Remi's Revenge

It is no secret that Remington's main goals in life are to eat, play and cause mischief. He is very happy and content to loll around in the pasture, munch on grass and ah yes, roll around in the dirt and mud. Life is sweet when that's all his agenda has to hold.

However, the month of December has not been all that fun for the big guy. The holiday season is full of extra long hours of work for us humans and a little more work for the horses. And although Remington thinks he's been overworked, he really hasn't, but nonetheless, he has decided he would let us know every day that he is most unhappy with the situation. I mean how dare we upset his full schedule of doing nothing!

Before I continue, let me just say that Remington may have worked a total of 2 whole hours the entire year. This gigantic stomach on stilts needs a little exercise now and then and we take extra precautions to make sure all of our working horses get necessary breaks and work minimal time. So, despite the fact that he has had to work this entire season, it's not killing him, trust me. He's such a big baby! He needs to support his two bales of hay a day habit, now doesn't he?

We had intended on using our new pair for the season, however the month of October was a total washout with 27 days of rain and they were not ready to be on the streets yet. So the task of pulling the vehicles has been left up to Remi, who thinks that we are just horrible creatures for making him work. Whaaa, poor widdle Remipup has to work like a human, how terrible.

Every day when we go to the barn and grab the lead rope, Remi will turn his back to us and pretend that we are not there. "I don't see you and you don't see me" "And I am not going with you today, so there!" Wanna bet ya big doof, we can see you just fine and oh yes mister, you are going and that's all there is to it. So, of course you know, we win, but he gives it his best shot. And, he does it every single day.

Now, here's where the revenge comes in. Yesterday, even though the pasture was still a little muddy, trainer Mom let Princeton, the older horse out so he could stretch. We didn't want to let Remi out because we knew he would roll in the mud and it is just too cold to bathe him, so he stayed in the stall.

Well, he went to bucking and kicking the walls, squealing like a pig and shaking his head back and forth with a great big attitude. I looked at trainer Mom and said, "I'm not going in there to clean his stall when he's acting like that." We both kept telling him to settle down, but he wasn't having any part of that. And, since she had to drive him later on and didn't need all that extra pent up energy, we decided to let him out.

We were smart about it though and put an old blanket on him so if he did roll, he would get mud on the blanket and not on him. Of course, nothing could protect his feathers, so he had huge mud balls sticking to all four legs. Ok, that's easy enough to brush so trainer Mom wasn't too worried. As we loaded him up in the trailer, I kept shaking my head at what a mess his legs were, but little did I know that the worst was yet to come, and boy howdy, did it ever come.

Today, the ground was so much drier so we didn't put the old blanket on him. Big mistake, huge, really big dumb move, because leave it to my boy to find the ONE dang spot where it was still mushy and nasty. Oh, yes, by golly he found it, he rolled completely over in it and then the doofus rolled back over once more. Oh my stars and martians, he is now a gigantic mud ball. And you could almost see the big grin on his face as if to say, "ok, if you're gonna make me work, then you are gonna have to work even more and brush me big time!"

When trainer Mom went to go call him and Princeton in to the stalls, he zoomed to the back pasture to avoid the inevitable. "Hee hee, come and catch me if you can." Oh, yeah, you think that's gonna work? Wrong mister, you only have 2 days left and you are going to go to work, get in your house.

Thank goodness he has a strong bond with Princeton, because once he turned around and saw him going to his stall, he decided to follow and go into his. Whew, that was a close one. I would hate to think we would have to fire up the bobcat and chase him around the back pasture. Head 'em up and move 'em out! Yee Haw :)

So, he got his revenge by golly. Mud from nose to toes and quite proud of himself, I might add. After tomorrow he can settle back in to romping and rambling around in the pasture and enjoying his favorite pastimes of eating and mischief making. He'll probably forget about this month by Tuesday. But, you can bet he'll still pull his I can't see you antics, the next time he sees us coming toward him with a lead rope.

That's my boy, 3000 pounds of "I don't wanna". But you still gotta love him :)

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's White Christmas

Christmas eve brought snow to the ole ranchette and a lot of it was still on the ground Christmas morning. Remi and the other fur kids were all snuggly in their warm rooms while the fierce bitter cold wind blew the wintery mix around in swirls. And let me tell you it was COLD!!! Trainer mom and myself were out there making sure the hay bags were filled and their dinner was served and I think we both turned into snow women....Brrrr and double Brrrr!!!!

For Remi and trainer mom, it meant a night off from the holiday rides as it was too dangerous to be on the roads. So he and the other horses settled back happily munching hay and occasionally looking toward the sky to see if they could see Santa Horse and his sleigh pulled by something else other than them.

Ok, so they weren't really looking for Santa Horse, but it makes for a nice little holiday scene anyway :) And, while Santa visited all the good little girls and boys homes, he took the time to make a special stop at the barn. Ah, what wonderful carrot oaties did appear on Christmas morning. Munch, munch, and more munch. For the big kids, it was a tasty delight and they all enjoyed their treats. Especially Remi, who has scored more treats this month than he does all year.

The little fur kids all got something from Santa Paws and were happy playing with their new toys that make lots of noise and sampling their array of holiday cookies.

Now, all the attention and extra goodies that Remi has been getting this month have turned him into a gigantic beggar pony. I went to pet him on his nose the other day and he started popping his lips and snaking his head toward my hand looking for whatever hidden treasure might be there.

Oh, Remipup, the hand is empty and except for a nice pat on your nose, there's nothing else coming. "I don't believe you" Pop, pop go the lips again and the head starts snaking toward me. Dude, I'm telling you, there's nothing in my hand. How about a nice kiss on your nose and I'll be on my way. It's cold out here and I'm ready to go warm up. See ya later big guy.

As I turned around and started walking toward the gate, I heard one last pop pop of the lips, but totally ignored it. He just never gives up, because he knows that he usually gets his way. All he has to do is look at me with those big soft brown eyes and be comical and cute, and I'll give in. But, not this time. Nope, I'm standing my ground this time.

He is such a big goofball and I love every minute of it. It's always interesting to see what antics he'll come up with next. You just never know with Remi. And, you know what, I always look forward to that new special moment and extra smile that he always gives me.

Here's hoping that each and everyone of you continue to enjoy the holiday's. May you all be blessed with love and happiness.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi The Big Nose Clydesdale

Remington has been hard at work this month earning his hay money. It's the busiest time of the year for the carriage company with all sorts of holiday parties and tours of homes with bright beautiful light displays.

Of course, Remi is outshining all of the lights and is receiving gobs of attention to which he dearly loves. Trainer mom says that every time he comes in from a ride and stops at the loading spot, he immediately puts his nose to the ground for everyone to come give him a big hug on his neck and a good ear scritchin. He is eating this up and my boy is getting more spoiled by the day.

I love hearing the stories how he's bringing smiles and laughter from everyone who comes in contact with him. That's what it's all about, and we love sharing him. It makes our day to see happy faces and Remi just eats up the attention.

Now, of course, once Remi got it in his brain that putting his head down means hugs and scritchin, it now applies to all locations and all situations. Take for example the other day when I was cleaning his room. It all began like the normal routine, starting with "let me in Remipup". Once you say that to him, he will back up and allow you in. Now, prior to this, we always have to make sure that he has enough hay in his bag to occupy him, or he will be bugging us something fierce.

