More Remi Fun

The dog days of summer are well behind us and a crisp chill is now in the air. The cooler weather always brings growth to the horses coats and quite a bit more energy and spunky behavior. Ah yes more energy, oh my word, that means Remington will be into twice as much mischief as he is during the heat of summer. Look out!

He is busy romping around the pasture and stirring the other horses up to join him in Run Fest 2009. Let's go zooming around the round bale a dozen times and see how much dust we can stir up. C'mon let's go. Whee this is fun, get outta the way!

I've been able to get back to the barn to resume my chores and once again observe the big boy's antics. And trust me, he has plenty of them. One of the things you'll hear most frequently around the ole ranchette is "Remington now what did you do"? And we find out pretty quickly.

Let me take you back to a couple of days ago. The sun is shining, the weather is perfect and the horses have gone around the back of the barn for a change of scenery. All is calm, all is bright until KABOOM!! What the heck? Here come the horses running to the front of the barn like wild mustangs.

Stall cleaning has now been interrupted and the investigation must begin. The source of the sonic boom was discovered and I have a picture to prove it. You may remember that Remi has already cracked or broken 3 corner posts of the barn while using them to scratch. When either of us are at the barn, those become untouchable because he gets chased away the minute he even looks twice at using one. I mean he shakes the whole barn when he does it.

So, Mr. Sneaky found his other source to use. He went and started scratching on the 16 foot all steal gooseneck trailer we keep behind the barn and knocked it off it's blocks. Now I gotta tell ya, this is an old trailer that weighs about 2000 pounds. But it seemed like a toy to Remi who pushed it over an inch or two.

Thank goodness we have the Bobcat working so we could lift the foot up and put it back on the blocks or we couldn't have hooked it up to the truck and gone after their bedding yesterday. Good grief Remington, is it possible for you to leave anything alone for five minutes. The answer to that question is NO!

Well what can I say, he got a bath, it rained, he rolled in the mud and he had an itch or two to scratch, so he used what was available to do it. As always, he's found a way to get our attention, cause more work than necessary and still manage to act like he didn't do anything. We know better, don't we?

Thank goodness the horses weren't hurt and nothing was broken. Take a look at his handy work and see just what the big boy can do. The foot of the trailer was on the blocks before the big Remi scratch finale.



Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi-Tude Part 2

Once again the rain returned in full force, setting the pasture to the huge mud pit and sending the horses to their stalls for two days. Now, we all know that Remington isn't fond of being in his stall for that long, but he will tolerate it and behave as long as the hay bag is full and attention is given to him. That is until you change his room temporarily and he lets you know that it is not acceptable to him.

We have a young Ag student helping us with the stalls for the busy holiday season and he is not used to cleaning them while the horses are in, so trainer mom put one of the little ones out in the back pasture so the horses could take turns in his stall while theirs was being cleaned.

When it came time for Remi to move to his temporary holding spot, trainer mom put him in there and he didn't like it one darn bit. He went to bucking all over the place and wanted out right then and there. She told him to cut it out and he settled down for a few minutes, but was shaking his head back and forth something fierce.

This stall is 16'x16' and is larger than the others, but looks smaller when Remi is in it. Wow, where is the surprise in that statement, right? Trainer mom went down to his stall and was talking to Hayden when all of a sudden there was a loud boom and the whole barn shook. It scared the bejeebies out of both of them and guess who was behind the action? Yup, you got it, Remipup bucked and kicked the stall wall and let out a loud bellow.

Oh for crying out loud Remington, you're not staying there forever, get over your extra large self, why don't you. Of course, he got a stern scolding for that hissy fit. He's already broken two support posts and we really don't want him putting windows in the walls where they don't need to be.

His room was cleaned pretty quickly so Mr. I don't like this room, could go back to his own and stop the spoiled act. I'm telling you, when he doesn't get his way, he isn't going to be quiet about it. Once back in his room, he returned to his laid back self like nothing ever happened.

Fortunately, the stall wall is hole free and the barn is still standing. But with a wet winter predicted, he might have to go in there again, so we'll have to make sure he's got plenty of hay and keep an eye on him so he doesn't cop his big ole attitude again. Yeah, uh huh, that's going to be fun...Not! So, it ought to be interesting to say the least.

From Remington, trainer mom and myself, may you all have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends and be sure to say thanks for all your special critters.

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Spiffy Remi

Saturday was a nice weather day around the ole ranchette and a perfect time for Remington to start getting cleaned up for his big upcoming parade. Trainer mom gathered all the equipment necessary to clean the big boy and embarked on her 3 hour mission.

