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Due to decreasing use over the years, I have decided to disable the forum functionality of the site.

Forums will still be available to view but new posts are no longer allowed.

New Here :)

Some of you may know of me from other forums, but for those of you that don't, I'm Maria. I have 2.5 horses. the .5 is a horse named Bow, a 30-something year old Morgan gelding. He is actually owned by my dads best friend but has been in my care on and off for the last 10 years, which is why I consider him half mine. He is rude and pushy but a BLAST to ride. In photos, he is the lighter bay with the star and socks. Loads of bone and massive feet. Back in the day he was a hunting horse and obviously when I say hunting I mean, pack trips to the mountain to bring home a bull elk type deal. I find him interesting in that he doesn't like to be bathed and wont go near the water trough while it fills... but will happily cross rivers and go for a swim in the lake with you. My main man is Guss, a 20-something year old grade QH gelding. He is dun with loads of dun factor with a star and snip. and the reason I am partial to duns. He is extraordinarily picky about riders, if he doesn't like you... you'll know. However, if you throw a beginner on him and point him at a trail he will take care of them. He is the loner of my group, always off on his own because he is too grumpy to put up with Bow the mean boss horse and Jess the annoyingly playful Thoroughbred. Guss is my heart horse... I think that we all have at least one horse in our lives that means everything to us. He is mine. He has done everything from work cows to pony racehorses neither of which he liked. He is happiest on the trail and tolerates the rare gymkhana! The last is Jessie, a 6 year old thoroughbred mare, Dark bay with a small star and whit spot on her upper lip. She is the tallest of my group and my second favorite after Guss. Jess means a lot to me even though we don't always get along very well. She was a gift from my grandpa. We got her at an auction as a long yearling for $100.00. She is actually(in my opinion) very well bred, though she isn't registered. I do have everything I need to have her registered...except the money.She is leggy and awkward looking but I love her anyway. I think the reason she looks so awkward is that she is pigeon breasted and has a pencil neck... which has improved since we got her. She is only lightly started in both English and western, though judging by the way she tends to behave under saddle it seems that she prefers western. I think I got lucky with her, she keeps weigh on better than most TBs i know, she is accident prone but amazingly she ISN'T injury prone so she tends to walk away from things with minimal effect. http://www.pedigreequery.com/valour+n+victory I may even throw in pictures of Cappuccino (Cap, cappy, cap-n-crunch) an 11 year old Dun Appaloosa that I was paired with at my job last summer in Jasper Alberta. As a general rule, I cant stand appys... this horse is the exception.. grumpy as hell and cinchy too but He found a place in my heart and I REALLY wish that I could own him. Unfortunately he "isn't for sale and wont be". anyway enough typing, here are some photos! [img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/384046_10151121…] [img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29489_10150189543375403_…] [img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/377538_10151121…] [img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227430_10150595831765403…] [img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228375_10150595831895403…] [img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/165097_10150362663945403…] [img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/167260_10150362664065403…] [img]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/37422_10150200807660403_…] [img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/37422_10150200807780403_…] ZERO effort for her to outrun the boys [img]http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/24682_10150100877680403_…] My friend working with her [img]http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/407743_10151121…] Gusser [img]http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/37422_10150200807700403_…] [img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/31669_10150191141700403_…] [img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/31669_10150191149775403_…] [img]http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/31669_10150191149965403_…] [img]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/6009_214593280402_643735…] [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/Procter_05/Guss/Gussdorsal.jpg[/I…] [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/Procter_05/Guss/GussCobwebbing.jp…] [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/Procter_05/Guss/Gussfrontleg.jpg[…] 8 years ago [IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k201/Retcorp_Photography/Equine/whata…] Bow [img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29489_10150189544665403_…] [img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29489_10150189544670403_…] [img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/29489_10150189542670403_…] [img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/32239_10150186273245403_…] [img]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/32239_10150186272995403_…] 20 year old photo [img]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k201/Retcorp_Photography/Horses%20Not…] Cap waiting for our next ride. [img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/386684_10151102…] Cap isn't a big horse and here is Jake standing behind him. The barn alleys were kinda narrow for the ammount of horses :s but thanks to patient horses no problems thankfully. [img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/396160_10151102…] [img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/384447_10151102…]

critterkeeper Mon, 01/16/2012 - 18:08

Welcome to the forum :newbie and don't feel shy about sharing any and all pixs (you don't even have to restrict them to horses, we love dogs, cats, bunnies, rats, fish, oh heck, just name it and we love to see it... :grin: )

