Remington's Adventures

Where's Remi?

2011-12-04T17:59:00.004-06:00

Hello Remi Peeps. I bet you've been wondering if we've all been swept up by a ginormous twister and sent flying into the sunset somewhere :) Actually, we're still in the great Pacific Northwest and busy as all get out. A few things have changed since the last post and I truly apologize for the huge time lapse, but getting settled is no small task as you may well know.
I've found work and have been deeply involved in learning my new job. We found a house with acreage for Remi and Donk to come home soon and well, it's just been busy busy.
Remi and Donk have moved up to the mountain top to a new boarding stable. They've got huge paddock and gorgeous view of the Olympic mountains. The rainy and cold season is upon us and Donk is sporting a nice fur coat, while Remi is still a little slow in taking his off the horsie hanger :)
We don't get to see them much and miss them terribly. However, when we do get to visit, we're met with a big ole bellow, followed by several nickers. Donk greets us with his usual Hee Haw and they both are well aware that we are bringing them apple oaties to munch upon.
Everyone at the place is still in awe of Remi's size and when we had a Boarder's party on Labor Day, there was a steady stream of visitors to his and Donk's stall. Of course Remi towers above the other horses, but they don't seem to be intimidated by his size whatsoever. Nope, they were there first and stand their ground. Of course, it does help to have an electric fence in between, just in case :)
It's going to be a little while before we can get the boys on the new property. We're still waiting for a tidbit of remodeling to be completed before we can move in. And, of course there's a huge swing set sitting smack dab in the area we need to put up shelter for them, which needs to be sold. And, since the weather is not going to be real nice and dry, we've decided to leave them where they are until we can get a small barn put up for them. We want to make sure they've got shelter and and won't be out in the elements. They're being taken care of real well, so we're very happy about that.
We think they're going to like their new digs though. There's lots more room than they had at the ole ranchette in Texas and more trees for shade in the summertime. Once they're back with us, we'll be able to keep you posted more often. Until then, we'll try to share "Get Remi and Donk" home progress.
We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Don't give up on us, because we're still here and there are more adventures to come, I promise!
Stay Tuned, Stay Happy, and Stay With Us!

Remi's New Home

2011-05-29T11:54:00.003-05:00

Hello followers! Many apologies for the lack of posts lately. We were very busy getting our things in order for a big move. The Texas ranchette has been sold and we have relocated to beautiful Washington State.

Remi and Donk are happy in their new digs and everyone is awe of the big boy. It's been an adjustment to not look out and see him and his little buddy every morning, but in due time we will have another place to keep the both of them close to us.

Fortunately, they are only 20 minutes away from us and we can see them often. We are still getting settled in and soon I will be looking for work and a new home for all of us. It may be awhile, but we'll get there.

The stable owners were a little surprised the first morning after the boys arrived. Donk decided to greet the morning with his huge Hee Haw and they didn't know what it was. Remi on the other hand, has been quite busy sending pony grams to all the other horses in the paddocks nearby.

It's quite amusing to see them interact and of course Remi is the biggest dude on the block once again. We're looking forward to meeting more of the other people who board there and are quite happy that the boys have the best of care.

It will be a little harder to share Remi's antics since he's not so close, but I'm sure we'll have more to share in the coming months.

I hope some of you are still with us and we appreciate your patience.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Remi's New Year

2011-01-08T10:09:00.002-06:00

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is now behind us and everyone here at the ranchette is still winding down from it. Remi and Donk are happily sauntering around the pasture and April, the horse we leased for the season, is now back home with her herd. We humans are still trying to recover from the long hard hours we endured during December, but our energy is slowly coming back.

Of course, Remi still tries to hide from us when we go down to the barn every day to tidy his room and refill the hay bags. He hasn't quite figured out that we're not going to lead him off to the big trailer and make him do more rides. It's pretty funny to watch him head off to the other end of the pasture and begin his infamous stare down. I just shake my head and giggle and move on to the chores at hand.

His curiosity eventually gets the best of him and he slowly begins his trek to the barn to see what we are up to and he manages to plant himself smack dab in the way of everything going on. Right behind him is Donk, who adds to the equine obstacle course and makes it that much harder to get things done quickly.

The day we took April back, we had to call them all into their stalls, which was the daily routine when one of the two had to go off to work. Remi didn't like this one bit and stood his ground out in the pasture. So, out came the feed can and after a little shake and rattle, he led the herd into their appropriate rooms.

As usual, he turned around in his stall and began his normal "I'm not going to make it easy for you to put my halter on" routine. Haha, big boy, you aren't going anywhere so turn around and tell April goodbye.

After trainer mom led April out of the paddock, I let Remi and Donk out and they zoomed over to the fence to stare at the trailer. Remi was bellowing and Donk was braying like crazy. After a solid month of not paying much attention to her, I think they had finally decided she wasn't so bad and seemed like they were going to miss her.

But, when we returned home, they both were acting like she was never there and were their usual thick as thieves best bud's selves. They are quite the pair. Kind of like the Laurel and Hardy of the equine world.

The forecast is calling for snow and we'll be interested to see how the two of them act in it. We've seen Remi in the snow, but not Donk, and I can only imagine what the two of them might do. I'm making sure we have the camera batteries charged so we can share a Remi and Donk snow moment with you all.

I hope that all of you had a joyous holiday season and that the new year brings you good things.

Happy New Year to you from all of us at the ole Ranchette.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay With Us!

Tis The Season For 'Tude

2010-12-17T20:22:00.003-06:00

We are now three weeks in to our holiday carriage rides and I can tell you that humans and equine alike are feeling it. Of course, we humans knew what we were in for, but the horses, being their care free, pasture ornament selves did not and are giving us an abundance of attitude.

Well howdy, let me tell you, they are letting us know right here and now that this is not acceptable to either of them. And, of course, the donkey, who's never worked a day in his life is following the lead of the other two and showing just as much attitude.

Let me tell you about the daily routine around the ole ranchette right now. I get up early in the morning, turn on the coffee pot, feed the dogs and cat, head to the barn, mix up a delicious breakfast for the horses and donkey, and head back to the house. Then, gulp down, a quarter cup of coffee, head back to the barn, hang the hay bags and let the three amigo's out.

Ok, all is well and good for awhile. They all hang out munching hay, wandering here and there and just being lazy...until...music please...dun, dun, dun.....screech, I'm baaaack!!! No sooner do I head toward the stalls, then they all zoom off to the other end of the pasture, shaking their heads and turning their backs to me. I guess they think, if they can't see me, I can't see them. Oh, so wrong you are pumpkins!

You would think they would have gotten the idea by now, that I'm just there to clean their rooms and that they would come up to me to see what treats I may have in store for them. But, nooooooooo, they are not having any part of that action. "Think we'll turn around and just stay here and stare at you for awhile". Ok, whatever, I don't care, I'm busy.

Once I have the stalls all nice and clean, and their water bowls filled, it's time to gather them up and put them in so whichever horse is going to work can be haltered and led off to the trailer. Shake and rattle a can of feed and all three came up in a heartbeat. Well, the first couple of days, that worked just fine. But now, all bets are off, they're on to my tricks and they want to just mess with me. Remi is the king of head shakes for sure. He'll prance around swinging that head from side to side and just glares at me.

The horse we've leased for the season has started doing the same thing. Oh my word, I hope she forgets about it by the time we take her back to her parents. Donk, on the other hand doesn't quite have the head shake down, so he lowers his head and bucks off into the distance. Maybe that's a good thing, but it's still attitude nonetheless.

The other day I shook that feed can so much, I felt like a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. None of them would come, Remi, just stood there and shook his head, Donk just stared at me, and the other horse took off running like a mare on steroids. Twenty minutes of coaxing, a tight schedule to keep and patience running thin, it was time to pull out the big guns. I grabbed alfalfa cubes, walked slowly up to Remi and let him smell them. Gotcha big boy, I'm am still the Barn Goddess.

That got his attention and he happily followed me back to his stall and was rewarded for his good behavior. Donk, being the Remi buddy he is, followed close behind and into his stall, where he happily enjoyed his carrot oatie. As far as the other horse goes, well that was another 20 minute chase back and forth throughout the pasture, but eventually she was coaxed into her room.

I swear Remi has a Roy Rogers and Trigger watch hidden under his feathers somewhere and secretly signals the others when it's time to start the ole head shake and attitude fest. I will find it, I swear, and when I do, I'm putting it up for sale on Ebay toot sweet.

I would say I would try to get up later to throw them off schedule, but Donk is very punctual with his loud braying at 7:15 every morning. What's a girl to do? Oh well, I guess it keeps me in shape and I do so look forward to January, when we can return to weekend work. Until then, the chase is on, the attitude continues and I am seriously thinking of asking Santa to clone me.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay With Us! Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and much "THANK YOUS" !!!

2010-12-13T02:09:00.002-06:00

Its just after 2 AM. Remington is munching on alfalfa laced coastal hay. I would know because I just now came up from the final check and hay replacement for the night. Yes the big doofus, his donkey friend and our leased horse for the season get a late night{early AM hay check/replacement}. Somebody needs to take care of me that way and check to see if I need a late night desert. LOL

Really tho, I just wanted to tell all of you who have read here and those who have come to meet him that I wish you the best of all things in the coming year and thank you for all the comments and love for the big guy that helps keep us going.

I'll have some new stories for you soon but for now we are in the big holiday rush for carriage rides, so I just wanted to say much love to all, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Bunny--Trainer mom

Remi gives good Head Hugs

2010-12-07T03:40:00.005-06:00

I tried to take a night off, but it doesn't work around here... Bet you all know about that at this time of year. The good thing is that Melissa has sent some photos. They were a little big, so I cropped them. Hopefully she will not mind. Here are 2 of the photos she has so graciously shared. We are so blessed to have this boy and to be able to share him with others to make this kind of smiles....

Head Hugs

2010-12-04T13:56:00.002-06:00

When Remi was just learning his trade he went through a period of time when he absolutely refused to let you put the bridle on him. Needless to say this could be quite the problem as when he picks up his head he reaches a height over 10 feet.

There were many occasions when someone should have been filming as he would toss me around like a rag doll my feet dangling 3 feet or more off the ground. It must have been quite the sight as I would not give up and he obviously was way bigger and stronger than I would ever be able to conquer.

My solution to the problem was to cut fruit roll-ups into strips and wrap them around his bit. His favorite flavor is strawberry. That cured the first problem getting it on. Now comes taking it off, more fun.... To solve this I began a game with him giving him special head hugs and "scritchin" behind his enormous ears. This has evolved to a regular game with or without the bridle. Anytime I come up to him and say "Head Hug" with my arms out stretched he puts his head down and shoves his face into my chest to get his hug.

I'm telling you this story because the other night when Melissa rode with us I showed her and her family just how sweet he is. He is after all a big attention hound, so after my mandatory head hug he shared with her and some of the children a few extra hugs and kisses. I know photos were taken. Maybe if we are really good this Christmas season they will share them with us.

Melissa, if you're reading this, Thank you for taking a ride with us. I hope this season brings you all the best.

PS. He knocked me flat on my keister that night when we got back to his trailer. He was in such a hurry to get the bridle off and get his head "Scritched" that he shoved too hard and I went down, with him looking down at me like I was just teasing he kept nudging so hard I had trouble getting up. It was that perfect end to a day that started out quite rough... Thanks Remipup

Trainer mom-- Bunny

Remi's Holiday Adventures

2010-12-03T19:43:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays everyone. It's the busiest time of year around the old ranchette so posts will be few. We are in high gear doing our annual holiday light tours and every day holds many extra tasks that leave us weary.

However, we don't want to neglect our faithful followers and as always there is a tail or two to tell (notice, my clever spelling of tail). C'mon it was sort of clever, don't you think? Ok, maybe not :)

Moving right along, the first little tidbit of info I'll share with you is that I have become the major bad mama in Remi's eyes. Oh, it's not every day, it's just when I go down and put his halter on him and lead him away from the hay bag to go to work. Oh my stars and martians, you would have thought I was cutting him off from his food for the rest of his life. "Mama, how could you make me go and work?" Oh get over it, you two bale of hay a day stomach on stilts!