So, with hay bag full, I asked him to let me in and moved the wheel barrel to the back of the stall while he happily went to munching on his groceries. Cleaning stalls is a pretty mindless chore, but often some of our greatest ideas are born while we do it. We always have to keep one eye open though, when he's in the stall, because one sudden move and it can be back in the boot time. No thank you, I've been there twice and don't want to go there again.

As I continued to clean, I suddenly felt a surge of hot air on my neck. I don't know how he did it without me noticing, but he had turned around and was breathing on me to get my attention. What the heck? I turned my head slowly and there was Remi putting his big nose to the ground waiting for a hug and some scritchin. So, I put the fork down, gave him a big ole hug and scratched his ears. Then I threw in a kiss on the nose for something extra, because it's my favorite thing to do with him.

Remi, go back and eat your hay so I can get your room done. Good boy, go on. Nothing, no movement, nada. Hmmm, this isn't working. Ok, here's another hug and kiss my sweet boy. He finally turned back around and went back to munching and I am chuckling so hard that cleaning his room has gone from mindless, to a comedy show.

He never ceases to amaze me and I know that even when I have a bad day, I can always go visit my boy and he will make it all better. Head down, big hug, ear scritchin, and several nose kisses for just because.

From Remington, Trainer Mom, Myself and the rest of the Fur Kids at the ranchette, may you all have a blessed holiday season and a most joyous new year!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's Parade Video Link

It's hard to believe that it's only been a week since Remi did his first big parade. We are still so proud of the big boy and we tell him over and over what a great job he did and what a good boy he is.

I came across a link so you can see him in the parade for a brief minute. Don't blink or you'll miss him. At least you can get a glimpse of his big day and see him without the mud balls and doing his job well.

We are right behind Batman and the fire engine, so watch closely to see a few shots. You may notice in the video that there is a huge painting in white with a red flat Santa on it. None of the horses liked this flat Santa or the painting and were quite unimpressed by it. To them, it was just a big horse monster. But, my Remipup faced it and moved on down the road.

Many thanks go to our walkers who were right by his side, telling him what a good boy he was and making sure no paper horse monsters attacked him.

So enjoy the brief seconds of Remi in action and thank you for staying with us.

http://www.wfaa.com/home/related/The-2009-Adolphus-Childrens-Parade-Part-1-78892222.html

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's First Parade

It was a very cold morning for the parade. Remi was lying down in his stall enjoying a snooze when he was awakened by trainer mom's voice and the lead rope. Time to go Remipup, it's your big day.

He didn't know what the heck was going on. "Hay it's dark outside and I'm nice and cozy" We have to go big boy, time to load up and head to downtown Dallas. "Oh alright, is there hay in the trailer?" Isn't there always, ya big stomach on stilts? :)

Downtown we went to face the harsh wind and bitter cold and get the big boy dressed for his very first parade. It's been too cold to give him another bath, so we spent lots of time brushing the mud balls out of his mane, tail and feathers. Thank goodness he likes the attention because it makes it so much easier to brush him when he's standing still.

His harness was all polished and spiffy and he is always a handsome boy when he's dressed up in his finest. He drew lots of attention as we moved down the street to take our place in the line up. While we waited for our passengers, many kids and grownups came to pet him and have their picture taken with him. He was such a good boy and remained calm even though there were hundreds of people all within close range and lots of loud noises that could have startled him.

But nothing bothered him. Not the big inflated balloons, not the people coming up close to him, or the photographer's coming within inches of his face. He behaved exactly like he did when we measured him. Calm and sedate, but ever on the lookout for a carrot or a peppermint.

The kids from Children's Medical Center and his famous star Selena Gomez arrived and loaded on the wagon. After a delay, we were well on our way to wave at the crowd and show him off. Of course, having a big celebrity on board did take some of the attention away from him, but we all know who his fans are!

We were a little disappointed that the announcers didn't mention his name once during the entire parade, so there were many people who didn't realize that he is the World's Tallest Living Horse. Needless to say, we weren't very happy about that. But, a very special reporter from the Dallas Morning News, who has been covering Remington since before he was measured was there at the parade with her two children and made sure he got mentioned in the paper. We just love her :)

We only appeared on TV for a brief second, but you can see him at least. For those of you who weren't able to watch, many other stations throughout the U.S. will be showing it throughout the month. Here's a link to the stations and their broadcast times in case you're in an area to watch.
http://www.childrens.com/Parade/documents/broadcast-stations.pdf

We are so very proud of Remington. He pulled the wagon through the parade like he's done it a million times. He is such a good boy and I couldn't give him enough hugs and kisses once we were back at the trailer.

In the photo, you'll see mounted police riding along side the wagon. They were there to protect Selena, but we all joked that they were there to protect and escort Remi through the parade. We had a great time talking about horses with them and they couldn't get over the size of my special boy.

So, the parade is behind us, Remi is still the best boy in the whole world and thousands of people did get an in person glimpse of my magnificent gentle giant. Remi's appearance was donated for the benefit of the children at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Isn't he sweet?

What a day, what a thrill and what an experience.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

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.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

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!

Remi-Tude

It's never been a secret that each and every animal that lives at the ranchette is a tad bit spoiled and many times Remipup gets a little extra attention from me. That is, when he's not acting like he's spoiled and is his usual sweet ole self.

It seems that he's not very happy with me staying away from the barn for so long and yesterday he let me know about it. I finally hobbled down to the barn to see the big boy and give him a big ole kiss on his nose. He was already in his stall munching on his hay. So, I said my usual "Remi kiss" to him and he started to put his nose out and then quickly jerked it away.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T! Where is my sweet boy and where's my kiss? The words barely left my mouth, when he decided to turn around, move to the back of the stall and just glare at me. WHAT? Are you giving me attitude Remi? What's the deal? Don't I make sure you have carrots and peppermints? Haven't I been saving the apple cores for you? Haven't I blown big kisses to you in the pasture? So, what's up? That makes me sad :(

About that time, trainer mom came around the corner and told me what started the attitude. It seems Remi and Princeton were keeping one of the new kids Tuck away from the hay and were almost teasing him. Busted by trainer mom, Remi and Prince were scolded and put in their rooms a few minutes early. Horsey Time Out at its finest. Oh, oh, oh, they were not happy about that. Their little horse feelers were bruised.

So, not knowing about this earlier, I thought Remi was unhappy with me. Well, no, I guess he really wasn't. He was unhappy with early lockup and the scolding, and I was getting the major attitude pout fest phase. And when Remi gets his attitude going, trust me, it's a plenty big time attitude to deal with. He's not mean, or anything, he's just not a happy camper.

Well alrighty then, go ahead and pout. If you and your brother were being naughty, then you deserve your time out. I'm going in the house and we'll try this again tomorrow. Why don't you think about that one mister. Mom has left the barn!

Today, I was down at the barn again, just to see how Mr. Tude was doing. With the rain coming in, he was in his stall waiting for a new hay bag. Ah Ha, you don't have anything to distract you, do ya? So, once again, I said to my bouncing baby boy "Remi kiss" and out came the nose and I gave him a big ole kiss and a good scritchen. Yippee, he's over his pout fest.

It was good to be around him a little more again. I still can't be out there long, but I'll be back to where I can move out of the way of his big turkey platters again soon, and he'll get kisses and hugs more frequently.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Cool Weather Remipup

Howdy Folks, it's that time of year for cooler weather and of course the great State Fair of Texas. Remi and the other horses are enjoying the occasional cool spells, but still don't like the extra rain that comes before it. It certainly is a buzz kill for them, because they know it's horsey lockup time and that means no bucking and chasing through the pasture for a little bit.

