Christmas Anew

OK, so I’ve been a little lazy over the past six months, spending most of my time grazing and enjoying the warm weather of the Texas Gulf Coast. So, I’m a horse. What did you expect? The grass was tall and sweet and, although some days were really hot, my mistress saw to it that Ziggy and I got regular baths to wash away the salt and keep our coats nice and shiny. The trees provided plenty of shade but little shelter from the rain (our previous shelter got blown away in a big wind storm, although I think our mistress has plans to replace it. She’s been measuring our stalls over and over again, so I know something is in the works.)

This Fall Ziggy and I got two new pasture buddies: Okie (Okies Cash Quixote) and Sneaky (Okies QB Sneak). They’re good eggs, although Sneaky is afraid of the dogs and keeps running off. I told him not to run but to stand his ground and pretend he’s going to kick them or strike them. The dogs are smart, they’ll back off. He’s doing better, but still trots around and around, especially when Buster, the young one, tries to chase him.

Well, Christmas has come and gone and we all got our Christmas treats. Our mistress bakes them special, and they are goooood! The farrier came Christmas Eve, so our hooves all look good, but we also got a mouthful of dewormer. Yuck! I know, I know, it’s for our own good, but I don’t have to like it. I’m not like Okie who always wants more. He’s weird.

River Brazos Flooding

Normally, I am pretty tongue-in-cheeky; but today I am talking about something very serious and very sad: loss of life.

As many of you may know, or not, the River Brazos seriously flooded several days ago. A few people lost their lives, but many, many more animals died; and those that managed to survive were often seen standing knee deep in water, or on tiny islands lost in the middle of the vast flood. I have posted a short video showing cattle and horses caught in the flood (you might want to mute the sound, though). People did all they could to help out, but most of them had to think about their families first. I am just glad it is high and dry where I live. Not that we haven’t received our fait share of rain, mind you: there are puddles all over the pasture, the ditches are still full of water, and the ground underneath my hooves is quite squishy. And it’s supposed to rain again this weekend!

Christmas time

Christmas is almost here again! And I have a long list of all I want: several big bags of yummy apple-flavored horse treats by Manna Pro (Ziggy is partial to peppermint), a new fly mask and fly sheet for the summer (there’s one by Kensington which looks really snazzy), a nice padded break-away leather halter (Ziggy wants one of those, too), two Jolly balls (one for me and one for Ziggy), and a Jolly Tug (so that Ziggy and I can play tug-o-war together)

I know I may sound a little materialistic asking for all that stuff, but I haven’t forgotten what Christmas season means. Remember, we were there when the Christ child was born: the sheep, the cattle, Mary’s donkey. . . Our bodies provided the heat that warmed the stable, and the manger, where He was laid, was filled with sweet-smelling hay that reminded one of Harvest Time. Although some people are horrified at the notion that the Christ child was born in a stable, but it was probably the best place for him to be, away from cramped rooms filled with smelly travelers. The stable was a safe and peaceful place for Him to be. And we animals all knew who He was, even though most humans did not. We knew that He was special, for we could see the light that came from Him, the light that would, one day, fill the world.