He doesn't make his displeasure known to me at the time, but the next morning when I go down to feed him his breakfast, he immediately turns his back to me and won't talk to me. No letting me kiss him on his nose or pat him on the head. Nada, zip, nothing. I pour his grain in the bucket and think, ah ha, I'll sneak in a head pat. Nope, not gonna happen. Ok, then, be that way, I'm going back in the house for coffee. I'm too groggy for this rejection right now :)

I do know a secret though. Grab a full delicious hay bag and all bets are off. Zoom, he's back to sweet boy mode. Yeah, ya big spoiled doofus, I see how you are. It's all about the food! Who's your mama, huh?

I haven't been down on a ride yet, but trainer mom tells me that Remi still has an outstanding issue with stop signs. You see, he doesn't think that they pertain to him. After all, he's bigger than that odd shaped piece of metal, and why should he have to stop. He can't see red and he doesn't know how to spell. Maybe if they said Whoa, he wouldn't have a problem with them. Or, maybe not. At any rate, trainer mom has to battle him all the time, but eventually he will stop and behave. Well at least momentarily that is.

There is of course, one particular stop sign that she calls "The Dreaded Stop Sign" and for some reason Remington dislikes this sign most of all. I guess it makes sense, I think we all have certain places we don't like either. But Remi really, really doesn't want to stop there and he is giving trainer mom fits. Fortunately she knows how to win the battle, but it sure does make her arms sore from holding 3000 pounds back from the traffic. And it does put a strain on her voice.

Not to worry though, he's a good boy overall and he does pay attention to her. Sure thing, she won't have a voice left after this month is over and Remington will once again return to being his usual pasture ornament self. But in the meantime, it will be stop sign wars for sure.

I was very excited to hear that one of our riders is a blog follower. I hope that she had a good time and enjoyed meeting the big boy in person. So Melissa, here's a shout out to you and I hope you sign up as a follower. We really do enjoy seeing who's reading about the big boy.

The same applies to any of you who like reading about Remipup. We would love to know who's keeping up with his antics.

To all of you from all of us, may you have a blessed and enjoyable holiday season.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay With Us!

Remi Fit Explained

2010-10-28T03:00:00.004-05:00

Cheryl told me that she told y'all about Remi pups hissy, so I feel compelled to tell you that I found the reason for it. After much examination of the trailer and its contents I found the culprit...

You see the trailer that we designed to hold two large draft horses in two separate stalls has long ago been become almost too small for the big galoot. We had to move the center divider and tie it off to the side in order to make one stall as he is not just tall, but he is extremely long, as would be in proportion to his height. We've have had to order special shafts for his carriage about 14 inches longer than any the Amish have ever made. (Being female owned and trained they couldn't imagine we really needed something that BIG and found a phone to call and verify the measurement.)
The divider, which also holds some of his harness parts still, had come a little loose and a couple of leather straps were able to swing loose. Remi apparently took offense to having his belly tickled by them and that caused the hissy. I found the offending straps on the floor under his bedding. They were suitably stomped, with broken buckles and chrome destroyed.
As I am ordering new harness parts, fixing dents in the trailer, and repairing the fence that he pushed over to eat the tree, I think I am now truly becoming a Jack(Jill) of all trades. All for the love of a horse. But, ya know what? HE'S WORTH IT.

PS. If you have ever wondered what is the difference between a 13 hand tall horse and a 20 hand tall horse this photo may give you some perspective. Yes, 13 hands is small, average would be about 14.2 but this just happened at the blacksmiths and I thought you might like to see.

Busy Busy!

2010-10-26T14:09:00.006-05:00

Many apologies for the long delay in writing a new post. Believe it or not, we have been in high gear getting ready for the upcoming holiday season. There's lots to do with getting the advertising out and making all the arrangements, so at the end of the day, the ole fingers and the brain have been extremely weary.

That being said, I will tell you that the last few weeks have been filled with other jobs and Remi action. A couple of weeks ago we went to do a Sweet Sixteen surprise ride. Remi was being such a good boy and despite a few equipment setbacks, we were very successful in arriving on time to pick up the birthday girl at her house and transport her to a secret destination.

She was really amazed at Remington's size and loved every minute of the ride. Of course, he drew a lot of attention on the way there and we had plenty of camera phones popping out of car windows snapping pictures of the big boy. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and lots of people were out driving around, so traffic was pretty heavy. But, as usual, that didn't faze Remington one bit. He was ever the sweet and perfect boy.

After we dropped off the birthday girl, we made our way back to the trailer. Instead of staying on a very busy street, we took a shortcut through the parking lot of a close by shopping center. We immediately had a car on both sides of us, driving slowly along and taking pictures, shouting "how beautiful" and asking what was the occasion. There were lots of people coming out of the grocery store "oohing" and "aahing" and the shopping carts didn't bother the big boy either. We both were rather enjoying the attention he was getting and it didn't stop there.

We got back to the trailer and up drives a car with a family inside. The woman asked if she could come and meet Remi and I said "sure". She had never been that close to a Clydesdale, much less one as big as Remi. It was nice to share the boy with others and get a smile. And Remi, stood there and enjoyed the attention as well.

He had been such a good boy, from the bath to the job and we were very proud of him. However, as many of you know, Remi has an attitude, and on the way home, it reared it's head. Trainer Mom has told me of a few instances when Remi has thrown a fit inside the trailer. I have never been witness to these fits and after this last one, I don't ever want to be again. We don't know what started it but it wasn't fun whatsoever.

We were almost home and were stopped at a light, when all of a sudden, Remi went to kicking and stomping inside the trailer. He was throwing such a walleyed fit that it was not only rocking the trailer, but the truck as well. And, there was nothing we could do at the time, because we had to wait out the light and had nowhere to pull over.

Once the light turned green, he settled down and was calm the rest of the way home. When we unloaded him from the trailer, he acted as if everything was normal and we just took him down to the barn and gave him some hay. For him, all was well with the world now that he had food and his buddy Donk by his side.

I do have to say that the inside of the trailer now has more dents and dings and I am very thankful that he didn't hurt himself. You gotta know that 3000 pounds of upset in a confined area can turn out very ugly. Fortunately for him and for us, it didn't.

So, no matter how smoothly the day seems to be going, or how well the big guy is behaving, we are always on alert for everything. It took a while for us to calm down, but we eventually did and since there were no injuries, it all ended well. Whew, it was not the thrill ride I wanted, that's for sure.

Big or small, short or tall, you always need to be alert to the possibility of something going haywire. Fortunately Remi's good nature outweighs his hissy fits, so kudo's to the big boy for being good the majority of the time.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving, Remi will once again be pulling a carriage and his HUV (Horse-Drawn Utility Vehicle) through Highland Park for the holiday light tours. If any of you in the area are interested in riding with the big boy, you can get information at http://carriagetours.net/christmas.html.

We're not reminding him about it right now though, so mum's the word. We'll keep it a secret until we go to load him on the trailer. That way, he won't have the time to plot and plan :) And don't worry, as long as you're not a horse trailer, you will be just fine :)

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with Us!

Horseplay

2010-09-02T03:33:00.002-05:00

I ran across this tonight. I forgot I had it. Just thought you might like to see Remi at home and play with Sara his little mare buddy and Princeton his mentor in life.
PS: it is set to music. lol

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Lonesome Donk

2010-08-30T21:06:00.003-05:00

I know that this blog is usually about Remington and his adventures, but in many ways, those adventures involve other animals and the humans around him. So, once in a while there may be a story or two that will feature the others in his life.

Today has been a rather long day of donkey sitting. No, the donkey isn't sitting, I am. You see, Remi and trainer mom left early this morning to go to the horseshoeing school for a much needed hoofacure and Donk is not happy about it at all.

He's been very lonesome, much like Remi was after the other horses left the property. He has spent the whole day being as busy as a donkey can be, looking here, there and everywhere for his best buddy and being very vocal about it. "Where are you bud, I can't find you anywhere." Is it pulling on your heart strings yet?

So, just like I did with Remi, I have spent many hours going back and forth to the barn, keeping him company, making sure he doesn't escape through some passage way to small for Remi, but just right for him. I've brushed him several times, let him come into the stalls with me while I was cleaning them, and just generally being a donkey buddy.

Oh my word, what have I become? And don't say a donkey or I will not be amused :) Poor little guy has been braying like nobody's business. When I've been with him, he has been so mopey and at times seemingly ticked off at me. After all, I put the halter on Remi and I helped load him up in that big box on wheels that whisked him away. Of course, it's my fault and he's barely talking to me. How dare I aid and abet his departure? My bad!

I keeping telling him Remi will be home soon, but of course you know by now that translates to blah, blah, blah, blah, so I'll spare you the extra details. My heart just goes out to the little guy. Prior to posting, I went back to the barn to check on him and he's just laying in his room sulking. Oh for heavens sake, what do you want me to do? I can't stay down here forever, and you're barely talking to me anyway, so where's the compromise, huh? You know what the answer is, "make Remi appear before him." Um, right now, I can't um, because you see, I don't have him, but I swear to you, he'll be home soon, ok. Badonkadonk, I said ok? Nothing, nada, moping continues, dang it all.

Perhaps this will be good practice for him, because once the holidays are here, Remi will be gone a lot, earning his keep. And, I guess it's good practice for me, because I can clearly see the constant "donkey sitting" coming full force at me. Red Bull, 5 hour energy drink and a good pair of walking shoes, coming right up. Yes siree babalooie, I'm on it.

But, we'll get through it and Donk will have a buddy to keep him company, even if that buddy walks on two legs. I guess I better get to work practicing donkey talk or it's gonna be a long winter.

I just love that little guy and even though he's not talking to me, I think he kinda likes me too. Haw, hee haw, hee haw. How'd I do? Hang on little buddy, I'm coming down to tuck you in.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with us!

Say What?

2010-08-29T09:34:00.008-05:00

The dog days of summer continue on at the ole ranchette. Remi and Donk spend most of their time hanging out at the barn under the mist system and fans happily munching hay and being bored.

Both of them are delighted when we come to the barn to do chores. It gives them something to do, like aggravate us and get in our way. If we go to the feed stall to fill a hay bag, we have to shut the gate, or they will both walk right in.

The other day, they took their positions right outside the gate as I set about refilling their hay bag. I threw the chain over the gate to keep them out and I swear I saw Remi nudge Donk, who then proceeded to push on the gate to try and open it.

When that didn't work, Donk started yanking on the towel that was looped through the gate, while Remi kept a close eye on the situation. "Ok, pushing it didn't work, let's try pulling it".

I stopped what I was doing, walked to the gate and had a little talk with the both of them. Now this has to be a good comedy show for anyone watching, because neither one of them understands anything I'm saying. They're hearing Blah, blah, blah, blah, which translates to keep standing there and annoy the human.

Ok, hay bag is filled, it's time to clean the stalls. Because the hay bag is hung right in front of Donk's gate, it makes it a little difficult to get in and out. Now, you might ask, why don't we hang it somewhere else and the answer is, because the fans and mist system work best in that location.

Trainer Mom was in Remi's stall and I was trying to get into Donk's stall. So, I said "let me in Remipup" and he didn't move. C'mon Remi, let me in. Nothing, no movement at all. So then I said, "Move your big honkin' nose out of my way". Of course that didn't work either. Once again, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Then I hear the voice from the other stall "ya know, you might try using a command he knows instead of get your big honkin' nose out of my way." So, it's me who get's the lesson and it's me who can't use the blah blah blah blah to ignore my mistake. Darn it all anyway. She is right though and I can't expect Remi to do what I tell him to do if he doesn't understand what I'm saying.