I got to thinking about the State Fair and how Remi might stack up next to Big Tex. For those of you unfamiliar with Big Tex, he is a ginormous cowboy who welcomes visitors each year to the fair. Now, imagine taking Remipup to stand next to Big Tex. "Howdy Remi, welcome to the State Fair of Texas".

He would positively dwarf Remi, but I think it would be hysterical, don't you. Of course, there is a corny dog stand right next to Big Tex and by golly, Remi would smell the cooking and pay no attention whatsoever to anything the other big guy in Texas was saying. Or, he might just set his sights on the cotton candy machine. Look Out, Sugar High in Progress.

Great googly moogly, if Remington got anywhere near that cotton candy, it would be a gonner. I mean to tell you, that would be equal to 300 peppermints or more in one fell swoop. And let's see if I could keep him on a lead rope at a walk. Nope, I don't think so :)

That entire scenario will not be taking place however, but I thought it would be funny to share that picture with you. We won't be going to the fair this year. My foot isn't healed enough to walk around, I'd be too dangerous in a motorized cart, and I am lucky enough to be starting my new career next week. I'm going back to work to make peppermint money :)

In the meantime, I hope we don't have the nasty rainy winter they are predicting. That isn't going to make the big boy happy, nor us either for that matter. I keep thinking that if I win the lottery, we can find a place with a big ole indoor pasture for the monsoon seasons. But that's about as likely to happen, as it is for Remington to clean his own room.

So, we'll enjoy the clear cooler weather while we can and enjoy watching Remi's spunky jumps in the pasture.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi Dressed Up

So far, the pictures you've seen of Remington have mostly been of him in the pasture or paddock at the little ranchette. I thought I would share another side of him when he's all dressed up with somewhere to go! The phrase, he cleans up nicely really comes to mind once he's had his bath, a mane and tail brushing and he gets suited up for work. He looks pretty sharp :)

I thought I would share a picture of him that was taken last fall as we prepared to go do a sweet 16 birthday party. Remington as usual, was reluctant to leave his playground, but does finally come around to the fact that he does indeed have to earn his grocery money. It is so funny to watch the horses look at each other while we go back and forth to the trailer. They know it's work time and you can almost hear them saying "it's your turn to work, I went last time", to each other.

Once we appear in the paddock with lead rope in hand, Remington usually takes a few strides to the back of the property in hopes that we will choose one of the other horses to travel in the horse RV to the job. Wrong, Remipup, it's your turn, so c'mon! And, he does. He really is a good boy.

So, after almost two hours of bathing the big guy, he's ready to load up and hit the road to work. We always take plenty of hay, because Remington needs to have his groceries to keep him occupied while he's being harnessed. Heaven forbid, he should stand there and behave without food in sight. Not Remi, that wouldn't be right!

After he's all dressed, it's time for trainer mom to guide him to the carriage and get him all hooked up and ready to roll. Here's the picture of him on his way to the front of the carriage. You can see how spiffy he looks and get another idea of just how big this boy really is. Trainer mom is 5'8" and she looks pretty darn small behind him.

So enjoy him while he's clean and dressed, because with Remi, that doesn't last long at all.


The photo was taken by our very talented photographer friend Bette Porter.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

A Tribute To Remi's Trainer

As always, Remington has been receiving dozens of compliments on what a beautiful, magnificent and amazing horse he his. Some of that is due to his good breeding and the wonderful care he received from his first mom, but the largest majority of what this horse is today, is all due to his amazing and wonderful trainer mom, Bunny.

I am in total awe of her knowledge of horses and everything it takes to raise them, train them and drive them. I have learned quite a few things from her, but there isn't enough time in the world to ever catch up with what she knows and how she handles them.

She made sure from the very first day, that Remington was put on a good feed program, with the right supplements to help him mature into the fine horse that he is now. She recognized the fact that he needed time to grow properly before ever beginning his training. So, he romped and played for five full years before he even had harness put on him. And before she put one piece of harness on him, she had the vet x-ray his legs to make sure he was ready to go.

Her countless hours of ground driving has left her with permanent shin splints, which at times causes her a great deal of pain. But she keeps going day after day, not only with Remi, but with the other horses as well.

The first time I rode with her and Remington on the training cart, I was so in awe as to how she could sit behind this gigantic creature with so much power and calmly navigate down the road. I couldn't even see in front of us. But she would just look through his legs to keep an eye out for what was in front of her and eased him into a slow trot around the neighborhood. I quite frankly got a little nervous, so I hopped off at the house and just watched from the side of the road.

There isn't enough time or space to describe all the wonderful things she has done with the horses and especially with Remington. As congratulations keep pouring in for the record, I make sure that everyone knows, that his high stepping action, his beautiful coat, his big healthy body and his ability to remain calm around large crowds is all due to her.

So, I wanted to tip my hat to Bunny for giving me the most wonderful horse in the world. Oh, sure I bought him and I have done my share of raising him. But, his excellent training, what he is when he's in harness and the magnificent horse you have all come to know is all because of her.

Without her, Remington would be a very large horse in the barn, eating me out of house and home and although I would love him just the same, he makes me so proud when he's out on a job and for that I am forever grateful to Bunny.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi Wins Title

Well loyal Remi fans, the wait is over and the news came today that Remington is indeed the new Guinness World Record holder for The World's Tallest Living Horse!

Here's the link to the news story if you'd like to go read more.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/091909dnmetremington.1a1738d43.html

We are so thrilled and to be sure, the big boy will be getting some extra carrots today! I got out of the boot this morning so I'm going to hobble down to the barn and give him a big ole kiss on his big ole nose!

From trainer mom and myself, thanks to all of you for your support, your encouragement and for staying with us. We're not going anywhere, so don't any of you.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Bored Remi

We have had seven straight days of rain and because of it, Remi is not a happy camper right now. Oh sure, he's got plenty of hay to keep him busy for a while, but even that get's boring for him. And I can't say as I can blame him one bit. The other horses aren't too thrilled about all of this rain either.

Today is the first day that the sun has stayed out for a good amount of time, but the pasture is still a giant mud pit with water standing everywhere, and there's just no way we can let any of them out. We haven't been able to take them for walks either, because the rain has just been so constant. Well, I can't walk them any way right now :(

I haven't been to the barn this whole time because I'm still in the boot, and it's just to slickery to try and make it down there to see Remi. I miss him. I want to give him a big ole kiss on his big ole nose, but it's gonna have to wait for a few more days. Hopefully, the rain that's in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday will go somewhere else. Well, I can hope, can't I?

Besides being bored, Remi and the others have all sorts of new critters to bother them. I swear, this rain and weird weather has caused a whole lot of new bugs to grow out of nowhere. We have flies in 3 different sizes that are buzzing around. Some sound like huge planes buzzing around when they get in the house and are fast as the wind.

