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Studs and Studding In The Barn |
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Thursday, 11 February 2010 |
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Krisean Performance Horses - “Life With the Blue-Eyed Wonders”
by Jill Smith • 15221 N. Shady Slope Road, Spokane, WA 99208 • 509-466-4612 •
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Finally a blue-sky day! I headed out the ranch door to see Commander, my perlino Quarter Horse stallion, and ended up jumping mud puddles every inch of the way. Now there are muddy puddles and there are mud puddles. With our current spring-like late winter thaw we are into MUD puddles!
My blue-eyed wonder, Commander, was nowhere to be seen. As I called his name, what I had thought was a huge mound of mud, slowly moved in my direction. It has never ceased to amaze me how this stallion can coat every piece of his white horse flesh with mud! If mud baths are as good for horses as they are for humans... no wonder Commander is in such prime condition ... underneath the mud!
“Nice muck attire, big boy.” I stated as I looked at the mound of mud with two blue eyes. But then I notice what looked like tears in those pretty blue eyes and I was afraid he had given the phrase here’s-mud-in-your-eye a whole new meaning!
“Commander! Are you OK? Did you get mud in your eyes?” Now I was truly concerned and wasn’t sure whether I should get the hose, grab a tissue (make that a case of tissues), call the vet or run in circles. That’s why they call us dizzy blondes...sometimes if we run in circles it just snaps our brain into function mode and we can center and deal with just about any issue.
“I’m crushed,” Commander dismally stated. Yeah, I thought, that is a crushing load of mud you’re wearing.
Commander now had rivulets of dirty tears starting to wash the goo from his face as he continued talking. “I overheard the stable help say they had new studs and that they were studding in the barn this week. I thought “I” was the main stud around here and now you have gone and found another stallion!!! I’m the one who should be studding in the barn!“
I was still mud-minded, but what he said started to sink in. I had ordered some new lumber to add an addition onto the barn. 2x4 studs and the guys were just starting to “stud” in the walls. Stallions are VERY protective of their breeding rights and the mares that they consider “theirs”. New “studs” huh.... my concern turned into amusement then into a smirk then I had to turn around to hide the horse laugh that was bubbling in my throat.
“Commander, 2x4 studs are pieces of lumber and you say you are studding when you use them to build a frame for new construction.” I was still muffling my laugh. Commander would only talk to me if he thought I was taking him seriously. Since I am not quite sure how many people have talking horses I certainly didn’t want to lose this relationship that we had!
The blue eyes looked surprised, then narrowed, then down right kind of angry. “You humans think you are soooo advanced with this language thing and all. Yet you use words that have double meanings that not even all of YOU understand! Words, words, words the more you use them sometimes the less you really communicate with each other, let alone with horses.”
And we call them dumb animals! “I’m sorry Commander, I didn’t mean to laugh or confuse you. Our words are complicated and are easily muddied (just can’t get that mud thing out of my mind). But there really aren’t too many ...”
“Sure! Why do you call it a “toothbrush” when you brush teeth with it? How about I, eye, aye-aye? Read a book or book a breeding. And then there is that whole stud thing...” Commander now knew he had the upper hoof in this conversation and was on a roll in only the way that a talking stallion could roll. And we are definitely not talking about a roll in the mud here!
“Yes, Commander”, I said, abruptly cutting the roll off, “I know that breeding season is almost here and I was just sprucing up and adding to the barn so we had better breeding facilities.” There is nothing better to distract my blue-eyed-wonder from one conversation to another than a talk about breeding and mares!
“I’m ready!” The twinkle came back into Commander’s blue eyes. Anyone who owns a stallion knows that this is a given, they are ALWAYS ready. You know, sometimes I just can’t contain my sense of humor as I slyly said.
“Well, there is a mare coming next week.........to see Timer.” That’s my Arabian stallion.
“WHAT !!!!!!”
To be continued in the next article...”Teasing Stallions”
Jill Smith is a Spokane, WA entrepreneur, international business owner, artist/potter and cowgirl at heart. She raises Arabian racehorses, Arabian/Quarter Horses, palominos and Cremellos/Perlinos. High N Command (pen name, Commander) is a smart-talking AQHA perlino stallion, constantly trolling for mares. Visit our web site www.kriseanhorses.com
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