Of course there are times when I do give him the commands he knows and he turns on the stubborn and ignores me anyway. And then there's Donk who was never taught any commands, doesn't care if he learns any commands and I'll just bet tells Remi how to more effectively ignore us. But that's another story in itself.

So, I'm back to practicing commands in a more stern voice and we'll see how that goes. I know for sure "move ya big donkey" and "get your big honkin' nose out of my way" really don't work because after all, it's just blah blah blah blah to the boys.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with Us!

Remi's Bodyguard

2010-08-01T10:08:00.004-05:00

Remington is one happy and content horse since his little buddy arrived. I don't know if he knows that he has a protector in his pal or not, but I do believe he senses the comfort.

Not that we have lots of predators roaming the area, but there are coyotes, wild pigs and the occasional bobcat that come sniffing around. It's nice to know that Remi has a bodyguard to help keep him safe.

It was pretty cool the other day when a neighbor's dog was out roaming to close to the fence. Donk was happily munching hay with Remi under the shade at the barn, when he went into alert mode. Up went the ears, and he turned around and eyed that dog very closely.

He very slowly stepped out behind Remi and watched till the dog was out of site before turning around to resume eating his snack. Now, Mr. oblivious didn't even know what was going on since he had his nose buried so deep in the hay bag and Donk was a good boy and didn't tell him :)

The two of them are great pals for sure and Donk's new game is to run up to Remi from the other side of the pasture with his ears pinned back and then come to a screeching halt. Remi will turn around and look at him with that look of "what the heck are you doing shorty?" and just ignore him. So, back to the other end of the pasture Donk will go and the play charge will start all over again.

It just cracks me up to watch the two of them. They truly are a Mutt and Jeff duo. It's been so hot lately that the two of them have been hanging close to the barn under the mist system and fans. Donk didn't know what to make of the mist system at first, but has now caught on that this is quite a good thing. Wherever Remi goes, you can be sure that Donk is not far behind.

I think he likes all the "pardon the pun", creature comforts of the ole ranchette. He didn't know what to make of his stall at first, but now loves to go in and roll around in the bedding. He'll lay there for a little while, but get's up and down quite frequently to go stand at Remi's gate, share a little hay and protect his big bud. I wonder what they talk about?

Of course, Remi has to push the little guy around every once in awhile just to exert his dominance over his herd, but he doesn't do it in a mean way. He just wants Donk to know that he has the power to do so. Donk doesn't give a darn, he'll just walk away and wait for his opportunity to get back in and grab a mouthful of hay.

If any of you have horses or livestock of any kind and don't have a donkey, I would highly recommend that you think about getting one. They are really easy keepers and take their job of protecting the herd very seriously. And, they can be very sweet and a lot of fun. I'm certainly glad we have Donk around and Remington is too.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with Us!

Best Buds

2010-07-10T17:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a couple of weeks now since Donk joined the family at the ole ranchette. Remi couldn't be happier and he has taken quite well to his new little buddy. And, I must say, the feeling is mutual as far as Donk is concerned because he just loves the big guy.

We couldn't be happier because you know how much we love Remington and want to make sure he stays happy and healthy.

I have to say it's been an absolute blast getting to know Donk. He's already figured out that there's lots of spoiling that goes on around here and he's the first one up to the gate to stare you down and stand smack dab in the way until you give him a good scritchen'.

Remi will ramble up behind him and it takes an act of Congress to get by the two of them. Where ever one goes, the other isn't far behind and they have become quite inseparable. Last weekend Remi was in his stall because it was raining and someone I know (uh me :O) forgot to latch the hook on the gate.

It's not really a big deal because we have a stall guard up to keep Remi from getting out when we don't want him to. However, that doesn't work the other way in trying to keep one very smart Donkey from trying to spring his bud from lockup.

It seems that Donk figured out how to grab a hold of the chain and swing it over the gate. He nudge the gate open and waltzed right on in to visit his buddy's apartment while the humans were occupied elsewhere.

Trainer Mom went down to check on them and called me out there to see a little donkey head peering out from under the stall guard, and a look of "what the heck" coming from Remi's face. It was hysterical. There he was happily munching away while Remi was trying to figure out how to boot this guy out of his diggs.

It took some manipulating to get him out of there too. He is one stubborn animal and when he plants all fours and decides he isn't moving, he doesn't. But being more stubborn than he, did pay off as we got him out of the stall and secured Remi in until the rain passed.

Donk just doesn't like being away from Remi and it appears Remi doesn't like to be that far from Donk. They have become the best of buds and are as happy as can be. Since trainer mom already posted a picture of the pair, I know that you've already seen them side by side. Partners in crime and ever begging mode.

There's plenty of eyeball rubbing going around these days since they both like it. Their heads drop right to the ground when you get a good rub going. It's priceless and they enjoy it a lot.

So, it's happy times at the ole ranchette and we just love seeing them both together exploring the pasture, snooping around for some sort of mischief to get in to.

This past week as I left for work I said see ya later to the both of them as I always do. And from the darkness came a big ole bellow and one ginormous Hee Haw from the barn buddies. It started my day out great. Ya gotta love it.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with us!

Mutt & Jeff

2010-07-02T02:43:00.004-05:00

I took this photo for y'all. I will let Cheryl tell you the next story. but suffice it to say they are a Mutt and Jeff team.. I want to get furry extensions for Donks legs.

Remi's Little Buddy

2010-06-27T09:14:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since my last post because as usual, it's be chaotic to say the least. Two weeks ago we finally bid so long to Nip and Tuck. They are now living in Virginia, and from all reports are happy and well.

Remi seemed a tad upset even though he still had Tank around to keep him company. But that special arrangement came to a screeching halt when Tank's daddy called and said he needed him to come back.

Oh noooo, now what are we going to do? Remi is not going to like being alone one bit and we certainly didn't need him getting off his feed again. We knew that Tank would be going back one day, but that day came up quicker than we would have liked, so we had to spring into action.

We knew we couldn't get another horse right now, and we certainly didn't want to get a goat. Thanks but um, nope not happening. So we set our sights on getting him a donkey to keep him company.

We found a little guy named Wally who was very sweet and needed a good home. Wally had half an ear after getting into it with the owner's dog, but it didn't seem to bother him in the least. Off we went to go pick Wally up. Uh yeah, easier said than done. After almost an hour in the sweltering heat, he wasn't budging and alas, Wally went back to his pasture and we headed home with an empty trailer.

A touch of panic set in and we hit the ads to see if we could locate another buddy for Remi. Everyone that looked like they may work was already gone by the time we called so we really didn't know what we were going to do at that point.

Tank left on a Saturday and I spent well over 5 hours down at the barn keeping my boy company. He was bellowing something fierce and wandering the property looking for his bud. We knew we couldn't stay down there 24x7 and decided on Sunday we would start the search again.

Lo and behold a miracle happened and it was truly a blessing. We had just gotten in 139 bales of hay and there was no way Remi could go through all that so Trainer Mom placed an ad to sell some of it. A man from a nearby town came and bought 25 bales and in the course of a conversation, Trainer Mom asked if he knew anyone who had a donkey because Remi needed a bud.

He not only knew someone, but that someone was himself. He had several donkeys that he wanted to find homes for because the herd was getting to big. So we traded him 3 bales of hay, Trainer Mom followed him home and back she came with Remi's new friend.

As she drove the trailer to the front of the barn, Remi was following it closely trying to figure out what the heck was in there. His little buddy let out a Hee without the Haw and Remi jumped backwards and started shaking his head. As Trainer Mom led the little guy out, Remi couldn't quite put his hoof on what this creature was.

The donkey took one look at Remi and rambled off to the other side of the pasture. Well, of course, you know my curious boy, he had to go stick his nose where it didn't belong and learned real soon that his new little bud had back feet that could fly pretty high. "Hmmm, that wasn't fun" he seemed to be thinking.

We watched for awhile and they seemed to be settling in to getting to know each other. By the next day, they were pretty well sticking together. Remi stopped his bellowing and seems to like his little friend. When we go down to feed in the morning now, they are both waiting at the fence and we are greeted with a huge Hee Haw and a sweet nicker.

We started calling the new addition Donk. He seems to be learning his name and he loves to follow you around and will stand in your way until you give him a good scritchin'. He's a great addition to the ranchette and we are very happy and grateful he's here. Remi has someone to keep him company and bust away from the hay bags, but he also has someone who will be by his side and keep him from being lonely.

Here's Donk grabbing some shade from the hot summer sun. He's so cute and sweet. Ya just gotta love him. And I have to say, I think Remi does too.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Can't Touch This

2010-05-23T10:10:00.004-05:00

For those of us who have a tendency to spoil our animals, we know that it can turn and bite us in the hindquarters big time. Those fur critters sure know where the buttons are and they sure know how to push them. And the big fur kid on the ranchette is no exception.

A few posts back, I wrote about the fire ants that Remington got into and his allergic reaction to them, the ongoing treatments and his ever present resistance to those treatments. Well, the saga continues, because after much research, vet visits, and different methods of trying to cure the situation, it seems he's also developed a problem with biting insects in general. You know, those pesky no seeum's, biting flies and of course don't forget the wasps and mosquito's. Egads, this is Texas, the list is endless.

If a mosquito bites us, we tend to scratch the afflicted area, but since Remi has no fingers, he sets about biting at his legs which causes extra problems with infection. Having massive amounts of hair on his legs only served to exaggerate the problem by incubating the outbreaks. No matter how much medicine we applied, it wasn't getting though all the way. So, in order to get this situation more in control, his feathers had to be shaved off. Yes, I now have a bald legged Clydesdale. Hmmm, sounds like a song may be in there somewhere, (Remi the bald legged Clydesdale) :)

Trainer mom has endured several hours of back breaking hair removal and Remi, well let's just say, isn't cooperating like he should be. Oh, he'll stand there for a little bit, but approach his left back leg where the trouble all began and he starts to swinging it around and getting himself prepped for major cow kicking action. "No, don't touch me, whaa, I don't like it."

He's not being malicious, he's just being a gigantic, spoiled, pain in the rear. And it's not flying to well with poor trainer mom who has been knocked off balance, done several tuck and rolls in the stall and has ended up with major back pains and headaches. It's too bad he doesn't realize at the beginning that the medicine makes it feel better and is very soothing. Nope, the big knucklehead doesn't recall that little tidbit one iota.

The treatment we have going for him now seems to be working pretty well, and we're hopeful it will continue to help him get better. But let me tell you, he is on the "bad boy" list every day because of his big spoiled tude. He has never had a problem with sprays of any type until now. His horsie imagination goes ballistic when he hears that spray and it's close to his legs. Ok, I know what you're thinking, "it probably stings". Well, no it doesn't, because he has a coating of other medication to keep it from stinging.

Flat out he's being a big doofus and it's gotten old. So, how do you cure that problem, well we're still working on that one. But, let me tell you, trainer mom isn't letting him get away with it. She lets him know that his behavior is not acceptable. Of course, he goes into sulky Remi and pouts, but soon forgets why he's pouting and gets over it. That is until the next time and the whole progression of woose boy in a pony suit starts all over again.

Once we see that we'll have several days without rain, we'll begin the massive hunt and destruction of fire ant mounds, treatments for mites and other vicious varmits that are causing problems. Endless battle of the bugs all summer long, oh joy.

In spite of his little hissy spurts, Remi is still a big sweetie. So, I guess I'll keep him ;) So all of you with spoiled fur kids, keep on spoiling them and lovin' on 'em because the joy it brings outweighs many things. Uh, just remember to hide those buttons so they don't always get their way, if you know what I mean.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Big Horse, Big Heart

2010-05-02T09:53:00.008-05:00

A few weeks back we took Remington on a little road trip to Dallas to visit the children at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. This hospital treats children with orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. We've been there before to do carriage rides, but Remington wasn't with us, so this was his first visit.