There's even a bug that looks like a fly but has a stinger on it. What the heck is that? And the fire ant mounds are invading like nobody's business, so we're going to have to keep everyone out of the back pasture for awhile until we can get rid of them. No more bad reactions to ant bites for Remi, I'll tell ya. Nuh uh, no way :)

So we'll have to wait it out and hope we get a dry spell going. Keep your fingers crossed, or we may have a horse mutiny on our hands. Uh oh, that wouldn't be fun! I can just see them clanging their hooves on their gates to get out. Let us out, let us out, let us out :)

I hope you are all still with us. I know there hasn't been much excitement with Remi stories, but I promise, there will be new fun to tell from time to time. In the meantime, let us know if you're still keeping up with the big boy. Please leave us a comment and sign your name so we know you're there :) We really do enjoy sharing Remi's adventures with you.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Rain and More Rain

I'm sure you all may have been wondering why there hasn't been any new posts about Remi in several days. Well, that's because he's actually been behaving for the most part, and now after several days of rain, with more to come, he and the others are stuck in their stalls being quite bored. So there really hasn't been much to report.

Somehow, Remi did manage to break his halter, but it has been temporarily fixed until I can order him a new one. Let's see where is that website that sells GIGANTIC HORSE HALTERS! I asked him how he did it, but he's not talking. It could very well be that he got the strap caught on the gate when he knocked his hay bag on the outside and decided to munch on what was in front of his stall.

Or, he could have been aggravating the new kid next door, or Princeton and got it hung on something. After all, he's bored and has to have something to keep him occupied. Maybe I should install Horse TV in their stalls so they have something to watch on these rainy days. Do you think they would? Umm, nah, I don't think so. They'd probably argue over who gets to use the remote :)

Anyway, it's pretty quiet and I still can't go to the barn to observe his antics, but maybe in the next week or so, I'll be out of this boot and I'll have more to report. There's still no word from Guinness, but as always, we remain hopeful that it will be soon.

So until next time....

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us

World Record Update

Well, it's now been 10 weeks since the paperwork arrived in London and we still do not have anything new to report to everyone.

I was truly hoping that I would hear something by today, especially since it's my birthday and what a wonderful present that would be, to see official notification that Remington is the new Guinness World Record holder for the Tallest Living Horse.

I submitted 2 inquiries last week and haven't received any response, so I really don't know what is happening. There's a new record for the Largest Buffet, which Remi could eat, the Largest Moving Box, which Remi could squish, and the Largest Cup of Soda, which Remi could drink, but nothing about the Tallest Horse :( But rest assured, as soon as we hear something, I will let you all know.

In the meantime, Remington is doing well and he is still nosing around to see what he can get into next. He is still watching the new horses and looks like he wants to get in for a closer look. For now, he will have to watch from a distance until we can introduce them to him. I'm sure it will be quite a sight to see them right next to him. They'll probably look like mini's next to him :) I'll try to get some pictures of that event to share with everyone.

I took a couple of pictures of the new kids the other day and will post them shortly. Many thanks to all of you for staying with us and for your ongoing support. We appreciate it very much.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with Us!

Remi Pout Fest

Sometimes I wish I could get inside my boy's only working brain cell and figure out just what he is thinking. He has been going through a major pouting faze lately and neither one of us can quite figure out what's causing it.

It pretty much started right after Sara left. He bellowed and looked all over the pasture for her for at least 3 days. He and Princeton finally settled down and stopped looking for her, but we could still tell that Remi missed her. He had that lost puppy look on his face.

Because I'm still in the boot and on limited barn visits, I haven't been down to see him much either, so maybe he's missing me too. He isn't speaking to trainer mom right now, because she's the one who was treating his leg and he didn't LIKE IT. Anytime she goes toward the stall, he turns his back to her and starts pouting in Bad Boy Corner, appropriately named because every time he misbehaves, he goes to the back right corner of the stall and ignores us. It's almost like he thinks if he can't see us, we can't see him. Hmmm, not working Big Boy!!

About 2 weeks after Sara left, trainer mom brought the new kids home. Remington is fascinated by the two of them and will look at them for long periods of time through a knothole in the wall of the loafing shed. We've had to keep the big boys separated from the little ones until we can get them all used to each other and so no one gets hurt. I think it's going to take some time for that to happen. Here's a picture of him peeking through the knothole. He stood there for 45 minutes just looking at them.


He and Princeton weren't too happy today when the little guys got put out in the back pasture and they couldn't go. So, with new kids on the playground and Remi, not allowed to play with them, he has continued to Pout! Maybe he's just frustrated that he can't play with them. Maybe, he can't figure out what they are, or maybe he's just being a big spoiled Doofus, who wants all the attention. I dunno, I can't figure it out.

Yesterday, pouting turned into mischief and he decided to break into the feed stall and help himself to the buffet. He had a grand ole time getting into the oats, Princeton's feed and the alfalfa cubes, and managed to knock over two of the three feed barrels. He must have heard the patio door shut and gone into a panic because he backed out of there so fast, he tore the door off the chicken coop, broke a broom, and backed right into the corner post of the barn and split it in two. He hit it with enough force that the base of it was cracked as well. Oh noooooooooo!!

Into pony prison he went and straight to Bad Boy corner where the pout fest continued. I actually went to the barn and let him know, I was not happy with him one little bit! I don't like to scold him, but he was just acting like a big spoiled brat and that is not acceptable.

With the help of some dear friends, a new post was installed, but Remi had to remain inside his stall and finish his sentence. It would be our luck that he would go over and knock the new post down while the cement was still drying. Nuh Uh, that was not happening.

So far today, he hasn't gotten into any trouble, but then again, the day isn't over. He's not talking to either one of us right now, so he must be plotting while pouting.

Go figure, a big horse with a big attitude. That's my boy!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remi's Latest Trick

We got enough rain on Thursday to cause the big boy to have to stay in his stall for the day. Now, as you know, he doesn't like this one bit and yesterday was no exception. He was bellowing and kicking the gate to the point that I had to get on him a time or two. Now that isn't an easy task, especially when you have an injured foot, which, by the way, is now sporting a brand new air cushioned boot that I will be living in for the next 6-8 weeks.

Trainer Mom is out of town checking on a new pair of SMALLER horses for the business, which has left me in charge of all of the fur kids. It's not too hard, but getting down to the barn multiple times to tell Remi to stop clanging on his gate wasn't too good for my foot.

To make the situation a little more difficult, Princeton the Shire was out roaming and that made Remi a little more aggravated. He didn't like the fact that he was in pony prison, while his buddy was out and about. Princeton has to be able to move around because of his arthritis. He's gone down a couple of times and it takes both of us to get him back up. So, mud or not, he had to be out because I can't get him up by myself. Of course, Remi wasn't happy that Prince was eating his hay from the outside of lockup. You know how my boy loves his groceries.

Now on to Remi's latest trick. If you have read earlier posts, you know that we have been applying medicine to Remi's leg and he doesn't like it. He picks up his foot and swings it back and forth to make it more difficult. Well now, Mr. uncooperative has decided, anytime you come near him, he's going to lift his leg, whether you have medicine in your hand or not.

I went in his stall to strain out the hay in his water bucket and as soon as I got in there, UP CAME THE LEG! I had to laugh, and said "it's ok Remipup, I'm not going to put medicine on you." Down came the leg and the minute I turned around to leave the stall, UP CAME THE LEG again! He did this about three or four more times and I just stood there and watched the big goofball be silly.

His hay bag was empty, so I went and filled it and when I came back to hang it up, guess what...UP CAME THE LEG! Oh for heaven's sake Remi, you are being such a big baby. With a full hay bag in sight, he put his leg down and went on to happily munch away.

