Anna Blake's Blog Posts Tagged 'Farm' (21)

Compassion for All Life. Not Quite.

This morning a lone Canadian goose flew over my pond, calling loudly- back and forth, and again. I wondered if she had lost her mate, or worse. Heart-felt goose sympathy…

If you have read my blog, I think it is pretty obvious how I feel about animals, and especially horses. To be clear- any horse, any mustang, any donkey, any pony. And then- any age, any breed, any challenge. Of course- any place, any time. Finally- any equine not already mentioned.

If you are…

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Added by Anna Blake on May 11, 2012 at 8:20am — 2 Comments

A Legacy of Spirit

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

Spirit's Silver Anniversary.

This month’s posts have celebrated 25 years with my grandfather horse. The first time I saw Spirit he was in a small pen, alone and…

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Added by Anna Blake on April 27, 2012 at 8:27am — 2 Comments

Braids and Breeches: The Perfect Ride.

There were lots of great rides in Spirit’s 25 years, but this was the most perfect ride…

Spirit was something in the day- he and I agreed. He was fun to show, always a crisp and spontaneous ride. His confidence improved year by year, and still, every day was a brand new day.

That day, our first…

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Added by Anna Blake on April 13, 2012 at 8:05am — 8 Comments

“I Have Such Hope for This Species.”

Some riders are convinced that their horse has a devious plan for world domination- at their expense. Or that their horse is so lazy that any work from him will require a fight. Some riders just think their horses…

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Added by Anna Blake on January 27, 2012 at 8:32am — 1 Comment

Acknowledgement Matters.



Acknowledgement:  Synonyms are  credit,  gratitude,  thanks,  appreciation, …

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Added by Anna Blake on November 25, 2011 at 7:43am — 3 Comments

Part Two: Thanksgiving Every Day.

Last week I had a bit of a Christmas rant (read) and declared I would celebrate…

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Added by Anna Blake on November 11, 2011 at 8:36am — No Comments

Part One: Thanksgiving Every Day.

I saw the first holiday decorations come out a few days before Halloween. I did not burst into a rousing rendition of Here Comes Santa Claus. Christmas is not my holiday.

Thanksgiving is my holiday; low expectations and high reward factors. It is a holiday…

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Added by Anna Blake on November 4, 2011 at 9:30am — No Comments

Canadian Goose Quadrille.

My corner of Colorado is having a particularly colorful Autumn. The sun rise is later and later, but the dawn colors seem worth the wait. Tomatoes plants have wilted but the tree leaves are frosted and toasted to richness. I hear big weather is coming next…

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Added by Anna Blake on October 21, 2011 at 8:37am — 2 Comments

And on My Farm I Had Some Ducks…

There was a small gaggle of ducks to begin with. The girls laid tasty eggs, usually dropped at a run without looking back. They were non-flyers, but fun to watch in their pool. I didn’t take them very seriously at first. One of the ducks had a deformed beak that curved to one side. I named him Duck Cheney.  See what I mean?

Years passed and there was slow attrition. Eventually only two ducks were left.

Fred and Ethel had lived so long that their pithy political names had fallen…

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Added by Anna Blake on September 30, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

A Harvest Moon Ignites the Fall Flu.



The calendar changed and so did the weather. These first September days have been undeniably Fall- shorter, crisper and with a bit more oxygen in the air. The moon rules the prairie and this weekend is the Harvest Moon, the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. I won’t say the word- but tick, tick, tick.

The horses didn’t need a calendar to know. There has been a break out of the Fall…

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Added by Anna Blake on September 9, 2011 at 8:15am — No Comments

Everyday Dressage.

Dressage is an equine discipline of beauty, partnership and art. YouTube is full of spectacular videos of elite horses and riders. When Blue Hors Matinee’s freestyle was viral, a dozen non-horse friends sent me the link. I hear Moorlands Totilas has groupies like the rock star that he is, but my personal…

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Added by Anna Blake on August 19, 2011 at 8:22am — No Comments

What a Parrot Taught Me About Horses.

There were a few dark years (between leaving home and having enough income to support a horse) that I was earthbound with only house pets. I survived it. Barely.

During that horse-less time, a box arrived. It was a surprise parrot -from a friend in Panama. I’m not saying it was a great idea to catch a bird and ship her, I’m just saying that she…

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Added by Anna Blake on July 29, 2011 at 8:17am — No Comments

Hamsters Will Never Replace Horses.

Has it been one of those weeks? Everything that could go wrong–did? We all know how it feels when gravity gets  heavy-handed and you begin to feel thick and bound by life. It happens.

Maybe you should go to the barn and let yourself be carried a while.

If you have a partnership with a horse then you know that some days you carry them and some days they carry you.

You carry them…

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Added by Anna Blake on July 22, 2011 at 7:59am — 1 Comment

Summertime…..and the Living is Easy.

Dog Days of Summer at Infinity Farm.



New Olympic Sport: Synchronized Napping …

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Added by Anna Blake on July 15, 2011 at 7:59am — No Comments

A Different Kind of Runaway.

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Added by Anna Blake on May 20, 2011 at 7:54am — 1 Comment

A Lesson Horse is Born….

… and Grace gives herself a promotion.

Dressage borrows lots of language from ballet -after all, we are the dancers of the horse world. Pas de Trois is a dance of three. I have commandeered that phrase to describe riding lessons as a conversational dance between horse, rider and instructor. All three participants have to be heard for the dance to succeed.

I am always…

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Added by Anna Blake on May 13, 2011 at 8:02am — 1 Comment

Therapy Animals -Every One.

I was being half-mauled by a terrier. I was running an errand in an urban office and the dog’s owner was horrified. She apologized, explaining that her dog never did that.

In the dogs’ defense, I have a very special stink to my feet. I carry with me a cornucopia of delightful smells from several species in my barn. I smell like an exception to the…

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Added by Anna Blake on May 6, 2011 at 8:00am — 6 Comments

Donkey Church

“Do you ever wake up and wonder how your life got you to this day? Oh well, no time to daydream. Off to church with the donkeys.” That was my Facebook post, and my friend responded, “Donkey church or donkeys take you to church?”

Neither. Actually the donkeys get invited every year (last year.) But the comment got me thinking about Donkey Church. What would that be like? Is there a…

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Added by Anna Blake on April 29, 2011 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

The 'Other' Mother’s Day.

The nightly news let me know gas prices are up. Wars and natural disasters to blame. I don’t pretend to understand exactly how world events impact the price of a barrel of oil but I do know it trickles down to my little rancho. The current price of last year’s hay has gone up, along with farm calls from the vet and most everything else. And it isn’t like I wouldn’t…

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Added by Anna Blake on April 22, 2011 at 8:37am — No Comments

Top 10 List: Riding in the Wind

Top 10 Wind List:

The advantages of not having an indoor arena on the flat, windy, treeless plains of Colorado.

10. Less time is spent working the arena -as all hoof prints are erased hourly, along with the top inch of sand.

9. Wind helps with the spring grooming -working like a brand new shedding blade.

8. Riding with feel is increased as your goggles get covered with dust, or you simply ride  with your eyes closed one direction .

7. Un-cued, near…

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Added by Anna Blake on April 1, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

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