Meat eaters

Oh, deary me!! It seems I am not as bright as I thought; I just found out that humans eat animal flesh. Ugh, I don't know why I didn't know this before, I am 5 years old and a grown up. What is the matter with me? We are specialist feeders and only eat grass and grass products, if we are given anything else it can make us very ill. We should always be fed very carefully and because we live in a modern world where we don't graze 24/7 and don't share our grazing with other herbivores, we have to be given chemical wormers and have our teeth filed. I hate both of those things and so does Gretel. Gretel has a good trick for the horrible wormer. When Helen eventually gets it in her mouth she opens her mouth wide and and shakes her head and it all falls out. But she does not mind the teeth filing so much because she gets a happy pill before the work is done. Nice!!

Getting back to the meat eating, numpty Gretel says I should turn a blind eye. So long as the animals are well looked after and good animal husbandry is practised, what is the problem? Humans are evolved to eat meat. Peter's mother Joan, who I have not yet meet, is a very wise woman, and asks why does Helen become very upset when she sees animals being mistreated? Could the answer be that it is a evolutionary way for Helen to preserve herself and her offspring? So by caring for the animals they will never die out and humans will always have food to eat. This would have a good kick-back for us because there will always be lots of grass for us to eat. Anyway, Gretel thinks when we die, we will be fed to the vultures up in the park. She is going to take me there and show me; not too soon, I hope.

I have made two new friends this week. Limon who lives next door and assures me she is the purrrrfect cat and Maisy who is going to be my best human friend 'cos she would like to learn how to be kind to all equines and understand our needs. So I look forward to seeing you both again and this time I hope Limon will be able to find her way home unaided. Neigh 4 now.

Party time

I am late writing my blog this week 'cos we have been making merry. Saturday, Gretel and I went into the spring field and lots of people came to look at us and admired our shiny coats, neat manes and tails. We had music late into the night. We like music, Peter's music is the best; it's called opera and the sound's invoke all different emotions in us. Happy, sad, funny or calm. If we stand close to the wall in the spring field we can feel the vibration, its very soothing.

I have had lots of people tell me how upset they are with last weeks blog; Sengra and Serreta, Thank you all for speaking up. Aida came and we talked to her about what to do. She says there is no law in Spain about animal abuse but things are changing and it's the young people we need to talk to. I am going to do a demo of my own for the school as soon possible. I think Helen should write to the town hall and tell them what we think of horse abuse and riding displays.

Aida says Gretel is not having a potro. She is not too sad and will be having some tests later in September to see why not. In English human speak, a baby horse is a foal and it nearly means a very dim person, just as well that she's not having a fool. Another one like Gretel would need a lot of patience.

All this blog writing is very tiring and I think I will get a raspberry so I can communicate from anywhere, or I might get an I-pod instead because that sounds quite tasty. Neigh 4 now.

Sangre and serreta.

Over last weekend it got even hotter, 37ºC, so we did not do anything all day but stand as still as statues in the shade. Peter has picked the first new algarrobo pods; I am mad for them; even nicer then the white rocks. Thank you Peter.

When its not too hot, Helen sits in the manège and talks to us; she has been a bit upset because of a riding display she went to. She said some of it was good, particularly the Doma vaquera. Doma Vaquera is training a horse to herd cattle. The rider has a long pole [the garrocha] which the horse dances around. The horse doing this, Helen said, was very relaxed and understood his job, which always makes for a happy horse. I know what Doma Vaquera is because I am Spanish. But then we have to spend half an hour explaining it to Gretel and Tring. Gretel, because she is daft and Tring 'cos she is young. Tring said she would love to do that, herding being in her blood, and would like her own herd of goats. But sadly, one of the horses was not being treated so well and by the end of the demo-display his sides where bleeding from repeated use of the spurs and the front of his nose was bleeding from a much too tight serreta. Worst of all, at the end the girl rider whipped and whipped him 'til he laid down. Helen wanted to rush into the ring and whip her, but realized that the rider may well be just as abused as the horse and only doing what some controlling person is telling her. Just like Monty Roberts' childhood with his dad. We stood about quiet and thought about this. I was thinking of some of the horses I meet during my time at ARCH, they talked of having their spirit broken, but what does that really mean??? Is it a total loss of will because you are subjected to repeated painful or unpleasant circumstances? A nice old boy in Canada calls this ''learned helplessness'' which is basically like giving up, throwing in the towel before even trying and even if the chance to escape is presented, it is not taken. Is this true both for people and animals??? This young rider in her heart of hearts maybe knows what she is doing to this horse is not right and, like Monty, when she gets older, she will walk away and take the lovely horse with her. I believe part of the human spirit identifies with that of the horse. And when the human understands and realizes that, he becomes a better person. Neigh 4 now.

