ACE is the Place!

Acepromazine or acetylpromazine (more commonly known as ACP or Ace) is frequently used in animals as a sedative and antiemetic. Its principal value is in quietening and calming anxious animals. The standard pharmaceutical preparation, acepromazine maleate, is used in veterinary medicine in dogs, and cats. It is used widely in horses as a pre-anaesthetic sedative and has been shown to reduce anaesthesia related death. We keep some on hand for the horses but were also given several doses for Max for while he was recovering from his surgery. It really did work for that, although once he wasn't Ace'd enough and had strength to eat his 'Elizabethian collar' while he was wearing it. He's so talented, maybe we should have him tested? We brought some along to give to Max so he would be quiet while we were gone during the day on rides. No one likes a continually barking dog. Campers do complain about this, and there were a couple dogs that barked constantly. One barked all night long, someone asked if we heard him. I thought they believed it was our dog, so I offered the truth: Max was inside, sleeping on the couch with April until I woke him in the morning. While we were at our camp-site Max barked, too. A peculiar woman was camping near us - she was petite, a Mandolin player, an off-key singer and musician, had one horse, small Palomino named 'Montgomery Gentry' and three dogs: a Border Collie mix, a Beagle, and a Schipperke. She had a dually that was 'painted' with rainbow colored duct tape, a slide-on camper and an old blue bumper-pull stock trailer. She parked on the corner of two lanes and numerous rigs had trouble getting past her set-up. The dogs were tied to her truck and stayed mostly under the truck or trailer. On this morning the beagle got loose and she asked him to hold her horse. He had been in the process of ACE'ing the dog so Max would be quiet while we were out on the trail. She got the Beagle under control, retrieved her horse from him and he then noticed he still had a pill in his palm. He mistook it for his daily aspirin and swallowed it. He immediatley realized it was Ace. Uh oh. We finished tacking up and went for a ride with our two friends. About an hour after that he started feeling the affects of the Ace dosage. It is for a 50 lbs. dog, but it still had an affect. After some time in the saddle he said he had to get off, or he would topple off. We moved a little up the trail to find a flatter place to stop, but didn't make it to the top of the rise. He had to get off NOW. He staggered to the side of the trail and sat down. That didn't last too long. He keeled over and slid down the muddy hill, resting his head on a rock and tree stump. I couldn't help but laugh at his predicament. I guess this shows my mean-streak. Honestly! He enjoyed a nice nap, in the dirt with the moss-covered rock as his pillow. While he was resting a group of riders were making their way up the hill towards us. It was Helen and Jan, employees and ride leaders from camp, along with a few other riders. Helen asked if everything was alright and could they help. Really, I don't think they could help with anything here, unless they carried Ace-antidote with them! He felt he had to get it together at this point and climbed up on Skip. We continued on the loop with the group, watered the horses at the Toby Creek, then followed them back to camp for a serious nap in the trailer with air conditioning. I still think it is hilarious! Honestly!

River Ride - Mechanical Bull

Today was a whirlwind of activity. It rained over night but there was no standing water or mud pit, but you could tell it did rain. Martin had been concerned about the electrical outlet getting wet, so he wrapped a black trash bag around the outlet, duct taped it together. It rained, heavy at times, starting about 1:00 a.m., really letting loose around 4:00 a.m. The rain hitting the metal roof, not 2 feet over my head, was deafening. The dogs and cat slept through it all. I felt for my boys, high-lined in the rain, but they were dry when I finally got out at day break.

Breakfast was fantastic - they really know how to hurt a girl! French toast, fresh melons, hash browns, coffee. O boy. We had to hurry to get our lunch together, situate April, Max and Irene. We opted to ACE Max, too. Hurry to tack up and join the group for a 9:00 a.m. ride-out. We rode out of camp, past the arena, to the Clarion River and made the big loop, going down the same hill that previously last year we had gone up. The same hill that was so long and steep that my ears popped half-way. It didn't matter going up or down, this hill was hard. At the bottom I had to readjust the saddle; I was riding on his neck.

We reached the Heiland Store - I enjoyed an ice-cold Sarsaparilla - and opted to take the trailer back. This saved over an hour of riding back to camp. A few others decided to ride, but I didn't want to wear KC out on the first day. He and Skip willingly jumped into the stock trailer.

After dinner a Mechanical Bull was set up in front of the Mess Hall. I brought a lawn chair and joined some campers for that night's event. It's been a long time since I laughed so hard, for so long. A 3-year old (toddler) was a real cowboy. His performance encouraged so many others to try their skills at the Bull. There was plenty of 'practice' before the real competition started. Some kids and adults showed real aptitude on this machine. I was really impressed and seriously entertained.

It was also great to be included with John Lyons, Josh, his son, and two of his grandkids: Austin and Ryder. Tommy Turvey was the MC, with running commentary from Josh. Austin was the only Lyons kin to participate in the Bull Riding. Also participating were two genuine professional bull riders, the three Amish sisters, a pregnant woman,and plenty of wanna-be-cowboys and cowgirls from across the country and beyond. In the end the three winners of the final go-round were, in order, a professional bull rider; the youngest Amish sister, Evie; and the other professional bull rider.

Long Ride

It rained off and all practically all night. I heard the rain hitting the roof of the trailer, barely over a foot above my head. He had positioned the trailer so I couldn't see the horses from my bed's window. He knows I get little sleep if I can see them. I still tossed and turned. The morning dawned cool, clear and not as muddy as you might have thought, the boys were dry. Breakfast starts early, and of course we didn't have time to do all the things we would normally get done, like taking a shower. Priorities - get ourselves fed, the dogs and cat fed, the horses fed, but not in that order. Ready to ride out at 9:00 a.m. sounds like you'd have plenty of time, but minutes evaporate in this place. We barely made it to the Long Ride's ride-out time. We were headed to the river with Big Mike and Dan. These two really know how to show a girl a good time. The group was small because Cowboy Polo was scheduled for the early afternoon in the arena and the long ride wouldn't be back in time. It was a great ride, we ranged far from the river, north and east, seeing so much from the back of my little man, KC. Sarsaparilla Root Beer - DELICIOUS!

GO!!!!!!

Saturday we delivered the minis to White Fences Farm. There truly is a void when they are not here. A Mockingbird, nesting in the big pine tree in the parking lot, is imitating Sprite's whinny. She's not here and I can still hear her call out. Last minute things, going over the list twice, getting the trailer ready to roll without anything shifting. Extra hay packed in, hay nets full, litter box stowed in the shower stall, cat in the small crate, dogs nestled in their moving mats and dog beds. GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready, Set.....

Getting ready for our week-long vacation, taking the big boys, the dogs and Irene. So much to prepare, laundry, packing, sorting, making the bed in the trailer, getting the truck ready for transporting the house crowd. We have a list - an organized check-list sheet for camping with horses. He parked the trailer right on the patio so going in and out of the house a thousand times was pretty convenient. Some things are truly last minute: toothbrush, cat litter box, coffee, Ice. We also took the minis over to White Fences Farm - they seemed to remember being there, felt right at home. I did their hair earlier in the day so they looked extra cute and sweet. Would that be considered false advertising?

Flag Day - Banner Day

It's Flag Day, and it was a beautiful, blue-sky kind of day. This evening we finally went to Settlement with the refinance of our beautiful estate. Har Har. As with the first time, this was done at home, and even better, outside! A delicious, soft June evening, too. The weather cooperated and it was relatively painless. We managed a lower rate with a shorter term, while still having a lower monthly payment. Win/Win/Win!

HyperBikes

Look out little horses, look out world! Let the games begin!