First, she had to remove all the mud balls stuck in his feathers and mane. You know the ones that magically jump on a horse after almost a month of rain and the fun of rolling in the mud happens? That in itself is a huge chore. He's quite good at collecting massive amounts of mud balls.

Once that was done, it was time to give the boy a shave. He had some pretty long whiskers for sure. He handles the clippers pretty well and thank goodness, because you sure don't want a 3000 pound temper tantrum going on while you're trying to shave his chin. Trust me, that wouldn't be fun at all.

Trainer mom swears he has had another growth spurt, because she had to use a brush with a long extension handle to scrub his back. Now, I'm talking about one of those big brushes you buy to scrub the top of your truck or high spots on a trailer. I thought it was pretty smart to use it myself. I didn't even think of that one.

Remi had some antsy moments where he decided he would break the boredom and start moving back and forth. Trainer mom did not find this amusing and I did hear "Remington, stand still" several times. Uh oh, he's a moving target and it's gonna take more time to wash him now.

Trainer mom did a great job. She even spent the time to blow dry his feathers which is like blow drying long thick hair on about 20 people. Oy, what a chore and backbreaking to boot.

I was down at the barn cleaning the fur kids rooms when she brought him down. Straight to his room he went so he wouldn't go rolling in the dirt. Nuh uh she said, he's not getting the chance to undo 3 hours of hard labor. And boy did he look handsome.

Of course the clean isn't going to last and he'll have to get another bath before the big parade, but for a few hours, he was the cleanest horse on the barn block :)

Today if the rain holds off, trainer mom is going to harness him up and drive him for a little while. She's a bit concerned that his harness might be a little tight since the big chunky monkey has put on a little more weight and she does think he shot up a little. Even the vet said he thought Remi looked taller. Oh my word, I guess we had better load him in the trailer and see if he still fits.

If he doesn't then I'll have to go get some heavy duty tie down straps and put him on the flatbed to get him to the parade. Or, maybe I could find some size 100 roller skates and tow him behind my truck :)

Now that would be a sight to see wouldn't it? With Remington there are always adjustments to be made and there is never a dull moment. So, we'll see what happens and let you know how it all turns out.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's Hay Bag Nabbing Spree

Hi everyone. The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day outside. Remi and the other fur kids are out romping in the mud and having a ball. The month of October has been such a rainy mess that the sunshine and horse's freedom are a welcome sight. The ground is dry enough for them to be out safely and happily without fear of getting hurt. Yet, there are still some moist spots where they can roll with glee and get positively filthy!

Since it's Halloween and he's been rolling in the paddock, I think I might just hook a lead rope to his halter and take him trick or treating as a gigantic mud ball :) I bet the neighbors wouldn't be expecting that one, now would they?

During his time in the stall, Remington, as usual, got quite bored and decided he needed something to do so he chose to partake of Princeton's hay. We put a cross bar up which used to keep him from getting his head around and nabbing the hay, but he figure out a way to get around that barrier so something else had to be done. Everything is constantly changing around that boy!

It seems Remi figured out that he could snake his head around the cross bar and grab the hay bag string and yank it up and over the gate. Once he did this, he was able to swing it closer and yank some hay out of the bag. Poor Princeton watched as his supper was swinging back and forth and the big stomach on stilts was eating it.

So, trainer mom moved it over to the other side of the stall, well out of the big donkey's reach. And needless to say, this was not a cool move for Remington. He didn't like it one bit. Now what was he going to do?

You could see the surprised look on his face when he snaked his head around and lo and behold, there was nothing to nab. Zip, nada, nope, nothing's there big guy. "Hay, what did you do with the bag?" "Can't a guy have an extra snack anymore?" Princeton is very happy with the new location, but Remi doesn't like it one darn bit.

The way he acts, you would think we never fed him. Ha, there's a big joke. But for Remington, if there's not something to munch on 24x7, he's not happy. Poor baby Remipup, the conveyor belt from the hay stall is broken and you're wasting away to a mere shadow of your former self :)

We're hoping the weather will cooperate more so he can start getting more constant exercise. It's time for him to start his pulling sessions so his muscles are nice and built up for the holiday season. In the meantime, I'm sure he'll find something else to get into, because, well, he's Remi.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's Upcoming Parade

Howdy All. We have some exciting news to share with everyone. Remington will be pulling his horsey utility vehicle (H.U.V.), which is actually his wagon, in the Adolphus Children's Christmas Parade. The parade is on December 5th at 10:00 a.m. in Dallas. It will be shown live on Dallas television WFAA as well as 350 affiliate stations throughout the U.S. It will also be broadcast on the Armed Forces Network so our troops can have some holiday cheer.

