Maxine, the Shameless Beggar!

See what happens when I try to eat lunch in my tack room on lesson day?

Maxine has no shame. She'll eat practically anything that gets within a foot of her lips. You'd think she was starving to death.

At the end of each ride she always gets a treat or two. Usually we stick to horse treats, apples, peppermints, or bananas (her favorite). However, she does have a few guilty pleasures that she gets once in a blue moon, including french fries, Mountain Dew, and brownies. Can you blame her?

Photo: Maxine tries to grab a bite of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I can't lie—she definitely ended up getting a bite... or two.

Today was a Good Day

Somebody's Teething

I've been neglecting my blogging duties, I know. It's just that this summer has been so jam-packed with activities, it's been hard to find a moment when I not too occupied--or too exhausted--to write a post.

No worries. I promise to catch everyone up on the summer's adventures.

As you know, when you have a baby--though it's difficult to call a 15.1 hand mule a baby--you get to experience a lot of "firsts." One of our most exciting "firsts" this year was Madge's first camp trip to Graham Corral near Sisters, Oregon.

Shortly after arriving at the campground, I unloaded the girls and tied them in the corral. Each mule was tied to the fence, where they'd stay for the weekend. After setting up water buckets and tossing some hay to get them settled in, I wandered over and visited with friends.

An hour or two later, the camp host asked if I'm move my rig to another location, a request I was happy to oblige. I hopped in my truck and drove around the campground circle to my destination. As I passed the corral where the girls were tied, I noticed Madge kicking her heels and racing around. A very short, wet lead rope was dangling from her halter.

No need to panic, I chuckled to myself. She was still confined by the corral fence, so the most she would do is pester the other mules who were now jealous of the only longear no longer tied to the fence.

After parking the truck, I grabbed an extra lead rope and headed to the corral. Madge trotted over as soon as I entered the pen. I quickly clipped on the lead rope, thankful that I wasn't going to have to chase her around the corral. I tied her tight to the fence post and headed back through the gate. As I closed the gate, I looked up to see her standing with the new lead rope already in her mouth.

"Drop it," I hollered, taking a firm step in her direction.

Madge promptly dropped the lead from her mouth, only to pick it up again within seconds. Needless to say, we're still working on the longevity of the "drop it" command.

Knowing that I don't carry an endless supply of lead ropes in the trailer, I started to consider my options for keeping her safely tied for the duration of the camp trip. I had a few stud chains in the trailer, so I grabbed one and headed back to the corral.

Madge patiently waited as I shortened her lead line and bridged the length between the rope and halter with the stud chain. As soon as I dropped the chain, it was in her mouth. She looked at me quizzically, knowing this definitely wasn't something she could chew through. Fortunately, she was only concerned about the length of line near her mouth. The rest of the rope was safe.

"She must be teething," said my trainer when I told her about Madge's antics.

"I don't doubt that," I replied with a laugh, and sat down to relax.

Madge was a doll the rest of the trip. You'd have never guessed it was her first time in the wilderness. She followed us down the trail like a champ, ponying quietly behind Maxine. Well, there was that one time she decided to take a nap (i.e. lie down) on the trail when we stopped take a quick break, but she was just making effective use of her break time.

She also provided us with a lot of entertainment by kicking her heels in the air whenever she was left alone in the corral or tied to the trailer. The first day or two, she was probably reaching the ten foot mark. By the end of the weekend however, her kicks had lost their steam, and her heels barely cleared two feet.

Maxine was much less entertaining. She stood quietly tied when she wasn't steadily carrying me down the trail. Maxine is priceless.

At the end of the trip, I loaded my two tired mules into the trailer for a long, satisfying drive home.

Photo: Madge, Me and Max, and Travis and Micah, the wonder donkey. I was so excited that Travis came up to ride with us for the day. I'm also thankful that my trainer let him ride her mom's steadfast donkey. It's so fun to have my husband along.

Ouch.

"I'm envious of your day off right now," texted a coworker this morning. "Thought u should know."

Tee hee.