All eyes and attention were on him as we backed him off the trailer and led him toward the spot where the children and their families could meet up with the big guy. Of course, Remi had his eye on the luscious green grass and flowers, but alas, wasn't allowed to even nibble a tasty morsel. C'mon Remipup, you can't eat the lawn. Well, yes he could, but we didn't let him.

It was a pretty different experience for him to say the least. One by one, the children came to meet my boy. Some were in walkers with halo's attached to their heads, some were in wheelchairs and some were on crutches. As the first wheelchair rolled up to him, he took a good look to see what this object coming at him was. Trainer mom and I assured him, it was ok, and he, like the good boy he is, put his head down so the young girl in the chair could pet him.

For over an hour and a half, the children and their family members came up to meet him. I had plenty of carrots and peppermints on hand so the kids could see him eat his treats, and they all loved it. There were questions to be answered, pictures to be snapped and throughout it all, he stood there like a big sweetheart and I think he loved the attention. We were so very proud of him for bringing a little joy to everyone that afternoon.

With a little luck, you may be able to see him at the hospital with the kids. He will be on a segment of Inside Edition that will air sometime the week of May 10th. We don't have an exact date, but it could air as early as the weekend of May 8th. We just have to set our DVR to record it every night. If you're interested, check your local listings and try to catch a glimpse of his visit.

We love sharing Remi and we also love making a difference and bringing a little happiness into people's lives. And for a little while that sunny afternoon, we left the ranchette and did just that. What a wonderful experience it was and it certainly won't be the last.

My boy may get into a little mischief now and again, well ok, a lot, but when it comes right down to it, he's a big sweetheart with a big ole heart who loves people, the attention, and of course the extra carrots and peppermints.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Lawnmower Go Round

2010-04-11T09:45:00.006-05:00

Saturday was mowing day around the ranchette and Remington was one happy boy. From the minute you walk toward the mower and take the cover off, he is right there at the fence, giving his nicker of approval over and over and over. Why, because he knows, there's grass clippings to be had at the end of the chore. And he loves it!

It's one way we've found to keep his attention for more than a nano second. Okey dokey, let's start her up. Varoom, and away we go. I usually start with the big yard on the side of the house, because it's the easiest part to do. Remi and Tank saw me coming toward the back fence and were right there to greet me. C'mon over here and blow us some grass.

Good, I've got your attention and you're staying out of trouble, I'm liking it. I slowly approached the back fence getting ready to blow some nice green clippings their way, when Zoom, off he went thundering across the pasture, with Tank close on his heels. Nuh uh, Remi wasn't having any part of that. He was keeping a safe distance from that big green growling machine that came a little too close to his comfort zone.

He may like the results but he doesn't like the action required to get those morsels his way. So, I continued to the front of the property and looked back to see if my boy was on his way back. Not only was he on his way back, but he was there, nickering for a treat. Both the big kids looked so attentive and serene while I was far enough away with the green monster. Ok, big son, I'll be a little farther away from you this time, let's see if you stay.

Again, I got close to the back fence and Remi's eyes looked like big saucers right before he bolted and ran across the pasture again. I could almost hear him saying "Run for your life, that thing is going to eat us!" It was pretty funny and made my mowing job a lot easier to handle. After all, I had a comedy show to watch, ya know.

The distance to the fence became farther and farther away from the horses, so they eventually started to stay and see what tasty delights they could snuffle up from their side of the fence. After finishing up the front, I moved to the back yard, where Remi and Tank continued to watch me work. I guess work fascinates them because they can watch the humans do it for hours :)

Of course, when I was close the the fence, they once again skedaddled off to the far side of the pasture. Yee haw, get along little doggies. Can't you almost see me waving my hat in the air like I was on a cattle drive or something?

Mowing done and it's time to rake up the big clippings. Remington saw this and went into beggar pony mode immediately. I'm gathering the really sweet grass he loves and he is snaking that big head of his over the fence, popping his lips and just bellowing up a storm. Of course, for him, I'm going too slow and he's getting antsy. "Will you c'mon already. I'm ready for my snack."

I had to throw separate piles out for him and Tank, because Tank certainly lives up to his nickname by trying to snarfle everything in sight. More raking, more snacks. I'm exhausted, but my sweet boy is happy. What a day. I've mowed and exercised the big guy all at once. That works for me.

A little later he had to get a shave and a haircut. Big prom job and some weddings coming up, so he has to look extra spiffy. On the way back to the barn and much to his delight, my boy got to go into weed eater mode and grab some extra mouthfuls of the grass the lawnmower couldn't reach. He was one big happy boy.

Back to the barn he went, with big green lips and a happy tummy. A kiss on the nose and a carrot to top of the salad greens truly made his day. Gotta love it!

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Hooficure and Manny Hose

2010-04-09T13:40:00.008-05:00

Ok, So it occurs to me that most of you probably don't know the terms. That would be because we coined them.. Hooficure is what it sounds like. He is going to get his feet trimmed and shoes reset.

Manny Hose(pronounced Man e Hose) this is what he must wear during his foot trimming and shoe setting. You see being a Clyde he has tremendous feathers on his lower legs. Shires will also have this, it is a hallmark of these two breeds of horse.

In order for the farrier to work on his feet the feathers must be out of the way. To that end there have been many different ways of trying to do this from duct tape to vet wrap about the only thing that wasn't tried would have been baling wire which fixes most everything else.

The answer finally found is Manny hose. We take woman's panty hose and cut the from about the knee off and do the same with the torso so that what we now have is the widest part of the leg that would fit the thigh. This is put on his leg so that it holds the feathers up and out of the farriers way. VOILA!! Manny hose...

It has worked so well that the blacksmith school now buys the panty hose by the case and a new tradition has begun. When a student works on his first Clyde with "Manny Hose" he must take the top with the waist band and wear it like a hat all day.

In the top photo you see Remington's front feet complete with "Manny Hose". In this photo is a rookie student with his cap. If you will click on the photo it expands, see Remington in the background with his big feathery legs before his hosiery. You might also not the normal size horses next to him that now look like mini's in comparison.

I 'd really like to be a fly on the wall when they try to explain to the IRS why they have cases of panty hose as a business expense. Any way I would like to express my thanks to the Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School for the wonderful treatment they always give us and for dressing Remington soo stylishly...

posted for Remi by trainer mom, Bunny

Remi's Road Trip

2010-04-04T09:37:00.005-05:00

Having a huge horse like Remi around presents many challenges. You already know about the extra repairs we're constantly making around here. We're always searching for extra large everything from halters to harness to fit him. And, when it comes to his feet, finding someone to trim them and shoe him has sometimes been the biggest challenge of all.

It's very difficult to find a farrier who will shoe draft horses. And, when you do, the cost is outrageous and understandably so because of the extra time it takes. If we do find someone in the area who agrees to the task, they will usually only work on Remington once and then disappear into the sunset.

He is a good boy and stands well during the process, but the sheer size of his feet takes almost three times as long as a standard size horse hoof to do. That's a lot of back breaking work and we can certainly understand why we may never see the farrier again.

Understandable or not, he still needs his feet trimmed and thank goodness we still have a way to get the big boy shod at a reasonable price that won't break the bank. It does involve quite a road trip for trainer mom and Remi, but at least it's a solution. And that solution is the Oklahoma State Horseshoeing School where Remi, of course, is always the star of the show.

The trailer is well stocked with a very full hay bag and in the wee hours of the morning, trainer mom loads him up and takes him on his road trip to the shoe store. It's a long drive up and back, but as long as there's hay, there's happiness for Remi.

When they arrive at the school, the students all swarm around Remi with cameras in hand, posing for pictures amidst the "oohs" and "ahs" and "holy cow he's huge" comments. It's quite funny and I have to say, the one time I got to go, I was beaming with pride.

It's an all day event shoeing him and several students take their turn working on him. Tag team farrier service at it's finest. The school absolutely loves Remington and for awhile when we had a regular farrier coming to the ranchette, they missed him terribly. They want horses that will stand well and behave and that's exactly what my boy will do for them.

It's actually quite funny to watch him get his feet trimmed. Because of his feathers, he has to wear manny hose, which he doesn't seem to mind, but don't tell him how pretty he looks in them, or you might just upset his manly self. That just wouldn't be cool, ya know :)

So, Remi will embark on his road trip to get his hoofacure and lots of extra attention in the process. I think if he knew he was going, he might actually be excited. Hmmm, maybe not, but you know what I'm saying, don't ya?

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Remi Repair Inventory

2010-03-28T18:06:00.003-05:00

Well the snow is long gone from the ranchette and a couple of days of sunshine has allowed Remi and the others to romp and frolic in the pasture. While they kick up their heels having tons of fun, trainer mom and myself take stock of what repairs are now needed after days of stall boredom.

Remington has a particularly bad habit of kicking his gate to let us know he's hungry. In one of my first posts I described his morning wake up call to the humans which is not only annoying, but very destructive as well.

He is so darn big and heavy, that it doesn't take much repeated kicking to totally destroy a gate. And given the huge expense, there is no way to keep replacing them, so they have to constantly be repaired. Thank goodness our creative team work can usually make things last a little longer around here, or we would flat out run out of cash in no time. I love that boy, but he does break a lot of stuff.

A couple of years ago, I asked Bunny what she would like for her birthday and she told me she wanted a welder. A welder? You don't know how to weld. "I can darn well learn," she said. I had to agree it wasn't a bad idea. We were constantly calling in someone to weld this and that and it was pretty darn expensive. Hello, I'm here to weld something. Cha-ching, $75 bucks for that hello. I'll draw one or two beads here and there and charge you another huge chunk of change. After enough of that action, I decided that a welder was an excellent idea.

And she learned how to weld pretty darn quickly. Thank goodness for that, because Remi's gate has some nice rebar reinforcements securely in place to prolong it's little life and keep Remi from hurting himself. Needless to say I haven't tried to learn that task, because I'm smart enough to know that it would not be a strong suit. Besides, I'm not crazy about fire and it just wouldn't be very fun. I think I'll just stick to bending nails while I help with the repairs. :)

I am ever so grateful for the invention of duct tape. That, my friends is the universal tool. And, with all the colors it comes in now, the little ranchette is a very colorful place indeed. Let's see, we have camouflage, pink, blue and even the original gray here, there and everywhere. It's amazing how long that stuff can last and the wonderful job it does to help repair broken things left in the big destructo horse's path. When it get's a little weather worn, no problem, just slap some more on the break point and viola, you're done. Now, I can handle that :)

And don't forget the bailing wire. It does much more than hold a bale of hay together. Yes siree, bobalooie, it's amazing what Remi breaks you can fix with that. Even when we get hay bales bound with string, we find something to use that string for as well. If Remi's big head pulls down a light wire, no problem, we've got string to tie it back to the support beams. Everything, and I mean everything has potential for helping us fix that which the big horse doth break.

For those of you in the area, you know about Big Lots and for those that don't know about Big Lots, let me tell you that is one awesome store. You can go in there and find treasures you never know you needed, come out with 10 bags of great things and spend less than 50 bucks. It's a wonderful place to find the multiple rolls of duct tape, nuts, bolts, screws and other repair necessities and with that gigantic bulldozer always breaking this and that, the place is a gold mine of goodies.

My big boy is a sweetie, but he does cause a lot of extra work around here. And for the most part, he's not doing it because he's a mean spirited horse, he does it because his curiosity gets the best of him and his investigations lead to ultimate breakage of many things. We have 3 stall gates now that are welded and duct taped and have most definitely seen better days. But they are still usable and we'll just see how long we can keep them in tact.

I wouldn't trade Remi for anything in this world. And as long as he's happy and healthy, we'll just make sure there is an endless supply of duct tape, bailing wire and other assorted repair products on the premises. After all, he is Remi the destructo pony, but ya gotta love him.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Happy Birthday Remington

2010-03-21T13:54:00.002-05:00

Well it looks like an extra treat is in store for the big boy. You see today is his birthday and there are some carrots and apples with his name on them. I am ever so grateful to have this boy around for another year and trainer mom is too.