Steffie Gilbert Sat, 04/07/2012 - 16:51

Hi everyone!! Long time no chat!!! I have not been on the forums in forever but have kept in touch with some of you through Facebook & Emails. I can't wait to read posts to get updates on everyone!
We have been hanging in there but it has been tough. Honey broke her knee almost a year ago. How? No one knows. The vet said she could have just turned the wrong way. Didn't see any rough housing around her by the other horses and there were no holes lurking in the pastures so I guess we will never know. She was on total stall rest for months and we thought we were going to have to put her down. It broke our hearts. We were prepared to put her down one day and waited for the vet to get here. Eddie took off from work and we let Morgan stay home from school so we could all be with her. The Vets shocked me when they said they had come up with a possible treatment plan with the help of NC State vet school's help. She didn't have to be put down and that was the happiest day of our lives!!! She will take medication forever and always walk with a stiff leg/bad limp and will need injections in her knee 4 times a year but the vets have assured me that just because she limps bad doesn't mean she is in pain. She was able to go back into the pasture with the other horses about a month ago and she is loving life again. She was so stressed being kept in the stall and in the paddock while the others were in the pasture. Honey is a once in a lifetime love so hopefully we will have her around for at least a few more years. She is now about 22/23 years old.
My health has gotten MUCH worse and I am just trying to get through day to day. The diabetes is just out of control due to insulin resistance and my glucose levels are still 300-700 each day even after about 400 units of two types of insulin each day. I am over the amount used daily in the insulin pump so that is not an option right now. There is a super strong insulin that I may have to go to but it is a last resort due to the other complications it would cause for me. I am spilling protien constantly so the Endocrinologist put me on a VEGAN only diet as of this past week. Still no following that yet but I will start when the groceries run out! lol. Not even healthy fish is allowed in my diet. I am going to starve on veggies! The systemic lupus is irritated by the diabetes and the diabetes is really angry at the lupus! I am just caught in the middle. Need surgery on my L4-L5 in my back but can't because of other problems. They put me on strong NSAIDs for the pain and I should have known better than to take them. I have major stomach/colon bleeding issues from them but I was desperate for pain relief so I took them. 2 days later I was having SEVERE bleeding from my stomach and it caused several ulcers. Lucky me, huh? The craziest thing is that the Orthopedic Dr. said he can't give me oral steroids because of my diabetes and I can't have an epidural in my spine to treat the pain because the steroid amount is so much that it could cause me to have a diabetic coma OR a stomach hemmorage (spelling? sorry!). SO MY BAD LUCK AND CRAZY LIFE!!!! Who else would ever be told a steroid shot could kill them???? I still can't even really believe he said that. Crazy. So now they are going to do the test shot in my spine to find the exact spot I need treatment and they are going to actually "burn" the nerves in that area.
Morgan has a torn meniscus in her knee again and will be having surgery this summer. Eddie had pretty severe shoulder surgery in Dec. and it healed incorrectly.. adhesive encapsulation? so they have to do the surgery again in the next few months and his cardiologist is waiting on that before they do a couple of more stents he needs. We just need our own private hospital! Thank God for good medical insurance! lol.
Horses: Caught you up on Honey.. Banner, the arabian gelding is as gorgeous as ever. He is the love bug of the group but can still cause trouble especially when he is with Scout. Scout is the Appy cross colt from a couple of years ago. He is getting huge and he is a powerhouse. Not gaited at all and has not changed color at all. He is going to be a super hunter/jumper/sporthorse. He is a very forward and strong mover. So gorgeous to watch him run and run with Banner just because they love to do it. I can't wait for you to see him as a growing boy. He is the most hard headed horse I have EVER seen. His mom, Dixie, the walkaloosa mare is the laid back girl of the group that can take or leave you being around. She is not a snuggler/lovebug like Honey but she is a good mare and rides great. I will post some pics of her after a rain storm so you can see her spots/pigment on her skin. Gypsy, the sabino TWH mare is still the same. She is the fraidy cat of the group and thinks even the wind blowing is going to eat her! lol.
So, that is the update on me, the family and the horses. I can't wait to catch up with everyone. Diane & Appy people let me know what you think of Scout and any ideas on what his sire was. I guess it could have been an App stallion but I just think TB for some reason?????
Love and miss you all! Hugs, Steffie

P.S. I am attaching a ton of pics of Scout since his birth and a couple of his Mom so you can see the color/pattern of them both and see what you think! Thanks!