It was a gorgeous day. The first full-on fabulous day in months. The trail show we were scheduled compete in this weekend was cancelled, leaving me with two days off from work. Two days to spend however I please.

Needless to say, I headed down to the barn for some riding with friends.

The crew tacked up, grabbed a few babies (including Madge) to tow along, and headed down the road. We walked, we trotted, we loped, we laughed, we took photos, we soaked up the sun... It couldn't have been a nicer day.

As we were on our way home, I suddenly found myself lying on the ground. Maxine had slipped on a spot of smooth tar and fell to the asphalt. As she was down, I quickly rolled off to the side so she could clamor to her feet. I sat up, unhurt, still holding a mule in each hand.

Madge, who had been a pill during our warm up, stood quietly as I got to my feet. I walked Maxine for a bit, checking for signs of lameness, but she was fine. Other than a sore elbow, I'm none the worse for wear.

A few minutes up the road, we came to a retaining wall--a perfect mounting block--and I was back in the saddle and headed home.

Back at the barn, I checked Maxine's legs again. Other than a few tar stains that I'll have to shave off before the next show, she's fine. After a dose of Bute to ward off any lingering soreness and a long graze in the sun, I took her back to her stall for dinner.

"I hope that never happens to me," said a barn friend, after we returned. While I never wish to fall, I do find that these experiences often have a silver lining. In fact, I learned two lessons today:

1. Maxine needs to be shod with borium shoes for safety on the road, where we do a lot of riding.
2. Even after a fall, a sunny day at the barn is better than a day at the office. I like my job, but I love my girls!
   

Photo: Maxine's road rash.

What I Did This Weekend

Who Says You Need to Grow Up?

Mom sent me the photo on the left today. I opened the e-mail while I was riding Maxine after drill practice. Naturally, I had to send her a reply.

Photo: The photo on the left was taken the year all of the grand kids--EXCEPT ME--received bouncy horses for Christmas. I had to wait 32 years for my "horse." Fortunately, she's not bouncy at all.

Happy Birthday, Madge!

Today, Madge entered the terrible twos. People have been warning me about this since before she was born--often with a sparkle in their eye. Well, I hate to tell them this, but I can't wait!

These past two years have been full of adventure, patience, and personal growth. Doing my best to raise a respectable, young mule has given me so much knowledge that I wouldn't have gained from reliable old Maxine.

Lesson's I've learned with Madge:

1. Don't be the one to start a fight. If I act nonchalant, Madge will follow me though just about anything. I simply expect her to do everything as calmly as Maxine. Is she always perfect? Absolutely not. But I get a lot more out of her if I just expect the best. Plus, I've found that I have a lot more fun dealing with problems spots than I expected. I've always been a puzzle gal. I just didn't realize how well it would translate!
2. Remain calm. Things will go wrong--I guarantee it. Whether you're dealing with an escapee at the park (Baby's Birthday Escape) or a leg over the trailer divider as the result of a tantrum, you'll only make it worse if you panic. Fortunately, this is the one lesson that comes natural to me.
   
3. Never forget she's a baby. With her height and good disposition, I often have to remind myself that Madge is still a baby. That means no ground-tieing in the open and keeping an eye on her, no matter how relaxed she is on a given day. I haven't seen her kick at anyone in about a year, but that doesn't mean don't keep an eye on her hind legs.
   
4. Don't romanticize training. A lot of us equine folks dream about doing it all. Unfortunately, that's just not a sane reality for most of us. There are things I'm very skilled at and things I'm clueless about. The key is knowing which is which, and when to call in the expert. I'm lucky to have a real-life guardian angel who tells it like it is, bringing me down to earth when I'm about to get a little too big for my britches.
5. Call for backup. If Madge does something really naughty or starts repeating a bad habit I can't quite fix in a couple of lessons, I call in the expert. Sometimes I just need a tip to handle the issue, other times I need to hand over the lead rope (Damn!). Either way, I end up with a new skill and a better mule in the end.
   

Thanks for keeping me on my toes, my dear.

Photo: Madge makes it clear that she's simply too hot with a blanket on. She's quite the Woolly Mammoth. I can't wait to clip her in two weeks.