I've been meaning to post this...

A while ago I came across a blog that had some adorable pictures and a story about a baby hippo and a century old tortoise. I just found the photos that I e-mailed (but no link to the blog... if anyone knows it please let me know and I will give them credit) to some people and thought I would write up a cute little post for others to enjoy. The photos are absolutely priceless!!!

A short version of the story is that the baby hippo (300 lbs) survived a tsunami that hit the Kenyan coast. He ended up washed up on the shore where he was rescued by wildlife rangers.

"After the hippo was swept away and lost his mother he was traumatized. He had to look for something to be a surrogate mother and he chose a tortoise for the job. They have established a strong bond. They swim, eat, and sleep together." It also says that hippos are social animals and usually stay with their mothers for four years.

What a great story and isn't it just amazing how some animals can bond? No matter looks, species, anything.

I bet a lot of you just said, "Awe! How cute!!" : ) I know I did.

Anyway, this is all I have for a little while. I am flying back to Colorado this evening to go visit some friends for the weekend. I can't wait! Can you believe that flying is actually cheaper than driving now-a-days? At least you get there faster to.

I hope everyone has a fun safe holiday weekend! : )

Hi, my name is nikki and I'm a horse-a-holic....

It's that time again... another BLM Internet Adoption is about to begin in 20 hours!!! I made the mistake of going to the website and seeing that the new one was about to begin... then I made another mistake of looking at the mustangs available for adoption.

I am of course in love with ALL of the mustangs on the site but -now here is the pitiful part- I have names picked out for some of them!!!

I know what a weirdo right? But I can't help it! Some of these horses have such unique blazes and markings that they are already named for you. Here are the pictures of some of the horses yours truly has named. Please try to control your hysterics. : )

Puppet or Llama for this weanling colt

Sunkist for this handsome 2 year old gelding

Spyke for this pretty 2 year old mare (looks like a railroad spike)

Spoon for this unique 2 year old gelding (maybe Spoon would sound better in another language?)

Aarow for this weanling blue roan colt (I want this guy)

Tornado for this weanling filly (I want this gal)

and Moon Stryke a weanling filly (I would bring these last two home in a heartbeat- they are speaking very loudly to me! Especially this last one)

What to do when the time comes...

I've had someone ask me recently what happens when a horse dies and what you do with the body- more specifically what I had done with Spider.

I know that some people call the rendering plant to pick up the body, others bury their horses in a field sometimes under a tree, and another option is cremation. I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

With Spider I decided to have him cremated because I couldn't bare the thought of him going to a rendering plant or being buried in the ground and possibly dug up at some point so my only option was cremation.

I hired a company called Pet Cremation Services in Colorado and they brought a truck out to the house to pick him up. I was out of my mind with grief that day and could not be outside when they came. Mom went out and made sure that he was treated with respect. She placed a blanket under Spider so that they did not drag his body on the ground. I don't know a lot of the details since I never saw his body and refused to go outside when the cremation people came, but I know that Mom made sure he was treated with care.

We went to the cremation facility an hour or so after they picked up Spider to make sure he was still being treated with dignity and to pick out his urn. I still could not go and see his body so Mom and Dad went back to see that he was put into the chamber since I was worried I wouldn't get MY horse back but maybe someone elses. They have two metal tags with matching numbers one is put in with the body and the other you keep. This is so you know that it's your horse that you are getting back.

I picked out a wooden urn that had to be ordered and also picked out a necklace that the ashes can be put into. I talked with the guy who owned the cremation services at some point and discussed putting a horse shoe on the urn. To my surprise he went and bought me a horse shoe, some heavy glue, and adhesive that he placed on the back of the shoe to put on Spider's urn (he had this all ready for us to pick up when the wooden urn came in. I will never forget his kindness to go out and buy those things for me and for saying such nice words to console me in my grief. The people were very caring and understanding and they even had a dog in the office who looked at me with her sad eyes and laid her head on my leg to console me.

The following day Dad went and picked Spider up from the cremation place. His ashes were placed in a silver urn that to me resembled a trash can. I didn't like that at all and was glad that I ordered the wooden urn. Spider got to ride shotgun in dads car wearing a seat belt then he was hauled upstairs to my room. His urn is very heavy so I picked a spot and set it down.

A couple of weeks later the wooden urn comes in and mom takes Spider back to the cremation place to have them place the ashes in the new urn. Mom said that the ashes are in a plastic bag and they just pulled it out and put it into the new urn. The new one is more sturdy and is actually screwed shut from the bottom so no one can mess with his ashes.

I'm glad that I chose cremation for Spider and I will do the same for my other critters when they pass. Then when I die they will all be buried or cremated with me.

Above: I had an award/engraver company make me a sign that has a horses head (looks kind of like Spider), Spider's name written in script, and the Arabian Proverb: "The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horses ears."

3 year olds

Tabasco and Shoni got to meet their first 3 year old on the 12th. We took my cousins daughter Morgan out to see the horses. She fed all 5 of them and didn't want to leave anyone out. She kept going back to the babies though and was in love with Tabasco.

She picked the grass and held it out for them to eat it from her tiny little hand and she held it so cute with her little fingers pointed back and her palm flat. Tabasco stuck his head through the panel so that she would have easy acess to his mouth. A few times she stood up from picking grass and turned around and almost ran into Tabascos head. Then she would say, "Oh! You scared me." It was so comical because his head is as big as she is!

At one point she gave Tabasco something to eat and he pulled his head back into the pen and Shoni tried to eat it so Morgan pushed on her nose and said, "No go away! That's not for you." I think Tabasco was quite the charmer!!! :)

It just made me so proud to see how gentle he was with her. He didn't try snatching the grass from her hand, or nodding his head, or pushing her. He waited patiently for her to hand it to him. He was quite the gentleman!

Of course the other horses did quite well also

No photos because I forgot my camera but it was getting dark anyway so they wouldn't have turned out. They may come back and visit some weekend in the afternoon and I will get pictures of them then if they do.

Bridlepaths

Shoni had her very first "buzz cut" last night. I did a thorough grooming of her entire body mainly focusing on her mane and tail. I've been trying to figure out what to do with her bangs since they are so long and you can't even see her eyes unless you brush them aside.

I lifted sections of her mane and brushed them out and when I got up by her ears I noticed that a lot of the hair from where her bridle path would be is forward as her bangs instead of hanging down the side as her mane. I used the comb to sort through her "bangs" and got a huge hunk together. I took a pair of scissors and cut it while she was eating. Then I decided to try the buzzer on her. I didn't want to do the buzzer instead of cutting it because I didn't want her to be bald lol.

It's hard to see in this picture and it isn't a close shaved bridle path...

She did relatively great with the buzzer but she was getting annoyed with me. I wasn't able to do much with the clippers because she kept shaking her head (like it was a bug harassing her) but I ended with a good note of holding it in my hand and resting my wrist on her neck and letting her listen to the noise and when she didn't move I backed off and told her what a good girl she is. The bridle path is nothing fancy but it helped to get her bangs thinned out so she can see!

Look you can see her eyes! Doesn't she look a little surprised? :)

And on a side note mom was out with me to do chores and fill troughs a little while ago and took pictures of me "riding" my mustangs so I thought I would post those pictures. It looks like I am sitting on Tabasco but I am really not. I am keeping most of my body weight on the panel with my foot and also my arm. He's also not as short as he looks either lol I just have long legs! :D And the picture with Shoni that was her 2nd time being "sat" on and she wasn't too sure what to think of it but she did really great!

Tabasco doesn't care- he's eating! :)

Shoni looking a little unsure

Oops! She realized if she steps away from the panel far enough I come off lol.