish Bowl's people. She is a cheerful, forward moving horse who loves to do dressage and jump! She likes to go out on the trails too, and lives next door to Braeburn and Annie (the horse, not the person). During the day each of the horses goes out into the pastures for wandering, running around, playing and grazing (my favorite part!!) in the fields. Britta goes out with me (Biscuit) and Annie, and mostly we are all very happy together. Yesterday Britta got in my way and wanted to play; I didn't want to play (why play when there is grass to eat?), so I kicked her. She's fine, but she did have a little hoof print on her hindquarters! Emily put some arnica linament on it, and I bet that felt great.

Community - Summer - Fall - Back to School

2008-09-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

I just heard about a really interesting and fun community project, and I think you'll like it, as it's creative, slightly surprising and combines horses (toy ones) with people in Portland, Oregon. Check out The Horse Project I think you'll like it! I didn't know about tie rings on sidewalks of cities, did you? How interesting! Do you have interesting public projects like this in your town or city? Vashon has the Bicycle in the Tree. (It isn't something you can be involved with like the tiny horses in Portland, but it's really fun to see it!) I don't know much about communities, but I know about herds.

If a community can make the horse project, I think it must be as nice as my herd. (But don't ask Britta about power struggles in a herd; she got a hoof print on her hind end yesterday when she did something in MY herd that I didn't think was appropriate!!)

Summer vacation is over, but the summer weather is lovely! It is sweatshirt weather for the people in the evenings and mornings, but we horses are putting on our big coats as the days get shorter. The shorter daylight hours are what make us grow our heavy winter coats. If there was a contest for coat weight at Fish Bowl Farm, I would win. I also could run away and join the circus as the bearded lady! I am lovely and fuzzy at the moment.... but the warm afternoons find me in the shade, as my coat is pretty heavy for the sunshine!

Fall won't officially be here for another month, but as children go back to school we call it Fall, don't we? As the days shorten the skies are often colorful at sunset. It was purple and pink on Monday night - beautiful!

Nils, Blossom, Patrick and I are taking our vacation right now before riding lessons start up for the Fall season next week. We have had a really good summer with a lot of students riding us. One day I was standing around not doing anything and Annie, the teen who lives at Fish Bowl, came and got me, groomed me and took me for a bareback ride! It was a blast! She owns Inigo, and I don't get to play with her very often, so it was a special day for me. The August Adult Mini-Camp was a highlight of the summer too: five women with varying experiences with horses came to the farm for two days of intensive riding and horse care time. They looked like they had so much fun! I heard that they went out to dinner after the first full day of riding, and it sounds like they had fun away from the dust and horses too!

Happy end of summer, beginning of fall, back to school, or whatever you're up to!

The Olympic Equestrian Events

2008-08-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Olympics begin this weekend! I'm excited, and I hope Emily will bring a television or a computer out to my paddock so I can watch! There will be Show Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. Eventing is my favorite (even though I don't do it!!!) because the horses and riders compete in three different phases, all different: dressage (obedience and grace), cross country jumping (speed, endurance and athleticism over solid, natural obstacles) and show jumping (obedience and suppleness over painted jumps that knock down).

Here are some links to see for yourself what takes place in Hong Kong at the '08 Summer Games! (Equestrian sports are held in Hong Kong rather than in Beijing because of very difficult quarantine regulations in mainland China.)

http://equestrian.teamusa.org/ The official equestrian team site at US Equestrian Federation.

http://equisearch.com/equiwire%5Fnews/olympics2008/ The best press site for equestrian.

http://special.equisearch.com/blog/maxcorcoran/ A great blog by Max Corcoran, groom to Karen O'Connor, who is riding at her fourth Olympics!

http://special.equisearch.com/blog/brianoconnor/ Brian O'Connor's Olympic blog; Brian is an equestrian announcer at the Olympics in Hong Kong. He is a professional announcer in the U.S., brother to David O'Connor, who is the president of the USEF, and brother-in-law to Karen O'Connor, riding Mandiba in Eventing in Hong Kong.

http://special.equisearch.com/blog/debbiemcdonald/ Debbie McDonald is riding Brentina on the US Dressage Olympic team. Debbie is not only a marvelous rider, she writes well. One of our favorite books is "Riding Through" by Ms. McDonald. (This book is available for check out in the Fish Bowl Farm library.)