It's a wonderful parade and all proceeds go to the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Many of the kids you will see on the vehicles are patients from the hospital and it's so wonderful to see the smiles on their faces and the joy they feel riding in the parade.

For those of you in the Dallas area, the parade is free and lots of fun to see in person, so come on down :) You'll have the chance to see the Big Boy all dressed up in his finest, pulling his wagon and strutting his big stuff!

I hope that those of you who can't come see the parade, will be able to watch it on your local ABC station. We have done this parade for many years and although it's a very early rise for all of us, it's well worth it!

Remi doesn't know about it yet, so mum's the word. He isn't going to be happy about giving up free roaming pasture time to go to work...tee hee. But, once he's dressed up, he'll forget all about it and do a fine job. I'll have plenty of peppermints on hand so that he will have his treat at the end of the parade route.

So mark your calendar for Saturday December 5th at 10:00 a.m. and enjoy an hour of holiday fun if you're able to see it. Who knows, maybe we can ask Santa for a big crate of carrots for Remi.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi Romps

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long between posts, but with the nasty bad rain and the horses in the stalls for 13 days straight, there hasn't been much going on. And, since I've started a new job, I don't get home until pretty late, so there hasn't been much time to post.

Today the sun is shining and the pasture is dry enough that Remi and his brothers were paroled from horsey jail. Can you say jump and buck for glee? Remi led the charge out of the gate and the others followed, running around the pasture like it was recess at school.

I know that they've got to be feeling good about their freedom. We sure feel better that they can be out to stretch their legs a bit. They were getting pretty bored in the stalls and Remington did manage to stir up a little game for himself, which of course spelled breakage :O

When trainer Mom went down to feed the horses and fill the hay bags, she got to Remi's stall and noticed that there was no hay bag there. The only thing left was the string that was tied to the hookeye. Hmmm, where the heck did it go?

She took a look in the next stall where Tuck stays and noticed a big lump in the far back corner. Into the stall she went to investigate only to find that it was Remi's hay bag.

Remington, were you playing hay bag volleyball with Tuck? He must have yanked it so hard it broke, swung his head and tossed that bag over the wall. I imagine Tuck had to duck because he didn't know what that flying object coming over into his room was. Incoming....

When I heard the story, I laughed pretty hard and then it hit me, oh no, I'm going to have to buy him another lunch box. Remi, Remi, Remi. Do you have to be so rough on stuff? The answer, point blank is YES he does!

Never a dull moment with my bouncing baby boy. He's always thinking about getting into something. And when he's not thinking about it, he's gone ahead and done it! But that's the Remipup and ya just gotta love him :)

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's Kiss Hold Out

Remington is not happy with me again and he's not letting me give him a big soft nose kiss very easily. First of all, he's been stuck in the stall again for the last several days because of the constant rain and never ending mud pit growth. And we all know how bored he gets when he's stuck inside, and that boredom changes over to major stubborn in the kiss department.

Wednesday, his vet was out to check on Tuck, the new 4 year old, who pulled a ligament in his leg somehow. Don't ask how, cuz we sure don't know. When I arrived home from running errands, Doc was about to leave and I asked him if he had time to give them all their shots, because they were due.

I swear to you, I think Remington heard me, because when I went down to the barn after he had gotten his shots, I walked up to the gate, he turned around and went to the back of the stall and stared out the window and would not pay any attention to me.

I said, Remipup, come give me a kiss. He turned his head over his left shoulder, shot me a look and I could almost hear him say "you sent that man in the hat down here to poke me with a sharp thing, and I don't like it". And he turned his head back around and continued to look out the window.

Remipup, come give me a kiss. Once again, his head turned around and he shot me the glare and turned right back around. Oh, ok, so that's how it's going to be, huh? Well, I guess there won't be any extra carrots coming down from the house tonight. BOOM, he turned around, came to the rail and stuck his head over so I could give him a kiss. I promise you, I am not making this up.

So, no carrot drought for Remi. He still got his carrots. You don't really think he wouldn't get them do you? Of course he would, because he's still my sweet Remipup. Now, if the rain would just go away and the ground has time to dry up, he and the other fur kids are going to be much happier.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!