#Firefly the Irish Draught Sport Horse

[doomspaniels]

I expected my Big Doggies to be hesitant about the recumbent trike. I expected spooking and snorting and silliness while they observed it for about a week. Then about a week of riding it in their pastures, at a distance, while they got accustomed and became more relaxed. Then I thought they'd be willing to approach it. I base this on observing these two horses for their whole lives, and seeing how they reacted to farm wagons, dump carts, fertilizer spreaders, and rollators/wheelchairs. But no. They watched it carefully when it arrived, and mostly ignored it thereafter.

On the third morning, I thought we'd bump up Step Two and rode into the pasture... and look at them, they walked right up to me, put their heads basically in my lap. I suppose they have seen me in enough wheeled conveyances now, they don't need much desensitization. And I think they missed me. I certainly miss them. Oh, good girls, good good girls 😭

[doomspaniels]

"Give Kiss"

mildly obsessed w images and gifs of animals sniffing / kissing the camera i have so many saved on my phone

[doomspaniels]

All right, Spaniels, your Extra-Extra-Big Sister Firefly lost both her slippers after the storm. Where's the other? (that's an old one, for the search) Go find!

I am really impressed that they sort of worked as a (very small) group on this, not as two individuals. Both looking, splitting the paths, mostly not doubling up any sections; going around together, but far enough apart for them to each cover different paths.

And they found one! Good job! So good!

This was a lot of work, both for their brains and for the time in the heat, so we'll check another field tomorrow perhaps. We aren't in a hurry; these are single use slippers made of cast material. I just want to eventually get them picked up, and to give the Spaniels a fun game.

[doomspaniels]

The Big Doggies had some Opinions about the parasite that swallowed the Little Howly Buddy's head. Mostly "What on EARTH??"

[doomspaniels]

Family Portrait

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

What’s the first thing a horse does when you hose them down? Ah yes, roll in sand 🤣

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

Firefly, my darling, right in front of our most-used gate is probably the single worst place 🤣 to dig yourself a new napping sand pit.

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

Firefly and Serenity mutual groom at the silliest times. The vet was pulling up, hence the turn to stare accusingly at the end.

[doomspaniels]

Snoot. Long snoot.

snoot

[doomspaniels]

SpanielCon 2022: Kovu and @thelittlespanielthatcould were enjoyable guests, as always. I was recovering from a monster migraine and couldn't manage to hold a camera steady, so many very adorable photos were juuust missed. I really tried, with those photos of Kovu on the bench!

Tristan was so happy to see Kovu that he used his (previously exclusive to Tristan's Fetch and Tug Buddy) bounce-and-bark greeting; it sounds like a little kid excitedly telling you all about his day.

Kovu stood up to boop my grey horse on the nose. (Firefly was delighted.)

Guinevere tried very hard to make herself tiny to entice Kovu to tussle. Kovu wisely declined to wrestle with twice his weight in solid muscle, but he was happy to give her affectionate boops.

Clearly we need one of those self-balancing drones to just follow Kovu around and continuously live-stream.

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

Recovering from her hospital stay, for a while I was feeding Firefly six times a day, then four times. She's been getting fed three times a day for about a week and a half, and she is disGRUNTled about it. Every time I come outside, there's Firefly waiting to eat.

Yesterday she ate a tree at me. My poor starveling childe, if I won't give her food, she'll just have to eat... whatever this thing is. (It's non-poisonous)

*monch monch monch*

Note: she walked away to eat grass once I started heading back inside. There was plenty of grass around that tree. My girl was just Eating A Tree At Me.

[doomspaniels]

We are slowly putting weight back on Firefly (the grey horse) after a rough hospital stay. Trying to time meals (six!) and get Firefly to eat enough of them in her separate paddock, but then she can still go graze with her buddy Serenity (the bay horse) for at least a few hours a day.

The Spaniels are helping with every step, though they're a little confused about the dramatic change in daily routine.

[doomspaniels]

The Sharks vs the Jets

[doomspaniels]

Heading out to Feed the Big Doggies, Tristan and Gwyn to "help." Gwyn dashed ahead and waited for us with Extra-Extra-Large sister Firefly, who was snoozing next to the tree where Gwyn caches her toys while she runs around in the horse pasture.

Gwyn looks like she's showing Firefly her toy, doesn't she?

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

For the first time in her 15 years of life, Firefly has fuzzy ears. I don't know if I should laughingly predict a harsh winter, or be maudlin about my baby getting older.[*]

Firefly isn't the only one picking up little pets! I guess this snail climbed onto Serenity as she was napping next to a bush or something. Was just hanging out with her, as she walked in for breakfast. (We removed it to another bush.)

[*] We incidentally did a Cushing's test several months ago--negative--because her dam had Cushing's, so it's good to know it's not that.

[doomspaniels]

This is getting to be a regular thing, this cowbird hanging out with Firefly during her morning snooze. It's even shifting position to stay if she moves too much (though it hopped down when she started to stand up).

When I saw the footprints on her back, though, I cracked up.