He's brought so much joy, excitement and extreme pride to the both of us. He's also brought a lot of extra repairs, trials and tribulations as well, but I guess that's all part of raising a rather large youngster, who through the years kept growing to his current record winning height.

It's hard to believe that he was just 18 months old when he came to live at the ranchette and begin his new life here. As I look back to when I first saw this tall and gawky horse, I remember that it was love at first sight. As we drove up close to the round pen where he was, I recall the words "Oh will you just look at him" come out of my mouth.

I couldn't get out of the truck fast enough to get a close up and personal look at the horse who was destined to steal my heart. He wasn't the match for Princeton that we were looking for and he looked so pitiful with blood on his face caused by a halter that was to small. But he was beautiful and I wanted to take him home right then and there. Bunny wasn't so sure, but felt bad for him because of his poor face.

She told me we would take him home, fix him up and sell him. I nodded my head but was silently saying "yeah, sure we will" to myself. I knew that he wasn't going anywhere and for once in my life, I was right. I knew from the get go that this boy was special. There was an instant bond when he stepped on the side of my shoe trying to load into the trailer. Yep, even from the start, I had a problem steering clear of those huge hooves.

Throughout these past years, the bond with Remington has continued to deepen and grow. I feel so blessed to have this magnificent creature in my life and I always look forward to being around him. His humorous antics can always bring a smile on the darkest of days. I know that Bunny has grown to love this gigantic puppy and has done so much to get him to where he is today.

He's brought smiles to so many others and the joy he brings to those who come in contact with him is very priceless. It makes me proud to have this beautiful creature so close by and close to my heart.

So, happy birthday my sweet Remipup. May you enjoy many more years of fun and frolic and may we enjoy many more years of having you with us. I love you big boy!

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Spring Surprise

2010-03-21T09:45:00.002-05:00

Ah springtime, when the birds are chirping, the trees are budding and the flowers are blooming. Wonderful spring like temperatures make it so very nice to be outside tending to the lawn and other chores left undone through the winter. Ah yes, spring, isn't it wonderful?

Wait just a doggone minute, what is this I see outside on this first full day of spring? I'll tell you what it is...snow and lots of it. What the heck? All the weather forecasts called for a light dusting. Um, let me clue you guys in...wrong!!

Let me tell you when I went to let the dogs out this morning, my sleepy eyes burst wide open with astonishment. Almost 6" of snow is not what I expected to see. Good thing we've learned not to put the winter gear away until the temperature goes to a steady 75 degrees or more.

Remi as usual greeted me with his rather loud bellow which translated means, "I want my breakfast NOW!" Tank followed suit with his request and the little ones put their two cents in as well. Not quite the chirping birds, but you get the picture, right?

Ok, one cup of coffee in me to help brave the cold, sub zero weather boots on my feet and enough warm clothing to get the job done. I was up to my ankles in snow on the way to the barn and when I got there, I saw a huge snow drift in front of Remi's gate and more snow inside. Uh oh, that's not good. His hay bag was covered in snow and was a challenge to get untied.

Remi, of course was focused on the task at hand and didn't make getting the hay bag untied any easier. He decided it was fun to keep nudging me with his ginormous head and although I usually find it very cute, it did somewhat lack appeal today. Frozen hands trying to untie a frozen hay bag string and an 80lb head pushing at you is not so fun.

The wind is blowing the snow around so much that I had to close his other window. That is not a good thing because Remi likes to look out his windows and there tends to be a little more stall mischief when they are closed. And, quite truthfully, we don't like them to be closed either, because we can't monitor the big guy as well from the house.

He didn't seem to mind the small layer of snow in his stall, especially as I filled his feed bucket with breakfast. When I brought his hay bag to him, he nickered at me softly which gets me every time. Ah, my boy is so thankful for his breakfast. I am happy to oblige big guy.

I made sure to stuff extra hay in his bag. I'm not crazy, I know how much that boy eats and when the weather is like this and he's stuck in the stall, he has to have more to keep him occupied and warm. Otherwise, you all know what will happen, don't you? The Remipup will start thinking about what fun he can have in the stall and then all bets are off. This type of situation brings the decisions as to what tools and materials we will need to fix the aftermath of his self induced amusement.

So it's not quite the sweet glory of the first of spring, but my boy is happy and very involved in his hay fest. Here's hoping spring weather will actually arrive tomorrow and all will be well.

Stay tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with us!

Remi And His Carrots

2010-03-07T09:03:00.007-06:00

Anyone who has ever had to give an animal medicine knows that it isn't always easy to get them to cooperate and do what's good for them. If we have to give the dogs a pill, it is usually disguised by wrapping it in a piece of cheese, which usually works, but doesn't always.

With the horses, you can cut out the center of a piece of carrot and stuff the pill in it and then cover it up with the piece you cut out. Easy task there, because they are so busy eating the carrot that they don't realize that there is something inside. Trainer mom came up with that idea and that's how she got Princeton to take his pills every day, which worked beautifully.

Sometimes, the treatment doesn't come in the form of a pill, but rather a shot and for the last week and a half, we have had to give Remington a shot of two different antibiotics to treat a small infection in one of his hind legs. It was pretty scary the first time, but my boy is so good that it was almost effortless.

The trick to get him to cooperate was indeed carrots. Yee haw, they are a wonderful distraction and such a tasty treat. Thank goodness Bunny isn't afraid to give the big boy the shot. If it were left up to me, I don't think I could have done it and would have run up a humongous vet bill getting him to come out and give them.

Because of Remington's size the syringe and needle were huge. I mean, I would have turned and run for the hills if I saw something like that coming at me. But it didn't seem to faze my boy one bit. As we started our trek to the barn on the day of the first shot, we were both a little nervous about it. I was armed and ready with a pocket full of carrots to help ease the situation in case a battle ensued.

My job was to hold his lead rope and distract him with the tasty delight while Bunny gave him the shot. So in the stall she went and with a big carrot chunk in hand the task began. Into his mouth went the first one, followed very quickly by the second chunk. It was done and he didn't even seem to know it happened. Whew, that was a big relief and I'm so glad his motto is "it's all about the food".

Of course, Remi knew good and well that there were more carrots in my pocket. I saved a couple for Bunny to give him since she was the one who did the deed. He started snaking his head out and popping his lips and was absolutely hysterical. Pop pop pop, c'mon gimme some more of that good stuff please. It was truly beggar pony in action.

The following day's of shots were a lot easier, but let me tell you, that boy had the routine down pat. The minute we got to the barn, his big nose came over the gate and his lips started popping like crazy. He was sticking his big head out so far that I started calling him snake face. As soon as I took the lead rope, he started lipping and slobering all over my hand. Yuk, a wet hand on a cold evening is not a fun thing. But, it's Remi slobber so I can deal with it.

Remi now thinks that every time he's in his stall and you come up to him, that there is a carrot somewhere close by and he's very busy trying to investigate my hands to see if I'm hiding one. I have to tell you, it really makes my day. It is so cute and entertaining when he does this sort of thing that it just makes a person smile.

The shots are all over now and we both hope they worked. Tonight when we put the horses up and give them their supper, there will be a carrot treat for Remi just because he's been such a good boy. None of the other horses like carrots and have spit them out on the ground, so Remi get's the treasure all by himself.

Bunny did buy some carrot flavored oaties which the other horses seem to enjoy, but not Remi. He thinks they are a sorry excuse for a carrot treat and immediately turns it into a projectile and shoots it across the gate to the ground below. He'd rather have the real thing and the real thing is what he get's.

Needless to say Remi is well loved and he gives the love right back. So, if carrots make him happy, then we are happy to give ole snake face the treat he enjoys.

Stay tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with us!

Mud feet - Not for the faint of heart

2010-02-22T10:52:00.003-06:00

Just thought I would add to Cheryl's post. For those of you who have never seen what a Clydesdale's feathers look like when they have been in the mud. I took a photo after 2 hours of breaking the mud balls with a channel locks and scrubbing down the legs I couldn't do more. Each leg has about 20 lbs of mud that has mixed with hay to form something like adobe bricks. I will have to periodically break them apart just so he can walk. He is such a good boy about this that we bought him a special treat. His absolute favorite which is too rich to feed regularly but now he has his own fresh bale of the very best fresh Clover Alfalfa that gets sprinkled through his regular hay, kinda like sprinkles on an ice cream. He smells that in his hay bag and immediately starts to burrow his big nose to the center to find the mother lode.

A New Record?

2010-02-21T08:30:00.005-06:00

I think I can safely say that Remington should have a new record bestowed on him as the world's tallest living mud ball. He is covered from nose to hooves in splotches of mud that could just about cover the entire county.

We've had so much rain that the ranchette has never had a chance to dry up. To top that off, here came a foot of snow that may look pretty, but great googly moogly, it eventually melts and creates an even bigger and deeper mud pit.

Normally, we keep the horses in their stalls when there is this much mud so they won't have their shoes pulled off or slip and slide and hurt themselves. But with so many wet days, we just couldn't keep them inside, so mudfest 2010 began.

Remi has huge mud balls on his feathers. Trying to get them off of him is difficult to say the least. I swear they are attached as if someone welded them on. And when they do dry, it's like you have to become a sculptor to remove them without damaging his feathers. Some of them are as big as 4" long and 2" wide. Poor trainer mom spent a lot of time bending over with a pair of channel locks to see if she could get them off and let me tell you, they weren't budging easily.

Tank, the white Percheron is no longer white and looks like a Dalmatian, and the little paint pair now have a whole new color pattern. What a mess. It's been to chilly to even think about bathing any of them, so for now we have the horses of different colors and are just dealing with it.

My precious mud ball and I did have a few moments of fun though. When I opened his gate to put him up for the day, he came up and pushed it closed with his nose. Nuh uh, I'm not going in. So, I opened it back up and said, c'mon Remipup, time for supper so go in your room. I swear I could see a grin on his face as he pushed the gate closed again. I'm snickering big time at his cuteness and once again opened the gate. Down went his head and right as his nose came close to the metal poised and ready to shove, I said REMIPUP, get in your room. Up went the head and he looked at me like I was grounding him for the night.

So in the stall he went with mud balls clacking on his hooves to a rather snappy beat and he circled around and stood right by his feed bucket. Ok, I'm in and you said supper, so where is it? Geeze, gimme a minute Mr. bossy :) So off I went to get his supper and hay bag and all was well with the world of Remi.

I am thrilled to see him in a playful mood again. It's been a while since we've had our fun times and it does my heart good to see him have a happy day. That's the Remipup I love. I did try to get some video of Remi romping in the snow to share with you all. With camera pointed and ready to capture the action, trainer mom opened the gate so he could come out and play. Needless to say, he sauntered out and was absolutely bored with it. WHAT? So alas, I have no Remi fun snow moments to share. Betcha if I didn't have the camera, he would have been kicking his heels up big time. Oh well, maybe next time.

There's more rain and snow predicted so mudfest 2010 will continue for awhile. I guess we'll have to do some thinking on how we can remove the mounds of mud from feet and fur when the sun and warmer weather returns to the ranchette. Any one have a chisel they want to donate to the cause?

Stay tuned, Stay Happy and Stay with us!

Remi-Tude Part 3

2010-02-07T15:18:00.008-06:00

Howdy faithful followers. I'm sorry it's been so long between posts. As much as you enjoy reading about Remi's adventures, I enjoy sharing them with you. I feel like I have been suffering blog posting withdrawal. My job has been keeping me so busy that I don't get home until after dark and my time with Remington has been limited. That also leads to very little antics to witness and write about, even though trainer mom keeps me posted.

For those of you wondering about the new horse, well let's just say it didn't happen and we were left with an empty trailer and a very lonesome Remi still not eating. But, take heart, with hope and faith, all things are possible, and human kindness is still around us.

When some friends of ours heard that Remington was not eating and was not doing well, they offered to let us take one of their horses to keep him company until we could secure another horse. And, this horse has a story of his own. It seems that he was abandoned and our friends were contacted and kind enough to take him in and care for him.