Gretel January 2009

Bangs, fireworks and snow

All hell broke loose in Salares on Saturday and I thought the Americans had invaded. But no; it was just the annual fiesta. Our stable looks down on the village, Gretel and I enjoyed the fireworks and as they say in America they were ''awesome'' or is it horsome? Gretel said no need to be scared of the bombers or make rude comments about Americans.

I have been learning to canter which means moving in a three time rhythm without rushing, falling over or leaning on the circle like a motorbike. It's difficult and takes all my strength. Once I found my balance and did a few strides it was time to stop and to get a ''goooood geeerl'' and of course a minty white rock. It's all good fun.

I am reading a blog which tells me about a book called Moorland Mouse and the Moorland Mouse trust and it makes me think I am well off here because I just looked at picture of some poor Exmoor ponies standing about in something called snow. Gretel says it is so cold it freezes your hoofs off and sometimes it will snow here in the mountains where we live. There are some nice pony pictures as well. I liked Kate because, just like me, she is not keen on being left behind when everyone goes out. So take a look. www.moorlandmousietrust.org.uk.

Here is a picture of Gretel in the snow.

I am off to find some shade as it is very hot today. Neigh 4 now.

Minty white rock

I have had lots to do this week. Lots of practice doing my following, stopping, walking the plank, long reining up to the tank, AND Helen sat on me for the first time she is not to heavy and we just walked round for five minutes. I did not understand why she flaps her legs at my sides and had to keep stopping and looking round to see what it was all about. When I do something correctly Helen says “goooood geeerl” in a soft voice and at the end of the five minutes she put her legs on my side and I walked forward. I think there maybe a connection there as I got a very enthusiastic “goooood geeerl” . I have a sore leg so we are not doing more training 'til Monday, pity; I was enjoying using my clever brain to sort out what it is I am expected to do.

We don't see Peter much in the week days. Gretel says he is busy in the house being Professor Caractacus Potts which makes money to keep us in horse muesli and forrage and Helen in ice cream. Hope she does not eat to much or she will be too heavy to ride me. Gretel says if the muesli was for cows it would be called mooooosli. What got into her? - she never makes a joke; she is usually a grumpy old mare.

I have a very strong sense of smell and always know when Helen has a minty white rock in her pocket. I try and push her about to get it; the poor old dear is very patient and pushes me back 'til I stand still and quiet; this still does to get the rock; I always have to wait until the end of training. Gretel says the only way to be sure of getting the rock is to lift up your front leg and hold it in the air for a few seconds then do the other front leg. Works every time. Might have to practice that. Neigh 4 now.

One good eye

When it is very hot; like this week, I do a lot of thinking. I think it would be fun if the vet came and gave me an injection to make me very small. Then I could be picked up in the hands of any human and put down on the kitchen table. I would shut my one good eye the first couple of times because maybe I would be scared of the height. I would steal the apples out of the fruit bowl but as the apples are bigger then me, I would only take one bite at a time and no-one would notice. Cantering round the kitchen floor would be fun because it would make such a pretty sound. I would jump up on the sofa and take my nightly three hours sleep there. I could watch saddle club on horse and country TV and then watch channel four racing and eye up all those gorgeous stallions. And of course I would watch my favourite film ''true grit'' I like the part wear little blacky swims the river; I could do that if we had a river deep enough. The hero in true grit has only one eye just like me that’s why I really love this movie. Getting back to living in the human house, Helen would be able to wash my mane and tail in the kitchen sink. And very quickly dry me with the hair dryer. But I do think I would miss my equine friends and living that close to the humans may be difficult at night as I only need a little sleep time and humans need at least eight hours. What would I do for the other five? This is all speculation and no such injection has been invented.

I seam to have lots of new friends around the world. I got a very nice email from an old dog in Suffolk in England he cheered me up telling me I will one day find my sire and dam and not give up hope. And another from Denmark this one is from a human and she sounds very cheery and it is always good to meet a human who really does love us and have a true understanding of the way we think, so I am looking forward to meeting her in September. Neigh 4 now.