When I let Mr. Temper Tantrum out this morning, I needed to check and make sure the medication was still on there. I didn't even get that close, when he started the Leg Up game again. Fortunately, everything looked good and I just left him alone.

But, wait until later when he goes in for the night. This is going to be a real fun time. It's hard enough to get out of his way when you're walking right, but applying medicine on Mr. Leg Action when you're in a boot is going to be a real challenge. At this point, I don't know how many leg up, leg down, leg all around sessions we will go through, but I know it will be many.

So, wish me luck, it's going to be a fun time in the ole stall tonight!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Another Critter Casualty

Even though Remington demands a lot of time and attention, and is usually the one getting into mischief, we do have other animals that certainly keep us busy. In addition to Princeton the Shire, Remi shares his ranchette with two dogs and a cat.

Trainer Mom's dog Keiko is an Akita and my dog Bailey or as we call him Doodlebug, is a Schnocker (half Schnauzer/half Cocker). Gabe the kitty is an orange and white tabby who despite getting on in years, is still busy hunting mice in the barn and snoozing soundly in Remi's wagon.

During the summer, the horses are fed late in the evening after it cools down so that it lessens the possibility of them getting colic and so Remi won't be sounding the alarm at the crack of dawn for his breakfast. He usually does anyway, but you have to try, right?

The dogs really love going to the barn and tearing across the pasture romping and roaming to see what adventures or trouble they can get into. Keiko knows how to stay out of the way of the horses, but Bailey doesn't, so they usually don't go down until the horses are in their stalls and it's safe for them to be there.

The other night trainer mom took them to the barn and while Bailey remained right by her side in the feed stall, which by the way is very unusual, Keiko darted right back up into the back yard and was on the way to a rumble with something. And that something was a skunk!!! Keiko, that wasn't a kitty!

Oh my word, she got sprayed in the face. I of course, was inside since I am still banned from the barn, when trainer mom came rushing through the door saying "Keiko's been skunked". Out I hobbled and P.U., there was skunk smell everywhere. She was sneezing like crazy and stunk to no end.

I did a quick search on the internet to find a solution because the tomato juice remedy really doesn't work. It makes a big mess and all it does is mask the smell temporarily. And we didn't have it anyway. I found several posts about mixing hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a little dishwashing liquid. Ok, we had everything but baking soda, so we used baking powder instead. We also used natural tears solution to soothe her eyes and it worked wonders for that part.

I hobbled back outside and help scrub her down, which made us both now smell like skunk and it really didn't seem to help much. The whole time we were washing her, Remi and Prince were hanging their heads out watching the action. Every once in a while I would see them both shake their heads, because it was just so very nasty. I did have to laugh at them, and quite frankly we were both crinkling up our noses and shaking our heads too.

Poor Keiko had to sleep outside on the patio that night because the smell was so overwhelming, we couldn't have it sinking into the carpet and furniture. And quite honestly, none of us could breathe. It was a clear, cool night so although we didn't like leaving her outside, we had no choice.

Yesterday, she got two more baths, but since she got the worst of it on her head and neck, it's been harder to get the smell to go away because we don't want anything getting into her eyes. We did finally let her come in because it was just to hot to make her stay outside. She came over by Bailey and he growled at her and ran away. Now, Bailey absolutely adores Keiko, but he wasn't having any part of that action. He spent the whole day by my side in the computer room.

Since she was inside and still not smelling to sweet, I gave her the temporary name StinkerBell, which seemed appropriate for the situation. We both feel so bad for her and are taking care of her just as much as we do Remi and the rest of the critters when they need us.

So, as they say, there is no rest for the weary and around here that is certainly a fact. It makes me wonder if Remington decides he's going to take a day off from getting into things and sends a message to the other fur kids to stir up some action and take the attention off of him :) What do you think?

Here's Keiko (alias StinkerBell) and Gabe


And here's Bailey (alias DoodleBug)

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

It's a "Guy Thing"

So, with Remi taking meds orally and getting his leg painted with medication he is not a happy camper. I have gotten all but one leg healed, but I can see now that this is going to be a long drawn out project. Apparently that leg was the scene of the most bites and inflammation. Now that alone would have been bad enough, but between the itching and the flies he began gnawing on his boo-boo's and has made a real mess of himself.

I've now taken to bandaging the leg to keep him from it overnight, but as usual he is trying to beat the system by chewing thru the leg wraps. Next comes the cayenne pepper on the outside of the bandage to try to keep him from chewing them off.

It was the meds and bandaging that caused him to send me rolling like a bowling ball across his stall. Keep in mind that he didn't kick me, he just did what any kid would do with mom putting iodine or the like on a scrape, he keeps trying to yank his leg out of reach.

As a precaution, I decided to add electrolytes to his water in order to insure that he is drinking enough while on the meds. Usually don't need that as he normally drinks almost 40 gallons of water per day. His water bowl in the stall is a 55 gallon plastic drum. Now when you do something like this, you have to do it to all available water sources. That means the outside water barrels & Princeton's too.
Here's where the fun begins... It smells and tastes a little like raspberry. Not too bad I think. WRONG!!! It turns the water PINK. Horrors.. You could see it on their faces and almost hear both the horses saying "Its PINK, I ain't drinkin that!"
So out comes the salt to rub on their tongues periodically until they finally give up and decide to drink the snazzy new colored water.

My days are getting longer with each new addition of how to medicate the Remipup. Just another episode in how to raise and care for the big galoot.


Posted by:
Trainer mom Bunny

Missing Remi

It's been a little over a week now since the big foot came down on mine and it has kept me away from my boy for longer than I like. Poor trainer Mom has been playing house keeper and doctor all by herself and Remi hasn't exactly been cooperating.

He has still been biting at his one leg more than we would like, so trainer Mom has had to resort to wrapping it up to keep the flies and his big teeth away from his boo boo's so they will heal. For the most part, the ant bites and his bad reaction to them have cleared up, but since he insists on irritating his leg, he will now have to remain in the leg wrap until it heals better.

I swear, he is such a handful sometimes. Before I was banned from the barn while my foot is healing, I was helping treat his bites with medicine. Now, let me tell you, I trust my big boy, and he's pretty good about letting you take care of him, but you do have to let him know you are doing it, or you can get a swat from his tail because he thinks you are a fly.

Both of us know how to make sure he doesn't kick us so we weren't too worried about that. However, even though the medicine didn't sting, he didn't like us fussing with his leg and kept picking it up and moving it around, which made it harder for us to get the stuff on his leg at the right place.

The other day, trainer Mom came in the house and was not real pleased with him. It seems that he raised such a fuss that she lost her balance and had to do a tuck and roll to get away from him. Can you say mega aspirin time? You have to get in some pretty awkward positions to apply the medicine and one sudden movement from him can cause you to loose your balance quickly.

Yesterday, he fussed a little too much and BOOM, down she went again and hit her head on the stall wall. I can tell you that she wasn't very HAPPY and it didn't exactly thrill me either. I was on the computer working when she came in the door and all I heard was "YOUR BOY", and I knew he had misbehaved again. Great googly moogly, two days in a row. Remington, what are you doing? Get out the aspirin!

I don't know how much longer I will be banned from the barn. My foot is still giving me plenty of problems and if I go down and start moving around on it too much, there is a chance I can do more damage to it. So, I have to watch from the window to see what he's up to. He seems to be getting over the mopes from Sara being gone, which is good. But I do have to wonder what other mischief he's thinking about.