Knowing that we needed to do something quick to lift Remington's spirits, Bunny and I took our friends up on their generous offer and off she went to bring him back to the ranchette. He is a sweet, lovable and very huge white Percheron whom we have affectionately nicknamed Tank because of his massive size. I mean he is about as round as he is tall.

We both had high hopes that Remington would take to him quickly, and let's just say that process is taking time. Oh sure, Remi bellowed with joy and nickered when Bunny led Tank down to the stall. It was dark thirty, so the boys couldn't interact right away. But as soon as Tank was in his stall, Remi went to eating his hay like he hadn't been fed in days. Ok, there's a good sign, but wait, the plot thickens and Remi-Tude is about to show itself once again.

It seems that Remi is practicing his right of passage as the new herd leader. He's making it very apparent that the pasture is his, the hay is his and the people who live here are his. Hey now, that's not nice ya big lugnut. You know how to share, remember?

Tank follows him around to get to know him, and Remi will pin his ears back and shake his head back and forth with big Tude and then walk away. A few times, he would take a nip or two at Tank, who just basically took it, until one nip too many turned into, I'm not taking it anymore and I'm gonna bite you back! Well howdy, whatcha gonna do about that one big boy, huh? He's trying to be friends and you're being a big jerk. What the heck is wrong with you?

Remi is back to not talking to either one of us and we keep hoping that with a little more time, he'll come to accept his new pasture buddy. He won't come up to me right now and he won't let me hug on his neck or kiss his nose. Guess he's mad at me for not seeing him much in the last two weeks. I don't have any idea how long this snit fit is going to last, but somewhere lurking inside Mr. Tude is my sweet boy and neither one of us is giving up on bringing him back from the dark place where he seems to be at the moment. I know he's in there, I have the faith.

He's not being mean really, he's just letting the new kid know that it's his rules applying now. Much like Princeton did to him when he first came to live here.

We don't know how long Tank will be here. If the dadgum rain will ever quit long enough for Bunny to put a harness on him and drive him, as well as see if he'll lift his feet for shoeing, then maybe we'll know more. He's really a very sweet boy who's come to realize that neck scritchin' is wonderful and humans can be nice to be around. We both like him alot although his curiosity can make him quite the pest sometimes.

In the meantime, we'll keep trying to get Remi back to his normal sweet self. I don't know how long an animal can mourn and we're both taking into consideration that his herd has left him and he doesn't understand why. We'll both continue to coax him up to us for a hug and a nose kiss and exercise the patience necessary to help him through this. I suppose we just need to let instinct and horse nature take it's course and see if he'll accept Tank into his herd of one all by himself. Let's hope so.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us.

AKA - Conan the Destroyer

2010-01-21T01:55:00.008-06:00

First let me thank all of you who have expressed their condolences. It means more than you know. I have often told people that Princeton owned me, not I him. Now I know just how true that statement really is. I am truly lost, but for Remi's sake I have put that away til I can help him thru his loneliness. He spends a great deal of his days just standing in the middle of the common area that he and Prince shared nickering for his buddy.

Now before you get all weepy. Know that this weekend I will be picking up his new best friend, and I expect them to bond almost immediately. You see the horse we picked is the same breed as Princeton (English Shire) and in many ways is very similar; same color, markings, size, and if the breeding runs true a very similar temperament. Maybe a little less grumpy, as Princeton did get a little curmudgeonly at times. Here is a head shot of his new pal Woody.

As for the Conan reference... One learns quickly round here to identify sounds. I can tell the sound of the feed room being broken into blindfolded. Same goes for the never ending sounds of breaking wood as in fences etc. However the other day while cleaning the big lugs bedroom I heard sounds that not only could I not identify, but they are getting very loud and then I hear the sound of breaking wood and the pounding of big feet. As I rounded the back corner of the barn at a run I was almost run over by a big gray and white blur running in the opposite direction with something blue attached to its back feet.

I knew immediately what it was, but I couldn't believe it. You see, we built our own barn. Its not pretty, but we built it with the knowledge that it would house draft horses, so it is sturdy. However, before we built there, the previous owners had a large A frame swing in the back. We didn't have the equipment to unearth the posts so we converted it to a shavings bin by adding a roof and 4x8 plywood sides. To finish the job we took a commercial tarp, the kind used on semi trucks to cover their load, and put that over the entire shavings bin to further protect the shavings from rain. Now if you have never seen one of these close up let me tell you they weigh 200 lbs, maybe more. By the way, did I mention that we nailed it to the sides and the roof.

You guessed it now.... Remi has pulled the tarp off the structure. Along with the tarp came some of the plywood, and all this apparently got caught on him and the flatbed trailer that had been parked next to the bin. He heard me coming and decided to escape the scene of the crime, but the tarp had gotten caught on his back shoe and came with him like a huge blue and yellow cape. I swear we could have entered him in the Derby for as fast as he came around the barn, mud flying twenty feet in the air behind his huge feet, nostrils flaring and a look on his face that told you that he just knew that a flying saucer had just landed right on him... To the best of my knowledge he has not been around to the back of the barn since. I have, however, seen him looking around the corner at the big blue pile of debris that he left in his wake. Remi may be lonely, but some things will never change. If you can build it, he can break it!!

I just had to take pictures. Here is what is left of our shavings bin. Click on the photos to see them. Anybody needs to see me next week I will be sitting on top of the roof of a shaving bin recovering it. You can bring your own hammer or I will lend you one. LOL

Trainer Mom, Bunny

Remi's New Buddy

2010-01-16T10:36:00.005-06:00

When trainer mom and I put our mind to something, we shift into high gear and get it done! And so it has been with the quest to find a new buddy for Remington to help heal the huge hole in his heart. And you know what, we did it! But, I'll save that bit of news for a little later in the post. And no fair scrolling down to the end to see the news :)

For the most part, Remi has been standoffish and not allowing any hugs or kisses. Bunny tried to brush him the other day and all he wanted to do was pull away and head to the center of the pasture where he has been standing and looking around for Prince. Persistence does pay off though because between the both of us, we keep trying and a couple of times, there has been a breakthrough.

Last weekend while we were at the barn cleaning his room, he wandered up for a brief moment to see what was going on. He toyed with the hay pile in front of the stall a bit and then began his pacing up and down the aisle. I went up to him and asked for a kiss and lo and behold he put his nose down and I got my kiss. Just one and he pulled his head back up. Hey, I'll take it because it's progress.

I walked down to the feed stall and started making up a hay bag for him and in no time at all, there was the big guy at the gate watching me work. Hmmm, he's here, he's interested and I have alfalfa cubes close by. So, with a handful of treats, I walked toward him and beggar pony emerged. Another step in the right direction because he is thinking about food and he's begging for treats. Ok, I'll take that too. Baby steps you know. A broken heart takes a long time to heal.

We moved Remi into Princeton's stall so he could be closer to the house and have two side windows to look out and see the dogs and us when we are in the yard. He seems to like his new digs and in the mornings when I leave for work, I get to see him and say see ya later Remipup. In fact, the last couple of mornings have been so special, because he has been laying down in the stall and all I see is his ears. When I tell him so long and I love him, the ears go up like a submarine periscope. I can't see his head, but the ears do perk up and it's been a great way to start the day.

Yesterday, Bunny was preparing the stall for our new arrival. Remi was in his stall and he didn't know she was there at first. She popped her head up over the top slat and he nickered at her. How cool is that? She talked to him and kept him company for awhile and in that short time, Remi seemed to forget his sadness. We are both trying to spend more time with him, but we can't be there for the amount of time he needs, so we're going to leave that up to the new kid.

Ok, so now that you've been patient, I'll tell you a little about the new kid coming our way who we hope and pray will be that special buddy that Remington so desperately needs. His name is Woodhouse (Woody for short) and he is a six year old English Shire gelding. He's black with four white stockings and a white blaze and is absolutely gorgeous. He has a docile personality and our gut instincts say this is the one.

Woody is currently in Tennessee but will hopefully be with us on the ranchette by the end of the month. He's 17.2 hh and has a high enough back that he should be able to be hooked with Remi for training and for that little extra bonding that is so desperately needed.

So, there's the scoop. And, until Woody gets here, the two of us will continue to keep the big boy as happy as we can and spend more time with him. I won't go as far to say that we will don a horse costume, but we will do what we can to ease his heartache in the meantime.

We'll take some pictures and share them with you as soon as he joins the family. We're excited and hopeful that he will help heal Remi's broken heart and ours.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Lonesome Remi

2010-01-10T10:44:00.008-06:00

To every thing there is a season and a purpose and on Tuesday January 5th, 2010, Remington's beloved buddy and constant companion Princeton, passed away, leaving us all with a very huge hole in our hearts.

Bunny lost the horse with whom she started her company and who helped her work through the sadness she felt after loosing her mother. She has lost her best friend who always gave her a soft nicker and always let her know how much he loved her. In the last couple of years she has spared no expense, or time caring for his every need and making his quality of life rich and comfortable.

Princeton was my first encounter with draft horses and I loved him right from the very beginning as if he were my own. He was gentle and kind and everyone loved him. He was a beautiful horse who at times seemed like he understood every word you said to him and I learned a lot from him.

We are very lost and sad right now, but it is Remington who is the most lost and lonesome. Prince and Remi were buddies. When Remi first came to the ranchette, Prince let Remi know right from the beginning that he was the boss and he had better pay attention. But he also took Remington under his wing and showed him what horse etiquette was all about.

When Sara went to her new home, Remi was lonesome for her, but he had Princeton to pal around with and keep him company. They had a special bond and he misses him terribly. He has been looking around to see where Prince might be and bellowing loudly in the hopes that his buddy will hear him and come to his side. The little horses never developed a bond with him and Prince, so they are of no comfort to him.

Our challenge now is to find a suitable companion for him so that his broken heart can mend and he will once again have someone in the pasture to keep him company. This morning I stayed with him while he ate his breakfast. He's not as interested in his food or his hay right now and we are both keeping a close eye on him to make sure he eats. He is not talking to Bunny or me very much right now and any attempt to kiss his nose or hug him is met with resistance and that's just not Remi.

Remi is lonesome and lost and we are doing everything we can to help ease those feelings, but ultimately we have to find him a new friend and we are hot on the trail. Trust me, we are giving it top priority.

Princeton was 38 years old and was loved very much. We will remember the good times, and there were many good times. We will remember his gentleness and his grace and all the love he gave to us as well. He had a good life and lived longer than a lot of horses or other animals do, and for that we are both thankful for the time we could share.

As for Remington, we know that our visits to the barn can not replace the missing piece of his heart, but we will find someone who will. We want our Remi back to being his usual happy self and for now, he's not there. I'll keep you posted.

Rest in Peace Sweet Prince

1/5/2010

Stay tuned, Stay Happy and Stay With Us!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:37:00.006-06:00

Happy 2010 to everyone from the ole ranchette! It's a cold and frosty day around here and my trip to the barn to serve breakfast has left me with some pretty chilly fingers. The horses were more than ready to chow down on their feed and hay and I was more than ready to get 'r done and get back to the warmth of the house :)

Remington began his usual wake up call of kicking the gate several times, which prompted Tuck to start doing the same. Good grief, you would think that they hadn't been fed in days. Give it a rest boys. This musical talent of alternate gate clanging is not something I relish, especially on my day off. But since they're persistent, I will usually put the kibosh on the concert by giving in and feeding them a little early. Hmmm, me thinks I am the one who is trained :O

The past year certainly was filled with all sorts of interesting and life changing events, from finding a new job to Remi's world record whirlwind. There was good and bad, happy and sad, but we found the strength to work through whatever life threw at us.

Sadly, we lost our little pet chicken Drumstick, who by all counts was the queen of the barn. Who knew that a little chicken could have so much personality and take hold of our hearts so quickly. She is sorely missed.

