It is a great day for this type of news . . .! 

as we continue to remember Smokey it is nice to have this to dwell on - GO Jewel! 

Everyone let out that little bit of breath being held for Jewel! 

FloridaHorseman:

I know this is Solo & Smokey's day. And deservedly so. But I just HAVE to share....

Jewel is now walking and standing NORMALLY! Only a slow walk while grazing but A NORMAL WALK! And she's standing square at the feed bucket with her "bad" leg fully underneath herself and the knee straight! She still hops and throws her head when she's in a hurry to raid Al or Reno's feed bucket. I had seen her straighten that leg on occasion before...briefly. But it's becoming a common occurrence now and I can't tell you all how pleased I am with Jewels tenacity. I'd post a pic but.... it would just be a horse standing there. No great shakes. But this is HUGE for her. There is still no shoulder muscle and may never be again. Only more time will tell. But her leg apparently doesn't hurt anymore if she doesn't stress it. Maybe seeing me ride Reno in HER saddle caused her to turn the corner. I don't know... But there's cause for guarded celebration at Casa FH. 

As with all your other friends on ES Solo, my thoughts are also with you and Smokey today. ~FH

 Thank you all for your never-ending kindness and support.  The hardest part is being here in an empty house, trying to muster up the will to pick up her bowl and beds.  But lifeshighway and her husband gave me a HUGE gift and buried her for me because my back was incapable of shoveling.  It tore me in half driving away from the farm without her, but they were incredibly generous to take care of putting her to rest for me.

FH, I am THRILLED to bits about Jewel.  I think we all had clenched jaws of worry for her and I am over the moon that she has made such a huge step forward.  Indeed, the sight of her dad on Reno surely prompted that crazy-tough mare to show you up!  Congratulations and Smokey does not mind a bit sharing her day with that!

Thoughts are with you, Solo. I know your heart is shattered and nothing I say can change that, but I hope you'll find comfort in your memories of Smokey's long and adventerous life. I'm sure she's up there in puppy heaven running around like a crazed puppy and thanking you for her incredible life and peaceful passing.

 I've got tears in my eyes typing this.  Sorrow for Solo and joy for FH.  Solo, Smokey had one hell of a good dog life.  I only pray someone will have the love and guts to help me pass so easily to the other side when life gets too difficult.  My heart is with you, girl.

FH, great news on Jewel!  I can only imagine how happy you were to see that!  I think she is wanting to get better for the next trail ride.

So sorry I missed you guys in chat today.  

Well, I have good news and bad news myself. As some of you know, Raffie, the owner of Salem (horse I was working with last year) passed away a few weeks ago. Salem's ownership has been transferred to me and he will be leaving Chicago tomorrow, to be down here in Miami sometime Saturday evening. Definitely bittersweet.

I also have my hands full, as Salem's back issues that I discovered last year went undiagnosed and untreated, his hooves are apparently a mess, and I suspect that he has ulcers. Let the money draining begin!

 Thanks, Frizz and Rc.

 Frizz, so sorry to hear that nothing was done to take care of poor Salem!  I hope you can get him all fixed up!

FH.. how in the bloody heck to I post images in the thread here from the es gallery?????

You go to the page with the original copy of the pic.  It's going to have a url like:

http://community.equisearch.com/photos/journeygirl/images/353699/original.aspx

Then you use the green tree icon above your post to enter that url, along with the dimensions of the photo.  You can also use the dimensions to resize the display image, as I did here.  The original was 600 pixels wide and 800 tall, but that would have been cut off, so I made it 550 wide by 733 tall (keeping the same proportions)

Then you hit "Insert" and the photo appears in your post.

Here's my little cowboy and the pooped pony after their ride.  Kid rode for prolly 30 minutes.. walking/trotting all around.  He asked if he could canter.  Me, knowing Journey like I do put him on the lunge line.  about 3 strides in Journey starts bucking.  I got him stopped right away.  Tried a second time and he did it again.  So I booted the kid off and Journey got to work his little *** off.  After about 30 minutes of working on the lunge.  About half of it at the lope.  I put the kid back on and and we got a nice calm slow lope in both directions.  

Oh the pic Jayne posted for me.  That was early in the ride.  Kid hasn't rode much at all.  So after a while on the lunge I turned the two of them loose in the "arena".  

Aw, thanks FH & Solo.

Salem arrived safe & sound late Saturday night. He was the only horse on a huge 15-horse trailer, so he had a nice big box stall for the whole trip; he didn't have to be tied and had water buckets and hay the whole way (he apparently ate an entire bale over the course of the 26-hour trip!). Today when I got to the barn, he was stretched out in his stall taking a nap.  Over the course of the day, he settled in well and seems quite content.There are a few pics on my blog.

I'm letting out a huge sigh of relief now that everything is taken care of! Between getting him signed over to me, setting up vet the appointment, drama over papers not getting there until 45 minutes before the trailer arrived, not having the original Coggins, worrying about him while he was en-route, etc. I have been one big stress ball!

Despite all the stress Friz, it sounds like everything went well after all and Salem sounds well traveled and well settled in.  Congratulaltions to you on a "new" nice sounding horse.

 I awoke to snow on the ground with another 3 - 5 inches forecasted.  You can imagine the happy dance I am doing over that. Fh - you suck.

 Congrats, Friz!  There is nothing like a new horse.  Ask anyone, I know!  

SH, go outside, make some hardpacked snowballs and terrorize the neighborhood.  You will feel better.  Or even better, have a glass of wine.

FloridaHorseman:

I just had a random thought pop into my head regarding the term "luke warm water". Who is Luke? And what is his actual temperature? ~FH

rofl.. yeah that's random..