The horses must be having such an adventure after flying to Hong Kong, getting acclimated to really humid hot weather, and living at a gorgeous venue. There is a race track, dozens of arenas, a stadium (they'll compete under the lights there - imagine the noise!!), and of course the cross country course and all the barns. And vets. And grooms. And riders. And coaches. Transporting horses by air is one thing. Think of all that has to go with them to keep them in top form for world class competition: hay, grain, tack, grooming equipment, therapeutic equipment, etc. WOW!!

Go Team USA!!

Sunshine

2008-07-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Sunshine brings great things - lush grass for horses to eat, sweet red tomatoes (not for me, for the people!), and blackberries. We all love blackberries! You probably like the actual berries, but the other horses and I like the leaves as much as the berries. The blackberry bushes are blooming right now. Imagine that every one of those blossoms will be a berry in just a month or two - YUM!

The warm weather continues here on Vashon Island. It's warm, but not unbearably hot - around 82º today. In the warm weather the horses do sweat, but that's good, as it keeps us cool. Here's an interesting thing about cooling out horses....

A horse sweats to keep his body cool, but sometimes sweating isn't enough to cool a hard working equine. If a horse is sweaty and hot after a ride, or even from running around in the pasture, hose him off, and then immediately use a sweat scraper to remove the water. Why? The water seems like it would continue to cool the horse, but a hot horse's body temperature will heat up the water you just put on him, and he'll actually get hotter. So scrape off the water right away, and keep him walking to cool his muscles and make a small breeze to evaporate the rest of the water on his coat. Sometimes we sweat a little bit around our ears under the bridle, and under the girth and the saddle pad. If that's all the sweat that's there and our breathing is normal, we probably just need a little brushing or sponging off to remove the sweat. If a horse sweats more or seems to be breathing hard, take his temperature and cool him with water (continue scraping and hosing) until his body temperature is normal.

What's a horse's normal body temperature? Good question.... we'll talk about that next time I'm sitting down at the computer! We'll talk about T, P & R: temperature, pulse and respiration, all of these vital signs tell a lot about a horse's health. Talk to you soon!

--Biscuit

Fireworks and a Peacock!!

2008-07-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week! Some fireworks were really, really loud and too close for comfort on the Fourth of July! We have a new neighbor and he thinks loud, bright and way up in the sky are all important parts of fireworks and celebrating the Fourth. We horses didn't like it much, but maybe that's one of the freedoms our founding fathers didn't think about, but many are glad to exercise! Happy belated Fourth of July!

Today we have a very large male peacock wandering around the farm! He is very handsome, and we all think he is from outerspace! He doesn't really look like anything I'm familiar with - he's so long with his beautiful tail! He has a neat little crown of feathers on his head, his neck is gorgeous blue, and his tail feathers are beautifully colored and long! What's been wandering through your yard lately? Let me know in the comments below!

Nils, Patrick, Blossom, Molly and I have recently welcomed a new friend to Fish Bowl Farm: Britta! She's a 14 year old Norwegian Fjord mare! She is very nice. We all like her, and she seems happy to be at Fish Bowl Farm this summer. She is visiting and being enjoyed for riding lessons. She loves to be ridden in the arena and out on the trails, and she jumps really nicely!

See you soon - hopefully not so long between posts in the future!

First Birthday

2008-05-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Jynx had her first birthday on May 27th! It seems the last year has gone by very quickly, and she has certainly grown a lot! She had a quiet birthday and napped in the sun several times. Emily set a big muck bucket on her back and her hind quarters after putting out her hay at breakfast, and Jynx just stood still, not minding the big thing on her, just curious about it. She is a curious, calm young horse, and it is such fun to see her grow up! She needs her mane trimmed and some brushing, but her winter coat is gone, and she is a very pretty light chestnut with a sun bleached mane. Happy Birthday, Jynx!

