Stocking Stuffer Idea???

Hay, Mom!  Had a little spare time at Cross Creek Stables this weekend and decided what I want in my stocking.  Now get ready because this is BIG, really BIG.

and that would be what, Odie?

I want to learn to drive.

What??  Like a cart, a car, a bike or what?  

That one horse "open sleigh thing" is really calling my name.  ( oh, plez.) Aunt Janet thinks I would be the most adorable cart horse on the face of the earth. And look at these two "you tubes".  Can't you see ME in a parade with you driving a little cart and ME prancing & tossing my mane?  (Just don't decorate me with that silly tinsel stuff.)  Hay, I (oops, that would be WE) would win any contest for adorable!

Now this first one has my heroes pulling a BIG wagon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz0diX7dsi8&feature=related

This one is a small town Christmas parade...we live in a small town, right?

http://horsealicious.com/videos/christmas-carriage-horses 

Ok.  Without a doubt, you will be the most adorable cart horse on the face of the earth.  Hold that thought until we get through the winter.  Maybe, we can start working on driving in the spring?? Perhaps, some of your Haffie fans can suggest how to start OUR training.

who could resist this cheeky look?

NEIGH!!!! SANTA, are you listening???

Odie's Fan Club

My #1 fan, Mom!

Hay all you ODIE fans, stand up and clap your hands!!! Mom worked with cheerleaders at her last teaching gig and has all these cheesy sayings.  I kinda like this one since it is about me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZEeHqlI68&feature=related Do you like my "link"?  Those BIG BOYS are my idols.  I am a groupie for the beer horses.  I may be shorter but I think BIG, really BIG.  Alpha horse is the only way to be.

Cross Creek Stables, Mills River, NC  My barn is the best.  Check out those fans on every "room".  Room is the new "in" word for stall according to my dentist.

Last week was "Odie Fan Club" week at Cross Creek Stables, which means all the visitors were for me. Mom said if I kept doing MY blog, I might become "like so viral".  What??  (Odie, that means you will become well-known worldwide.  This could be awesome for Haflingers but more so for you.  Remember that cat, MARU, from Japan who is totally famous & even has a his own book? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C60_WTWaPfs   )
 Helllllooooo, Mom!  That cat is so stupid running into boxes that are too small.  Plez tell me that you don't watch that Maru show??? (I love cats, so of course, I watch Maru.  You like attention & fans.  Keep writing. Stop whining.)

Hay. I think Luke is my #2 fan at the barn.  He sorta looks like me in a really, really, really small version.  Reckon Luke would like to have his picture taken sitting on my back?  This could be like the barn mascot photo which would have horse owners begging to board at Cross Creek Stables.

My buddy, Luke, the Corgi.

  My first visitors were from my original club, C & M.  They are two little sisters who absolutely, positively, undeniably,clearly ADORE me. They run/scratch that/Aunt Janet does not allow running.  They hurry into the barn calling for me.  However, on the way to my ROOM, they are sidetracked by big Neli.  What is it about Neli that makes humans want to stop & drool.  I mean he is big, brown & has a black mane. So?  Just look at him and tell me who is cuter.

Neli

ME!

Why is that kid petting him?  She is here to see ME!

 Finally.  They manage to get to my room.  Come on, kids...pet me...give me a treat.  (Ooops.  Mom gives treats.)  Okay, so take me out of this room and brush me.   I need some serious attention.  Sorry, Aunt Janet.  Not like you have not spent the entire day  waiting on me....just need that little extra from the fans...ok?

Yeah, I like to have my feathers brushed.

Keep brushing. Why isn't your sister helping?

 NOOOOOO WAAAAY.  I am not going to put that muzzle on again today.  Forget it.  I wore it all morning and you are not...(Odie, enough already. Stop fidgeting.  This is your new muzzle.  Remember, you broke the old one; the one Palisander's owner gave you? This one is padded; won't rub your face. Winter is coming and then there will be no muzzle. This one looks good on you.) [I look stupid.  Can I have a carrot piece, plez?  Just to try out this contraption??]  Wow. Mom let the kids give me a treat.  Mom must be feeling really bad about making me wear this "thing".