I'll eventually get back in the saddle, so to speak and will be able to be around him a little more and then I can share some more stories with everyone. Until then I have to rely on reports from trainer Mom and sit inside hoping that I don't hear "YOUR BOY" again when she comes in the door.

Knowing Remi, I don't give it too long :)

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remington's moping

We finally found a good home for our little mare Sara. That is the problem... Since the day he arrive she has followed him around either like he was her baby, or she was just keeping in his shade. Either way he is not happy with her departure. He hasn't left Princeton's side in 24 hours except to walk to the fence and nicker for her. Like I didn't feel bad enough with her leaving.

I guess if the weather is cool enough I will begin to take him for some drives down our country roads to get his mind off it. Who knows, I may even throw a saddle on him and see how he acts. I had planned on teaching him to ride under saddle in the spring, may have to move that date up.

Keep your fingers crossed, its a long way down. LOL

I know he won't do anything bad, but jeez it's scary to look at getting up on him for the first time.

We are still waiting on Guinness. Cheryl says she may check next week to see what is taking soooo long.

We'll keep you posted.

Bumps and Bruises, Oh My!

Well Cheryl is in the boot and using a cane (temporarily), Remington is sporting the latest version of horsey calamine lotion and I as usually feel like a cowboy who has stayed at the rodeo too long. I lent her one of my canes, as after years of the big horses I have braces and help aids for every moving part of my body. All just part of the everyday price of owning and working with the big fur kids, but nothing in comparison to hearing the soft nicker of Remipup when he sees you come out to him and he is glad to see you, or the laughter he brings when he is trying to sneak behind you to grab a bite of some already forbidden goodies.

By the way, for any of you who may not have seen this and even you who have, here is a link to a video I found of Remipup on YouTube. Go watch his antics and tell your friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU92qKW1JjY


posted by: Trainer Mom - Bunny

Remi's Mom Foot Update

The ole foot wasn't feeling any better so I went and had x-rays taken. Nothing appears to be broken, however there is a lot of swelling and they can't tell if I have any fractures or ligament damage right now.

So, I am supposed to stay off of it as much as possible, which means I don't get to go down and see my boy very much for several days, or spend much time with him. He did have to check out the cane I have to use, to see if it was edible, but that's normal for Remipup.

I told him that it was not his fault and gave him a big kiss. I'm sure glad I held on to the orthopedic boot, the funny soft shoe and the crutches so I didn't have to spend more money. I guess that's all necessary equipment when you have a horse as big as him. You never know when you might need them again. I will be back in action soon and paying a whole lot more attention!!!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remi's Foe

There's been a little excitement around the ranchette the last week or so and it hasn't been a whole lot of fun. It seems like even when Remington doesn't go looking for trouble, it comes looking for him.

We had four days of rain where the horses had to stay inside, which as you have seen from previous posts, is not any fun for them or for us. The rain let up in the morning on the fourth day so later in the afternoon, we decided to let them out into the back pasture where there is grass and little chance of them slipping and sliding in the mud. Big mistake, huge, really, really big uh oh! :O

Remington didn't come out bucking and kicking up his hind legs like he usually does, so I couldn't get those pictures that I said I would take. I had the camera all ready to go, but no, Mr. I'm not going to do it for you just wandered slowly out to the back pasture to munch on grass and play tug of war with the weeds.

He wasn't out there very long when he came flying out of the pasture at a pretty good pace and started stomping around. It seems he got himself into a pretty good size mound of fire ants and by the time we got over to him to check him out they were gone, but they had already bitten him in several places. Now, I'm sure the horses have all encountered fire ants before, but have been able to shake them off and go about their business, but this time he wasn't so lucky.

He didn't show any signs of distress except for a stomp here and there and we couldn't see anything on him, so we didn't really know that there was a problem. Overnight, the venom from the ants must have really gotten to him and he started biting at his legs and causing some bad sores to develop. It's kind of like us scratching at a mosquito bite and aggravating it, except he did much more damage, which we discovered the next morning.

We still didn't know what was going on so we called his vet. He recommended a couple of things to help heal the sores, so I immediately went to town and picked up what we needed, and we started his treatment. After a couple of days everything started to look better. But then, he started biting himself again, so we asked the vet to come out and take a look and he said it looked like Remi was having an allergic reaction to the ant bites.

On top of the treatments, trainer mom had to give him a nice bath with ivory soap to help soothe his itching and help make him stop biting at himself. Of course we didn't want to get his feathers wet since there was medicine on his legs, so trainer mom took some plastic and made him some little rain slickers to keep them dry. Aren't they cute. They look like spats over his shoes :)

Since he still has a few places that need to heal, he got another bath yesterday and I took a picture to share with you all. He doesn't looked thrilled, does he? It's like he's saying "Hay, can't a guy have a little privacy in the shower?" The baths are helping him to feel better and with continued treatments, his bites should be cleared up real soon.

Yesterday, while I was walking him back to his stall, I didn't turn him wide enough and once again, my foot ended up under his. OUCH!!! Fortunately, I was able to pull it out before his full weight came down on top of it, but I still have a very sore foot today. And, yep, it's the same foot that he stepped on several years back. I am now wearing the orthopedic boot, which looks real funny with shorts, but it helps to keep pressure off of it. If it's not better by Monday, over to the doctor I will go and have x-rays taken. Oy vey, if it's not one thing, it's another! But, it is my fault for not paying close attention, so MY BAD :(

So, between the fire ants and my foot, we have had such a wonderful week and a half...NOT! But, that's life around the ole ranchette with Remipup. We're taking good care of him so not to worry. We'll be telling you about more of his antics soon.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Still Waiting...

It has been five weeks since I submitted the evidence to Guinness, so I sent them an inquiry to see if they could give me some sort of status update. They replied that they are experiencing an unusual amount of claims this summer and mine should be reviewed shortly.

In the meantime, we have had several days of rain, which means Remington and the other horses have been confined to their rooms. Because of the massive amount of mud, we just don't want them slipping and sliding all over the pasture, and possibly hurting themselves, so they have to stay inside until the ground dries.

It looks like the rain has cleared out of the area, so since we can't let them out, it's probably time to take them for a walk to stretch their legs. It's pretty funny to see dogs out in their yards barking like crazy at the big guys walking down the street, and most especially when they see Remi. I can just imagine they are thinking "Big dog, ooh ooh ooh, that's a big dog".

The neighbors are pretty used to seeing them now and again, but no matter how many times they see Remington, they always say, "he's so huge". And Remington always wants to know if they have any snacks for him. He doesn't care if it's time for trick or treating because it's always treat time for Remington. Or, at least he thinks so.

Once the ground dries and we open their gates, there's always a lot of bucking and kicking up their hind legs going on. It's funny to watch them take off and have fun. We'll usually watch for a little while, because most definitely Remi will lead the herd in a good roll on the ground. Down he'll go, rolling from side to side, and finally rolling all the way over. Then up he comes for a good shake and back to the hay he goes. I may have to take the camera and see if I can capture the moment for all of you.

Rest assured, that I will post the results from Guinness as soon as I hear from them. It's got to be soon, don't you think? I hope so anyway.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Naughty Remi

Remington is taking the lazy days of summer pretty seriously. He shuffles around the pasture pulling out the occasional weed, shaking it around and finally spitting it out because it doesn't taste good. When that game is no longer any fun, he'll wander over to the barn to get in our way while we try to do our chores.