We said so long to our mare Sara, who happily found a new and loving home and was able to retire from the carriage business. That was what we truly wanted for her and it finally happened.

Princeton the Shire is up there in years, and trainer Mom has worked tirelessly and endlessly to ensure he has a good quality of life. We treasure each and every day we get to hear his soft nickers.

Remi's story went worldwide and we have been able to share his adventures with so many wonderful people. You are all truly appreciated and I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the stories and that they help bring you a smile.

We said goodbye to Doc the Percheron who now has a new home with a loving new owner. And we said hello to Nip and Tuck, who are quite challenging and full of themselves. Ah yes, there's abundant energy in those two. Remi isn't quite sure he likes it either, because they interrupt his lazy time.

Keiko the Akita finally got over her little run in with the black and white fur creature that helped earn her the nickname Stinkerbell for awhile. Bailey (Doodlebug) maintained his 24x7 energy level and I swear sometimes acts like a miniature version of his big brother. And Gabe, the kitty, had quite a full year of long and refreshing cat naps after his many night hunts for meeces.

I don't know what this new year will bring, but my hopes are that it be wonderful and blessed for all of us. Take time to enjoy and celebrate your life. If you see someone without a smile, share one of yours with them. Look to your inner courage and strength to make it through whatever life brings and the good things will come, I know they will.

Happy New Year and may all good things come your way in 2010 and for years to come.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us!

Remi's Revenge

2009-12-27T17:48:00.003-06:00

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

2009-12-26T09:32:00.006-06:00

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

2009-12-20T08:53:00.009-06:00

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

2009-12-11T19:44:00.004-06:00

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

2009-12-06T09:49:00.005-06:00

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

2009-11-28T07:51:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-22T09:40:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-15T09:56:00.004-06:00

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

2009-10-31T16:31:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-25T09:43:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-17T17:03:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-07T19:06:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-03T16:46:00.010-05:00

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

2009-10-02T10:29:00.006-05:00

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

2009-09-27T12:00:00.007-05:00

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

2009-09-23T17:28:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-21T15:57:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-19T16:24:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-12T17:31:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-03T16:45:00.004-05:00

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

2009-08-30T15:10:00.010-05:00

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

2009-08-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-18T17:03:00.008-05:00

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"

2009-08-17T16:32:00.007-05:00

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

2009-08-15T18:15:00.006-05:00

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

2009-08-13T03:20:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-08-10T13:00:00.017-05:00

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

2009-08-09T17:43:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-08T17:19:00.023-05:00

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...

2009-07-30T13:25:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-24T09:44:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-18T09:14:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-16T07:33:00.007-05:00

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

2009-07-06T18:36:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-02T17:20:00.011-05:00

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

2009-06-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

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??

2009-06-26T13:12:00.010-05:00

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

2009-06-24T18:33:00.007-05:00

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

2009-06-21T08:55:00.021-05:00

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.

Remi's Paper Work Is On It's Way

2009-06-19T15:23:00.002-05:00

This morning I finally put everything together and sent the evidence packet off to Guinness. It will take about a week for it to arrive in London and then more time to receive the official results. We are not sure exactly how long it will take. We sure hope not long, because the suspense will drive us bonkers!

It took some time to gather all the material from witnesses, photographers and the videographer and then make sure all the guidelines were followed to the letter.

So, now we wait! We'll let everyone know as soon as we receive word. Thanks for all your support, your comments and your visits. We appreciate you all and hope you'll stay with us for more of Remington's adventures.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed, ok?

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

THANK YOU & new story

2009-06-18T00:48:00.006-05:00

Cheryl, Remington's owner mom, pointed out to me tonight that many of you following Remington's journey have signed on recently so I should look at the comments on my first posts.

I am amazed!! I wish to tell all of you "THANK YOU" from the very cockles of my tiny Irish soul.
This horse is truly amazing. I have trained and worked with horses most of my life, but never in some 40 years have I come across anything like this horse. He has not only occupied my life with challenges, but always gives us new reasons to laugh and an anticipation of what the new day will bring. He never disappoints us.

Now to another story---

That being said. Y'all need to know about rookies. All professions have them, but few are harder on them than in the horse industry. You see, people love horses, but they are not like cat or dogs that can be kept as pets, so many who love them have no idea what is really involved in their training or upkeep. Therefore when a horse professional encounters someone who, "Always dreamed of having a horse" we know the education process is going to be a bumpy ride.

Years ago, when Cheryl (Remi's owner mom) was a rookie she would try her best to support the training and rules that make the horses manageable and safe to work around. You know the things like don't charge to get food etc. I had explained to her that one must always be in command. Even tho you are you are smaller your attitude and body language will tell the horse that YOU are in charge.

Every night the horses are put in stalls and hay bags are hung at the door for them. I would simply tell the horse "BACK" with an authoritative voice and demeanor that commands my space and then hang his hay, that done I'd say "Ok good boy" and he then knows he can eat. Cheryl, being the softie with a big heart, however could not get the knack of this. Daily, for months what I would hear when she hung Remi's bag was--- "Back, Back I say, GET BACK!!, REMINGTON BAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

Today she is an accomplished horsewoman, handling her boy with confidence and ease. He know he is loved and doted on, but he also has manners and respects the commands of Momma Cheryl, but for a while I truly thought I would have to get her the whip and chair that I always pictured her with when feeding time came.

Great Googly Moogly, Remi's Gone Hi-Tech

2009-06-16T10:49:00.003-05:00

You know how proud you are when your child opens his or her's first saving's account, or wins a contest? Imagine the surprise of finding out your horse has done the same thing.

After opening Remington's email today, I found his spam folder filled with account verifications, bank applications and notices of contest winnings. There must be a hidden laptop in his stall that he has secretly been using late at night after his humans have gone to sleep.

Who knew he had this hidden talent? Certainly not me or his trainer mom and we have yet to find that laptop while cleaning his stall. Now, where could he be hiding it, I wonder? Just exactly how big is this keyboard that he can type on with his size 10 furry slippers?

Is he using voice activation? Neigh, Neigh can't possibly translate into open a Paypal account for me, can it? Or, maybe he's using a carrot to type. We don't have a clue. Do any of you have any ideas? Help us solve this mystery before loads of hay and carrots start showing up that we didn't order.

He's obviously been a very busy boy.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remi, The Bobcat & The Boot

2009-06-11T18:28:00.003-05:00

Now that you know about Remington's love for the bobcat, let me share another episode about HIS TOY!

A couple of years ago, the bobcat needed some repair work done. Early one September morning, the repairman and I were discussing the necessary fixes, when "guess who" comes up to see what was going on, and just who dared to touch his prize.

I let him investigate the situation, but instead of just observing, he just had to move closer and closer. As I pushed him back and scrambled to get out of his way, his foot came down right on the top of my foot..."OUCH". I immediately put an elbow in his chest to keep him from applying his full force, but he ended up scraping his size 10 shoe across my foot before he finally got back and lost interest.

I hobbled around the rest of the weekend and after noticing a rainbow of colors on my foot decided to go get it checked out. I wasn't able to see an orthopedic doctor at first, so I visited a local instant care facility on Monday. I had to wear a very funny shoe and was put on crutches. I wasn't able to go to the barn for a few days, so he never had the chance to see if the crutches tasted good.

I finally got in to see the orthopedic surgeon and it was determined that I had a torn ligament between my 4th and 5th toe and I ended up having to wear a very large boot. The first time I went to the barn in my boot, Remi, being his usual curious self just had to come up and put his nose down to see if it was a new tasty treat. NO, it's not, so leave it alone. I let him check it out anyway, because Remi just doesn't quit. He snorted and decided it really wasn't a treat to enjoy and off he went to explore something else.

Thanks to my bouncing baby boy, I can now predict when it's going to rain without the need to buy expensive weather equipment. And although it's not exactly the skill I would like to brag about, the whole experience did teach me to be extra careful around him and make sure where his huge hooves are at all times.

I spent three months in that "Cinderella slipper" and right before Thanksgiving (how appropriate), was finally able to walk boot free. It could make a very nice planter, however knowing Remington and his antics, I think I'll keep it around just in case.

It isn't exactly my favorite memory, but it's a Remi Memory, so I will cherish it always.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Remi and the bobcat (machine not wild animal)

2009-06-10T02:18:00.007-05:00

Ok, I keep getting requests for more stories, and truthfully I could write books about this horse as he just never quits or stops amusing us with his personality.

So here goes. On property is a bobcat, you know the same thing you see on many construction sites. We use it help clean stalls. Yes, that is the kind of equipment you need when you have a horse this big.

Now up till about 2 years ago the bobcat was his absolute favorite thing in the world. You see, he has not met too many things outside of buildings that were bigger, so he had no fear of it. The first time I started it he did his usual thing and bit it. phlucck!!! Not good to eat! He then proceeded to circle it and inspect. When he got to the bucket he placed both front feet on it and then the devil made me do it. I raised the bucket. Instead of jumping and running away, as most horses would do, he just put his head down and looked at me from a new and taller advantage.

After a few minutes I tried to dislodge the big lummox by rocking it and bouncing the bucket, but as would turn out to be a usual turn of events he not only didn't move, but seemed to enjoy it. This started a pattern that although amusing caused me to do double the work and pay for constant repairs on the bobcat. You see I had unknowingly created the first Remington amusement park ride. From that time on every time I needed to use the bobcat I had to give Remi a ride. He would come from any point on the property when he heard the engine start.

This continued till about two years ago when he got soo heavy that when trying to raise the bucket it didn't budge. The back wheels did however come off the ground. Seems like construction equipment should at least withstand the horse.

I have now replaced the seat twice. Remi bites ya know. I guess we are all a little upset when we finally realize that six flags is no longer for us....

Some things never change

2009-06-07T16:18:00.002-05:00

We decided to give Remi a special treat when we came home yesterday and turned him out in the yard next to the house. You know the one we had to fence off because he stood on the air conditioner and played fetch with my tree.

Well guess what.. Instead of just taking advantage of the really nice grass and grazing the big lug nut had to go and attack a tree again. See the broken limb on the ground and the other poor broken one hanging now dead off the side of the trunk. I really wonder what he has against trees. He doesn't even eat them, He just breaks them and carries them around.

Para os Brasilieros

2009-06-07T15:56:00.003-05:00

muinto obrigado a nossos amigos novos no brasil!! Seus sustentação e poço desejam-nos meios bastante. especialmente Bunny (instrutor) viveu em Rio por diversos anos.

A medida de Remington quebrou o registro ontem. Agora nós devemos esperar Guinness para certificar o registro.
Isto pode fazer exame de diversas semanas

Eu tenho saudadge de seus país e esperança bonitos retornar outra vez. Nós afixaremos resultados aqui assim que nós soubermos.

English Translation:

Many thanks to our new Brazilian friends. Your well wishes and support mean a great deal to us. Especially Bunny (trainer) as she lived in Rio for several years.

Yesterday Remington broke the record. Now we must wait for Guinness to certify it. This may take several weeks.

I miss your beautiful country and hope to return someday. We will post the result here as soon as we know.

Remi's Big Day

2009-06-06T23:07:00.004-05:00

Hello World,

After an early morning talk with my sweet boy during his breakfast, he must have decided to take my suggestion to wake up and stand tall and proud. He got over his nap time agenda from his Friday's measuring and stood there like a real pro while he was measured at 80" inches without his shoes and passed the current record of 79.5".

After all, he's a country boy who is laid back and happy to lounge around the pasture, decide what kind of mischief he might get in to for the day, and make his frequent visits to the barn to make sure that his room is cleaned to his specifications. He's just not that into super energy mode most of his days.

The record still needs to be verified by Guinness and I am busy putting together all the information needed to do so . I would like each and every one of you to know that we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support, the love and all the good wishes from the bottom of our hearts.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

WOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

2009-06-06T20:11:00.003-05:00

Remington measured at 80 inches (20 hands tall) today without his shoes. Yesterdays measurement was reported at 80 but upon viewing the photos of the measuring he measured at 80.5

Today's measurement still needs to be certified by Guinness to get their title, but even without it he is still 1/2 inch taller than Radar and that is a new world record.