Seems to be working with carrots.

Haffie love with the sisters:

    

 

WHOA!!  Hay.  This is Mom's sister.  She is a tad nervous around me, so Mom said I had to be on my best behavior. (Odie!  Be good! Sister is not a horse person but she likes to see you; thinks you are the cutest horse in the world and will pet you if you do not snort or push her. Think...carrots from Mom if this goes well...)

OKAY.  Like I am standing soooo still.  Is this good enough? Who is that dude on the other side with the shades on?  Why is your sister holding her glasses on my side?  Can you answer my questions, plez? ( Odie, this is not that complex.  You are standing just fine. I do not know why Sister is not wearing her glasses.  That dude with the shades is Sister's husband.  He thinks you are interesting; likes this barn and is asking Aunt Janet about horse stuff.  This is a good moment. You are earning carrots.)

NOOOOOOOO!  Not the muzzle of torture!  Your sister seemed so sweet, so little, so nice (maybe going too far now?) but no human is nice who condones "the muzzle".  (Odie, for crying out loud!!  I put the MUZZLE on you, not Sister.  Sister just happens to be standing beside you holding your lead rope and agrees with you that the muzzle must be terrible. Is she back in your fan club,now?  We are getting ready to take you to your pasture so you and Mars can spend the rest of the day playing.  Remember you can earn a carrot piece at turn-out.)  Whatever.

Sister likes Luke.

IS ANYONE READING MY BLOG??? (Odie)

Odie and the muzzle

            Here I am in my new pasture, totally ignoring Mom.    

 'K...things are pretty cool at Cross Creek with Aunt Janet.  Can you believe the size of my pasture?  Well, I do have to share it with my buddy, Mars.  There is so much grass and so much room to run and to roll.  Nothing feels better than a good roll in the grass on a sunny day.  Mars and I get to be in our pasture almost all day, until suppertime.


Now, Aunt Janet decided that I needed this black thing on my nose and mouth.  Mom said it was a grazing muzzle and would keep me from overeating & getting really sick.  PLEZZ!  Eating lots of grass is what horses do.  Whoever heard of grass making a horse sick?? I decided to ask Mars about that.  Mars told me that he had gotten so very sick from eating too much grass that he thought he might die from the pain.  His belly hurt and his feet hurt and all the shots and treatments were terrible. I asked him what this "sick" was called and he said colic.  The other two horses in the barn told me that colic is the worst thing ever;  they had surgery for it.

Yep, I had been rolling and rubbing my face in the hopes I could remove this thing.

Not my best look but you get the idea of "muzzle".

 

So I will wear this muzzle thing and be glad that my humans care about my health.  It is not cute.  I cannot get hunks of grass in my mouth but I can get carrot pieces from my humans!

Mom told me that my muzzle was a gift from another boarder.  Her incredible Hanoverian, Palisander, had worn it when he lived at Cross Creek. Palisander was a great and famous dressage horse, who spent nine years at Cross Creek. Palisander died last year;  there a monument to honor him near the barn.


Knowing all this makes it better to be wearing my muzzle.  Did I mention that Aunt Janet gave me one of her leather halters?  It is comfortable and fits perfectly.  Mom sold her leather halter.  Guess she figured I would not need it. (Odie, you have a leather trail halter/bridle, a rope halter, a bath halter...stop sounding pitiful.  Now you have a leather pasture halter.  Be nice.)

ALL RIGHT!  I get the message...I am such a lucky horse!!  (Yes, you do not even know how lucky you are.)

Mom still cannot ride me for that nasty bite on my back.  She takes me for long walks to show me where I live.  On our walk, she told me that my favorite "fans" were coming to visit me this week.  C & M are the sweetest little girls. They love to pet & brush me. Hope Mom takes some good, new pictures of my fan club.  Here are some from March when my mane was still growing.