VAN GILDER ARABIANS, LLC

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

Annie’s Musings

By MV Fashanna

Hi, my name is MV Fashanna but my friends and family call me Annie.  My mom, Kilauea Fashion, used to write these articles but this fall she retired from endurance and went back to the ranch at Wasco to start having babies.  I feel a little guilty because she had to retire due to “complications of a kick injury” according to Kathleen (she is our human) and I am pretty sure I am the one that kicked her…oops, my bad…well, she shouldn’t have tried to boss me around…I am not a filly anymore ya know!  Anyway, since mom went to the ranch Kathleen said I needed to take over writing the articles.  I wanted to start a Twitter or do a Facebook or a My Space but Kathleen said we had to do it the old fashioned way and when I could pay my own cell bill I could have my own phone…whatever.  So here I am, dictating to Kathleen, who says I am ADD (attention deficit disorder) but she just says that because she is a smarty-pants teacher….hey, look!  A bunny!   Uhhhh, oh yea, well, anyway, I am going to try to fill my mom’s shoes and become Kathleen’s endurance horse and write articles for VanGilder Arabians webpage!  Geez, thinking about that makes me a little nervous; those are pretty big shoes to fill!

As part of stepping up and as Kathleen says “Putting on my big girl panties” I am getting all the athlete horse treatment.  I recently was visited by the chiropractor …that’s a funny word…k-k-k-k-KI-RO-PRAC-TOR…ha ha - oh!  Well, anyway, he adjusted me all over and it felt so good … I might have a crush on the KI-RO-PRAC-TOR.  Kathleen said I get to see him once a month now that I am going to be a REAL endurance horse. 

OMG!  Yesterday, Kendal (my other human) and Kathleen loaded me in the big silver trailer right at dawn (usually I go in the little white trailer).  Since my mom is gone whenever I go in the trailer I get to see other horses –definitely a bonus—someone that actually speaks fluent equine—so I hopped right in.  But instead of a 15 to 30 minute drive to one of our riding spots we drove through the Espresso stand, very weird, and then I was on the trailer 3 ½ hours…yes, I said HOURS!  When I got out of the trailer we were in the woods and there were horses everywhere!  While Kendal groomed me and tacked me up Kathleen went and groomed another mare, humph, I admit I was a little jealous.  Then Kathleen went off with some people and the other mare and rode in an arena on the new mare, who she called BJ.  After awhile, Kendal brought me to the arena and rode me around with Kathleen and BJ and then we went on a little trail ride through the trees with another lady and a little gray horse.  I got worked in the arena some more after the trail ride.  But Kendal didn’t ride me, Lydia, the trainer rode me.  She was really telling me to work and I got a little mad and had a little temper tantrum but she just made me work harder!  I was going to tell her she wasn’t the boss of me but it turned out she was the boss of me.  While she was riding me everyone talked about how pretty I am and said I would be good at dressage, whatever that is. 

After being untacked and groomed I knew it was time to get in the trailer but instead of loading me Kathleen loaded BJ!  I was really getting a bit ticked off!  That is MY trailer!  I got to load after BJ and we headed home.  As I chatted with Beej (that is what I am going to call her—Beeeeeejah with a long “e”) in the trailer I realized we had grown up together.  She and I were born the same year at VanGilder Arabians and were in the same herd until I came to live with Kathleen.  I told her how long it was going to take to get home and we caught up on what had been going on in our lives.  Turns out Beej (her real name is MV Bettes Joy) has had two foals (what a hussy) but she still has a nice figure.  She has only been gone from Wasco for a couple months while she has learned how to be ridden.  I told her all about Okanogan and how pampered we are living with Kathleen.  I even told her about the KIRO-PRAC-TOR (oh that word just cracks me up).  I told her about our farrier, John and that he was coming to see us in a couple days.  I told her about our vet, Cody.  I told her about Kira, my mentor mare and all about the cool places we ride.  I told her about MUSH, yum I LOVE mush.  She didn’t seem to know about mush so I told her to just push her pan under the fence and I would take care of it for her, hehehe.

When we got home it was dark, well, except for the flood lights on the yard and in the barn.  Beej seemed a little nervous but I told her everything was ok.  I want to be sure she knows who is boss though so when we got turned loose in our adjoining paddocks I pulled a mean trick on her.  I told her to come and stand by me and when she tried to she got shocked on the electric fence between our paddocks…hahahaha, that will show her who is boss around here…my bad. 

Apparently Kathleen really likes Beej because she kept coming out to check on us all evening and first thing this morning and she went in Beej’s paddock and petted her and talked to her but just petted me through the fence, humph.  I have been an only horse for two months and I liked all the attention; I don’t know if I want this new chick to stay here.  I bet she thinks she is “ALL THAT” because she has white socks and a bald face and a flaxen mane, humph.   I bet she thinks she will get to share my byline on the articles too, humph.  I am going to pin my ears at her and make sure she knows this is MY barn. 

Hey!  Kathleen has put on her riding clothes!  We must be going for a ride so I will catch you all on the flip flop!  Later gator…after awhile crocodile…hmmm, I love rhymes.