When the measurement was announced to the crowd they all cheered. He posed for some photos etc. We have just now arrived home. He is happily munching on some well deserved hay, not even knowing how special he is except that his two mommas love him.

Thank you to all for your support and well wishes we might not have been able to withstand all the strain of this without you.

Remington and I are tired now, so we'll be back later.

Trainer mon Bunny

Remington's First Measurement

2009-06-06T07:09:00.004-05:00

My boy is a pretty laid back horse and yesterday he decided it was going to be a lazy afternoon, which made it a little hair raising during his measurement. With a lot of coaxing, he finally stood up without relaxing his back foot and was measured at 8o"

For those of you who would like to read the story, here's a link to the newspaper article.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060609dnmetremington.50e261d3.html

Today he will be measured with his shoes off and has to measure more than 79.5" in order to beat the current world record. It's going to be close for sure, so keep your fingers crossed.

So, we'll just see what happens today and no matter what, my love and affection for this horse will never change. It's been an incredible journey and I hope that you will continue to follow his adventures. Thank you all for your support.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Here We Go

2009-06-05T07:50:00.003-05:00

Remington is happily munching his breakfast, unaware of his pending road trip today. I haven't told him yet, so shhhh, it's our secret for now. He has been quite the trooper this past week and has graciously left all the microphones and cameras in one piece. There were a few close calls and I thought I had bought some equipment for a minute there. Remember it's all about the food!

So, in a little while we'll take our walk to his horsie RV and head on down the road to get the big boy measured. I'm packing him a snack of carrots and peppermints so he'll be a happy, happy boy. He is anyway, but when there is food, there is joy.

I'll post today's measuring results as soon as I can and hope you'll stay with us through our journey and beyond.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us.

Welcome To Remington's World

2009-06-02T19:59:00.002-05:00

I would personally like to welcome all new followers and fans of Remington. The response to his quest for the World Record has been met with overwhelming good wishes and wonderful comments.

I hope that you will continue to follow his adventures and that they can bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart. For those of you who have shared info on your special babies, keep them coming. We love hearing about all these wonderful animals and each and every one of them is a true source of happiness and unconditional love.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and well wishes, and for your support. We will keep you all posted and report the result as soon as we know something.

Stay tuned, stay happy and stay with us. We're glad you're here.

It's all about the food

2009-05-29T12:53:00.006-05:00

Since we are now getting requests for more Remi stories I decided to share another with you. As I already mentioned, to date Remington has tasted most everything on the property and done so in some very flamboyant ways. I thought I had seen it all. BUT NO!!!! Here we go again..
It has become a way of life around here to Remi-proof things. It seems that his motto is that if you build it I can break it..

A few years ago his stall was next to the feed stall. BIG MISTAKE. First he figured out that he could reach over the top of the stall and literally lift a bale of hay over into his room and create his own buffet. What you need to know to understand this feat of Remi acrobatics is that the top rail of this partition was almost 6 ft tall. Our answer was to put up another rail raising the height about a foot. Now that is solved.. Ha! The very next week he chewed thru the spacers that we had left for air flow and proceeded to attack the hay down low. We of course did not see this at first because we had gotten used to protecting and repairing on high. This time he got stuck.. He ate half of a bale thru the space he chewed in the wall and then got the wire wrapped around his tooth. OK here comes the horsey dentist to pull a tooth. Thank god he would have lost it eventually anyway. Wolf tooth ya know.

Now to present day. I awoke the other morning to a crashing sound soo loud that I thought a car had hit the house. After a hurried check of the perimeter of the house I knew, that once again it was REMINGTON. I ran down to the barn only to discover that in his continued efforts to share in Princeton's hay he had somehow lifted the metal door off its hinges and thrown it across the aisle. This allowed "Stretch" to reach around the wall now unencumbered and eat at will. Bewildered Princeton is standing at the back of his stall wondering, no doubt, why his house is flying apart around him. Meanwhile Remington is munching happily on his partners hay. He's just found another obstacle to overcome in his never ending appetite for food and new ways to conquer all that lies in his reach.

Here's a link to some photos taken as he grew thru the years.

Bunny (Trainer mom)

Remi sinks like a rock

2009-05-14T14:47:00.009-05:00

It's beginning to feel like we ought to get water wings for the big boy. Because of the black soil here he has to stay inside during and sometimes even a day or so after the rain. I took him for a little walk the other day as he had been cooped up in his stall. Took him to the far side of the house where I thought he could at least munch a little grass. RUT ROOOO! Even tho it didn't appear to be the ground was soaked. He sank in like a rock in water. As I was pulling him to drier ground I swear I heard sea gulls overhead.. That's just not right... You should see the craters he left in the lawn. Thought I'd show you a photo I came across. This was taken a couple of years ago, he was still growing then. The blacksmith thought it was easier going under him to get tools than walking around him. The horse standing behind him is almost 16 hands tall and weighs about 1300 lbs. She is a big horse and he makes her look like a midget.

Posted by trainer mom, Bunny

Remington's World Record Attempt Progress

2009-05-08T12:02:00.005-05:00

We have received the guidelines from Guinness and are in high gear to get all the details taken care of for the official measuring. We will be conducting two measuring events due to the requirements. We will be measuring him with his shoes on June 5th and then measuring him with shoes off, on June 6th.

There is much to do as we have to find people willing to do video and still photos, and also find witnesses for the events, media contacts, etc.

We'll keep everyone updated on the progress and thank you for your continuing support. We have found several more competitor's, but it still looks like we are in the running to capture the title. We'll just have to wait and see.

Stay tuned for more news.

Remington's World Record Attempt Is On!

2009-04-29T17:23:00.003-05:00

This morning I received word from Guinness that we may proceed with the World Record attempt for the World's Tallest Living Horse. I haven't told Remi yet, because I don't want him to get a bigger head than he already has, or develop a case of media jitters.

There is much to do and we are excited to finally start working out all of the details that will go into the official measuring event. Stay tuned for further updates and thanks to all his fans and supporters who have been sending good thoughts and encouragement.

And away we go.....

Remi Going For A World Record - The Beginning

2009-04-09T08:09:00.000-05:00

Remington's size has long since been a wonder to me and to all whom have come into contact with him. These days we have to use a step stool to reach his back for brushing and bath time, and also to harness him. I always joke that I would rather wash a bus, but then a bus doesn't give you kisses.

A few months back I submitted a claim to the Guinness World Book for the "World's Tallest Living Horse". After months of waiting for a response, one finally came this past Monday and he will hopefully be on his way into the competition.

Our tasks are to submit his measurements and some pictures, so we will be getting him all spiffy and squeaky clean for his glamour shots. I will submit them to Guinness and hopefully we will reach the next phase of the process.

We do know he is taller than the current record holder, however, there is competition brewing in Canada. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

No matter what the outcome is, Remi will always hold the record for capturing a big part of my heart. He is an amazing horse who provides a constant source of amusement and love.

So, it's game on and away we go.

Remington's Story is Spreading

2009-04-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

It is an exciting day for us since Remi's story was posted on Equine Ink. The article contains the first blog entry and also some additional comments. Here's the link for you to view the posting.

http://equineink.wordpress.com/

Many thanks to Elizabeth Goldsmith at Equine Ink for contributing to the story and for publishing it for others to enjoy.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Remi The Alarm Clock

2009-03-31T17:29:00.000-05:00

This morning as it is with every morning around 7:00 am, Remington takes it upon his gigantic doofus self to make sure that everyone is up and aware that he wants his breakfast immediately. As I slumber peacefully with a vision of finding a wonderful new job swirling in my head, his vision is quite different and he starts off the daily routine with a bang, literally.

Clang, clang, clang goes his horseshoe against the gate. A couple of minutes go by and I try to drift back to sleep. Clang, clang, clang, hay do you hear me up there? Of course I hear you and I'm going to ignore you.

Oh I don't think so, clang, clang, clang. Grrrr, now the dogs are awake and are jumping up to see if it's time to go out and the cat starts to yowl loudly. A strong go back to sleep will work. Or, so I thought. Who am I kidding.

Clang, clang, clang, wake up mom, I'm hungry again! Ok, ok, now the dogs are back to jumping up, and the cat starts his yowl fest once more. I can hear the chicken squawking furiously because she doesn't appreciate the gigantic stomach on stilts causing the barn to vibrate and disturbing her roosting. Bok, bok, bok!

Alright, already, I'm up. I open the door to let the dogs out, and the clanging miraculously stops. And there in the early morning light, stands my precious bouncing baby boy with his head hanging out of the stall acting innocent and sweet. I know that walnut sized brain of his is thinking "heh heh, it worked again". And you know what, it did.

So down to the barn I go, and he stares at me with his big soft brown eyes and nickers softly to let me know how much he loves me bringing his breakfast. The poor starving boy, how could I be so remiss. After all it's been minutes since the hay bag reached a state of emptiness.

But, before he gets his breakfast, I tell him with a very stern voice, to never ever kick that gate again because he's already destroyed one and I don't want him to repeat the offense. He stares at me with obvious understanding and remorse while I hold the feed bucket in front of him to hold his attention.

He's now been warned and tomorrow I just know that he will wait patiently and quietly for his breakfast.

Wanna bet?

Trainer Mom Tells a Remi Tale or Two

2009-03-31T11:40:00.000-05:00

We call him Remi. His registered name is:
REMINGTON OF RIVERBEND #M17523, born Mar. 21, 1997; out of LIBERTY KNOLLS MINNIE MUFFIN.

I"m his trainer /Driver. His owner is Cheryl Davis and she literally had to talk me into buying this boy. When we got him he was what would be called a long yearling. He was just a mere 17 hands. He stepped on her foot and it was love at first sight. I only agreed because the man who had bought him at the National Clyde sale had a halter on him that was too small and had literally grown into his flesh behind his ears and nose. OK. We'll take him home and fix him and then he goes!! Ya right..

Raising Remi has been an adventure. The first thing he did when we got him home was to stand his front feet on the air conditioner so he might better see the roof of our house. Ever try to explain to a repairman or your ins company that your horse has crushed your air conditioner unit. I don't recommend it. Next, while being shod if front of the carport, he just had to see what the gutter on the roof was made of so he reached up (not very far I might add) and took a bite of it. Of course lets not forget when he decided to see if my new truck was edible. By far the best was my birthday, when I decided to have a day away from the horses and discovered upon my return that he had broken a tree(3 in. diameter and about 18 ft tall) and was now happily playing with his new stick much the same as a dog. You would think I'd have learned better by then, but noo at least I got a photo of him playing with his next tree victim.

We were looking for a potential match to my shire 18.2 and 2400 lbs. Again NOO. He now stands over 20 hands. How much we won't say until the official word comes from Guinness. The last time we weighed him he was over 2700 lbs , but that was 2 yrs ago before he started to fill out. My guess today would be something over 3000. He eats more than 2 square bales of hay, a little over 5.5 lbs of pelleted feed and 1/3 cup of oil per day, his water bucket is a 55 gallon drum, but lets not forget grazing and round bale rights.

I have permanent shin splints from ground driving him and doing cavaletties (4 yrs) for his co-ordination as we waited for his growth plates to begin to fuse. I have had 3 people run from our place when he threw a teenage tantrum. If they had only waited they would have seen that he was just a youngster playing, but size intimidates. As far as I know he is the tallest registered Clyde ever. He has driven a few private events, brought in the judges to the "Big D horse show for the last 2 years and has quite the following in several states all hopefully awaiting the day when he gets recognition. We get phone calls from his fans regularly asking when that will be. Whatever else he is, if he gets the Guinness record or not, I know that I have been blessed to have this horse in my life. He has been a true once in a lifetime adventure but most of all with all the wonders in the world I know I only have to walk out to the barn to see one.