Beautiful Sun and Syttende Mai

2008-05-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had the prettiest sunny skies! It was a bit hot on Friday and Saturday (in the high 80º's), but then some clouds scuttled around the blue sky and it was cooler Sunday. We had a breeze which made it all quite nice! The people all smell like sunscreen these days, and we'll be smelling like herbal fly spray pretty soon! Here is a photo of Echo, Jynx and me, hanging out in the sunshine. Jynx is taller than I am! She will have her first birthday on May 27th!

Jynx is half Swedish, so she didn't celebrate Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day), but Nils and Finn and I did, as we're all Norwegian Fjords! We didn't walk in any parades, but some Fjords did in Ballard (Seattle). Aren't they handsome and well behaved?

Fish Bowl Farm in Print!

2008-05-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Extra, extra, read all about it! Fish Bowl Farm's Emily is profiled in Hunter & Sporthorse magazine's May-June '08 issue! The article is entitled "Essential Cross Country Jumps." Emily was interviewed about cross country course design, with an emphasis on designing for schooling courses and lower level jumps for horses and riders learning about cross country jumping. It's wonderful to see the article in a national magazine, and the info is really interesting and helpful, with great photos of jumps. There is a condensed version of the article on the magazine's website. (Scroll down a bit.) If you are nearby and want to see it in person, give us a shout via email or phone and you can drop by to borrow a copy of the magazine. It's so exciting! A photo of one of our jumps at the farm is in the article -- with Allie and Hannah jumping it! We're all excited!

Rain, hail, snow, wind; shedding; new horse friend!

2008-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Is it Spring yet? Today we had rain and wind and a rainbow. Saturday we had snow. Monday we had snow in the morning and enough hail in the afternoon to cover the ground for a few minutes. Hmmm. I like the rainbows the best. There were three today, which isn't surprising given the speed that the dark grey clouds came and went. The sun was playing hide and seek in the clouds. Click on the photo at the left and it will open enlarged and you'll be able to see the rainbow! (It's just to the left of the biggest trees.) This photo shows part of our riding field. If the sky was clear it would show Mount Rainier, too!

The horses are all still shedding. It seems that the pony breeds have the wooliest coats. Then the cross bred horses, then the sport horses that are purebreds. I have the thickest, longest coat, with my half brother Nils in second place for that shaggy honor. The thinnest coat of our horses belongs to Braeburn. He is a New Zealand thoroughbred, and he appreciated his medium weight waterproof blanket this winter!

We have a new friend at the farm! Her name is Raven, and she is very pretty! She is black with a couple of short sox, and a big blaze. She is one of the four horses owned by others and boarded at Fish Bowl. I live across the driveway from her. Maybe one day she'll share a fence line with me and we can talk to each other. Welcome, Raven!

Hair Cut Accomplished!

2008-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Emily cut my mane! It looks and feels much better. It's officially called "roached" when all my mane hair is clipped off. It will grow for a month or so, and when there is enough hair, she'll cut it with an arched shape like most Fjord's manes. For now it just feels good to have all that hair gone! I'll post photos of all of me soon so you can see the results, not just the process.

Do you get a Spring hair cut?

Hosting, Shmosting, what's all this nonsense?!

2008-03-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

The blog moved. Then it didn't look good. Then it wasn't fixable. Then it was. Oh! To be the farm woman at the computer doing this technical stuff for me, a pasture munching Norwegian Fjord horse! She's trying really hard, but she's having trouble. I think we'll just start over. Ok? Ok. Here we are, easily linked from http://www.fishbowlfarm.com!

Thank you for understanding!

Love,

Biscuit

P.S. Do you think I should cut my mane? Should it be fancy and short and curved on top like a proper Fjord horse, or long and wild like a prehistoric horse? I like it both ways, but what do you think? Do comment and let me know, or email ewigley at mindspring dot com Thanks!