The other day was shoeing day and Remi goes first because he takes the most time. He usually stands very well and behaves himself for the farrier, but this time, he decided it wasn't going to be that way.

The horses get shod in the carport, which is right outside the computer room. While I was working, I kept hearing, "REMINGTON, behave". So, outside I went to investigate the situation and Derek, our farrier told me that Remi decided it was "The Day" to keep leaning on him and was not cooperating. I guess he felt it was to much work to stand up straight. Hmmm, sound familiar? Remember he didn't want to stand up straight for his first world record measuring?

I told Remi to behave or he wouldn't get his after shoeing peppermints and back inside I went. I barely sat back down when I heard "HEY NOW!" which means he's up to mischief again! Back out I went and Derek had Remi's front foot on the pedestal and was trying to get him to put it down. Nuh, uh, Remi wasn't budging. Wee, this is fun! He tugged on his feathers a couple of times and Remi finally let his foot down.

He was being pretty naughty alright. Thank goodness we have a very patient farrier who adores Remipup, or we might be searching the want ads for a new one. I really have to wonder sometimes, what goes through my boy's mind. He's such a sweet boy, but he does have his moments and even though he was misbehaving, I gave him a peppermint anyway. I just can't help myself.

Yesterday, Derek brought us some hay, and Remi went over to him and put his head down for a good ear scratch and I bet he nickered he was sorry. Derek gave him a big hug and all was forgiven. We'll see if he goes back to being a good boy for his next shoeing. One just never knows when it comes to Remipup.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Still Waiting For Word

It's been three weeks since Guinness received the materials on Remington's world record attempt and so far we still haven't heard anything. Their email to me said it would take up to 8 weeks and I have been faithfully watching my email every day, several times a day hoping to see the good news.

You can be sure that as soon as I hear something, I will post the news. I know that you are all waiting to hear their decision as well, so I wanted to give you an update.

Keep your fingers crossed that they contact us real soon and thank you all for staying with us. We've enjoyed reading the comments and hope more of you will let us know how you are liking this blog.

Your support is very much appreciated and we are happy to share Remi's adventures with each and every one of you.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remington's Fan Fun

There's not much excitement around Remi's little ranchette right now. We've had several days of over a 100 degree temperature and very little wind to give any relief. So, Remi and the herd are moving a little more slowly and spending a lot of time hanging out under the mist system munching hay. Whoopie, this won't make the headlines.

However, that doesn't mean that Remi doesn't find any mischief to get into. Oh yes, he does. Since the horses are getting put up a lot earlier to keep them out of the hot summer sun, it gives Remi more time to plot destruction. He just can't help himself.

The target of his latest quest was one of his stall fans. No matter how many times we point it in his direction, he just can't leave well enough alone and has to change its position. We'll find it pointed up, down and all around. Every direction, except where it's supposed to be pointing.

The other day, I went into his stall and found one of the knobs from the fan laying on the ground in front of his gate. So now besides spinning it around, he's taking it apart. I'm telling you, I need to teach him to fix what he breaks. Oh, how I wish!

Fortunately, it only had a small crack in it and I was able to screw it back on pretty easily. This was lucky considering all it would take is one step and CRUNCH, it would be history. We usually have to replace his fan at least once a summer and sometimes twice. Thank goodness for the discount stores, right?

So, although it's not the most exciting Remi story, I thought I would share it with you anyway. I'll let you know what he gets into next. And you know it will be soon, because, he's Remi!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remi's Task Of The Day

Usually Remington gets bored when he's been in the stall for several days. It's such a challenge cleaning his room while he's been in lock up because he insists on having all the attention while you're there. Pet me, scratch me, hug me, kiss me and on and on and on. Oh, and don't bend over the water bucket to check it, or you just may find a swift nudge of his big nose pushing you in it face first. It has happened and I can just bet he was laughing at me.

Today, the sun was shining and the temperature was in the high 80's. Not bad after suffering through 100 degree plus weather for several days in a row. I guess he decided it wasn't any fun to ramble around in the pasture and since he was bored, he set his sites on getting attention from me, while I was trying to work.

I was in one of the stalls cleaning, when a huge shadow blocked the light, and there standing at the gate was Remipup. He was cleaning up the hay by the gate and it's ok for him to do so, but he knows he's not supposed to come inside and get in the way. However, today he decided to forget that rule and come inside for closer look at what I was doing and perhaps get a kiss on his nose or something.

"Get back, Remington", you know you're not supposed to be in here. Since he stepped back, I turned my back and went back to work. But true to form, he came in again. "Ok buster, I'm not playing with you, get back". And he did. Instead of turning around again, I stared him in the eye and told him that I needed to get my work done, and to go away for now. Well, he didn't. No surprise there.

He decided that the stare down wasn't fun so he took hold of the gate with his lips and closed me in the stall. Before I could say another word, he pushed the gate open and that got me to laughing. "Oh, you're trying to be cute, huh"? Well it's not going to work. However, it was working and he did have my attention, but do you think I'm going to admit it to him? Nuh uh, I'm not going to do it.

He closed the gate again, so back to work I went and decided to ignore him. Wrong! You don't ignore Remington. No sooner had I turned my back when I heard a loud BANG!!! He had pushed the gate a little harder this time and it hit the stall wall. "Ignore me, will ya, I'll show you". And, once again, my attention was on him. "Ok, I'll scratch your neck". But, before I could get over to him, he had shut the gate one last time. All right already, will you make up your mind? Open or closed, sheesh!!!

So Remi completed his task. He got my attention and he made sure he was just funny enough to stay out of trouble. What can you do? Although it took me longer to clean the stall than it should have, it was funny and he did make me laugh.

He's such a big goof ball, ya gotta love him.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

My Favorite Remi Game

My love for horses goes back as far as I can remember. Ah, what memories of Saturday mornings in front of the television, eating my cereal and watching back to back episodes of horse adventures with My Friend Flica, Fury, Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger. All those amazing horses and the wonderful things they could do made me want one of my own every time I watched the shows.

Since my father was in the military and we were never in one place for very long, there was absolutely no way I could ever have one. So I transformed my bunk beds into a stage coach, and loaded up the bottom bed with stuffed animals for passengers. With lines made from a jump rope, I would drive that stagecoach and my super talented horses everywhere. We'd travel for hours, never stopping for anything, uh well, except for when my mom would call me to come set the table. That always put a halt to the trip.

It took a long time to finally get my very own, real live horse which of course is Remington. And although he was taller than any horse I had ever ridden, I once thought, hey, maybe we'll get a saddle and I can ride him sometime. Wrong! He grew so fast, I took another look and thought, am I crazy? I am afraid of heights and he is so tall that just climbing on his back would scare the bajeebies out of me.

So, since I don't drive him and I don't ride him. I bet you're asking, ok, so what do you do with him? Well, since you asked, I'll tell you. Mostly, I feed him, clean his room, help give him baths and sometimes help fix the stuff he breaks.

Besides giving him big hugs on his neck and kisses on his soft nose, my boy and I have shared a special game of peek a boo. Yes, that's right, peek a boo and no, he doesn't cover his eyes with his front hooves, he's not quite that talented :)

It all started when he was in the stall next to the feed room and I would go in to mix up the feed. He would peer at me through openings in the panels to make sure his food was coming soon. Remember "it's all about the food". He was so cute and such a clown doing it, that I decided to make a game out of it.

