Remi & Donk Come Home

The many months and miles of separation from the big boys have come to end and they are finally settling in to their new digs.  It took quite a feat to get their home ready.  Although we didn't build a barn from scratch this time, they still needed a stall constructed so they would have a dry and cozy place to camp.  And of course we had to fence in three pastures and the dogs yard which took a heck of a lot to do.

I know that many of you have been faithful in following the big galoot's adventures and we appreciate your visits to see if there have been any updates.  But since we weren't around them, there was nothing to report that was blog worthy until now....

Remi has successfully settled into his role as pasture ornament and seems quite happy being one.  Little does he know that exercise and remembering good manners are close at hand.  He developed quite an attitude since being away from us so long and wouldn't so much as come close for a familiar Remi nose kiss or neck scritchin'.  

For the first week, they both stayed right at the fence and stared at the trailer around the clock as if to say, when are we going home.  But now, they are used to their new surroundings and are quite happy to be here. They both love the front pasture and buck and run as soon as they are allowed access. 

We've been getting a lot of rain lately and for some reason, Remi has decided to stand out in a total downpour and get soaked to the bone.  Donk on the other hoof, stands in the doorway of the barn to stay a lot drier than his big buddy.  We haven't figured out why he won't go into the stall where there's plenty of hay and dry ground to enjoy.  Ah, but we will.

One of the projects we weren't able to get to was installing light in the barn.  That is on our list, but we aren't so willing to work with electricity in the wet monsoon season, so we're hot on the trail to get some battery operated light in the meantime.  Maybe a nightlight will entice the big doofus to stay indoors during a rainstorm.

One cuteness we have observed is Donk coming to the barn door with a lot of hay on his back.  Unfortunately he gets a lot dumped on him from the hay rack and has become a donkey table.  Remi will come to the doorway and start eating the hay off his back which is hysterically funny.  If we're ever able to snap a picture, I'll be sure to post.

Of course, Remi has created quite a stir in the neighborhood.  There are several horses in the area, and word has spread so fast that there is a ginormous horse here now, so we've seen many riders.  A couple of weeks ago, it was raining to beat the band and both Remi and Donk had their attention focused on the road.  Now, I need to tell you that we have many wild creatures in the area including Bear, so naturally we needed to check out the situation.

There in the pouring rain were two girls on their horses, getting soaked to the bone and just staring at Remi. They told us they were just enjoying the awe of such a huge and magnificent animal.  We invited them to come back when it wasn't so nasty out and they said they would be back for sure.  Apparently the whole horse community and non-horse community know he is now here.

So, we're sure there will be more visitors to come and once he gets out in the public eye again, I'm sure there will be even more.

I hope you've enjoyed the update.  We'll try to keep you posted more and share the further Adventures of Remington.  Thanks for sticking around.

Stay Tuned, Stay Happy and Stay With Us

Where's Remi?

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

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

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

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" !!!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!