I started saying "peek a boo, Remi-pup" and kept repeating it over and over. After a few days, whenever I said peek a boo, he would lower his head and peer through the panels. I kid you not, my amazing boy would play the game when I said the words. He could be on the other side of the stall and if I said peek a boo remi pup, he would come over and play. Really he would. Ok, maybe not every time, but pretty much every time. Isn't he brilliant? I think so...tee hee.

Of course, now he's been moved to the middle stall and we don't get to play the game anymore. So, I'll have to come up with something else that he and I can share. Any suggestions?

I don't have to drive him or ride him to enjoy him. I am perfectly happy hugging his neck and kissing his big soft nose. And I don't have to stop to go set the table for dinner either. Gotta love it!

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remington's Record Update

I received word from Guinness yesterday that they have received the materials I submitted and the claim is now in queue to be reviewed. It may take up to eight weeks to hear something from them as they view all claims on a first come, first served basis.

So, the wait continues and we'll let you know when we hear something.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Is Remi home??

Here's a story from when we first brought the bouncing boy home.

At that time we had two horses here for him to meet and greet, Princeton the shire we had hoped to pair him with and Sara a 15.2 Belgian/Arab crossbred. Princeton, although a gelding, was none too happy to see what he perceived as competition for his girl. His answer to that was to be aloof and keep him at hoofs distance; Literally. We weren't too worried about this as Prince has always been a big bluffer. Most of what he did was for show. A little flattening of the ears, show the teeth and a two step charge was all it took to convince the baby Remi that Grandpops wasn't in the mood to make friends just yet.

Sara, on the other hand was a whole 'nother story. Having always been (to put it nicely) a big flirt, we fully expected her to try to impress the tall, handsome new man with her girlish charms. No one could have predicted her reaction. When we turned Remi loose and she got an eye full of the bouncing baby she let out a whinny like I had never heard from her before, and trotted right up to the towering child (remember he was 17.2) and began to sniff and nuzzle him all over. She had just come out of season and now she thought that somehow this was her baby. It was plainly obvious to all who saw her with him that she thought this was her child. He had such a playful coltish attitude toward everyone and everything that she somehow failed to realize that(a)she hadn't had a baby (b)he wasn't really a BABY (c) he was waaaaay too big. She began to intercede between Remi and Princeton, often fighting Remi's battles for him, she followed him around everywhere hardly ever more that 3 to 4 feet away. That was comical as we would tell people who witnessed this that she was just following the shade.

Now I have to tell you that we did have some concern for Remi with Sara for about a week. You see we never could figure out whether she did this because she was teaching him, or because of her "Devil made me do It" personality. Every morning when the horses were turned out of the stalls she would herd him towards the fence. Once close enough she would turn and charge at him till he hit the hot wire and jumped away. She would then just walk away. I never could figure out if she was trying to teach him about the wire, or if she just wanted to know if the fence was on. Regardless in about a week he learned to never be between her and the fence. To this day, be it horse or human, he will never let himself be caught between a fence and another. He'll just calmly move around till he is out of fence position.

He is truly a creature of habit. I have to be careful in teaching him. Once he gets it, he's REALLY got it. I found this out in driving him. On his very first job I arranged for him to follow another carriage for a while. This meant that when we stopped to load passengers he was in the second position(Approx 20 feet back). The next year at the same job he pulled the first carriage position. He however remembered where we stopped to load passengers on the previous year, and that was where he would stop every time. Neither Cheryl on the ground nor I as his driver could convince him to move forward from that spot. The entire loading station, line of people, and four other carriages had to be moved back about twenty feet as Remington had learned it this way and this is the way it would be.


posted by trainer mom Bunny

More Remi Fun

It's been so hot here the last few days that we let Remington and the other two big fur kids play in the sprinkler yesterday. Oh, ok, it wasn't really the sprinkler, and they didn't really play, but getting cooled down with a garden hose doesn't sound like as much fun, does it?

Unfortunately, Remi's ranchette doesn't have a pond for a refreshing break from the hot summer sun, nor does it have very many trees. Thanks in part to Sir Remington and his fondness for uprooting them, we have had to use other methods to keep the horses comfortable. They have a nice mist system in the aisle of the barn and fans blowing a cool breeze their way. And we did plant some trees in the back pasture to give them some shade, but it has taken a while for them to grow.

Now, it hasn't been easy to get them to grow. First of all we had to barricade them with a fence so the huge girhorse (that's part giraffe, part horse) couldn't reach them. Well that was fine and dandy for a short time and it gave them some time to get a little taller.

They were doing pretty darn good, until......Drum roll please.....Yep, you guessed it, the big donkey pushed in the fence and was having a great time tearing off the leaves and bending the branches. I was on my way down to the barn, when I spotted Destructo Pony in action. "REMINGTON, STOP EATING YOUR SHADE!" I yelled.

Did he stop...noooooooooooo. He just had to do it again! Wow, what a surprise, huh...NOT!!! So once again, Remi changed the chore list. Instead of doing other things, trainer mom now had to move the fence back a little and straighten it up. That didn't exactly thrill her, because she had other things in mind for the day. But, with Remington, it is a way of life around here.

Despite two droughts and Remington's efforts to destroy them, the trees have grown taller and are now throwing a little shade. He still cruises by them now and then, and fondly eyeballs the branches. I know he'll loose his mind and try it again sometime when the branches come within reach. But for now, he's behaving around them. We'll see how long that lasts. Any bets?

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remington's Early Days

So far you've heard about Remi's adventures since he came to live here. We have often wondered what he looked like as a baby and where in the world he picked up some of his funny habits. These were questions we thought would remain a mystery, until now.

We are now in contact with his first mom. Her love for this boy sent her in search of where he was, and led her right to where he is. We are busily trading stories about THEN and NOW, and I can tell you that Remington was a character right from the start.

Take a look at the picture. Can you see the big smile on his face the day he was born? From the get go, he was already thinking about mischief. "Hmmm, I'll rest here a minute and then see what kind of trouble I can get into". C'mon, look at that grin, can't you just see him plotting his next move?

The first 24 hours of his life were filled with love and exposure to all sorts of things like flags waving and whistles blowing to see how he would handle them. Apparently they didn't faze him. "Wheeeee, this is fun, what else do you have to show me? Does any of it taste good"?

Mystery number one solved. This totally explains why he's so laid back and why he loves people. She and her kids handled him with love and kindness and he responded back. His sweet nature makes you want to just give him a big hug.

By day two he was already sampling grain from his mama's feed bucket. Keep in mind a foal isn't weaned until 4 to 6 months of age. But with Remi, it's all about the food and he went straight to the big kids menu. Mystery number two solved. His huge appetite and never ending feeding frenzy started way early. Mom's milk was fine and dandy, but a growing boy needs some solids ya know. At least he thought so.

Another mystery was about his fascination for picking up things? Oh, oh, pick me, pick me, I know the answer to that question. Remi bonded with another clyde named Simba who loved to pick up everything he could. I guess Remi thought this looked fun and started to do the same thing. Of course, we're not really fond of him choosing healthy trees for toys, ya know.

Here's Simba with his bucket. I'll just bet Remi is around somewhere watching and learning.

Isn't it nice to find answers to your questions? I think so and when it comes to my boy, it's fun too!

There's more to come, so stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.