Also, Observations, Barn Notes and occasional Memories from their human.
About us
My name is Lynn Smith and I have been a member of USLF for more than 20 years. Over that time there have been five Lipizzan mares in my life, I currently have 3. Two are retired and one is still a working, riding horse – trails, arena and the occasional clinic. I am lucky to have the horses on our farm in Talent, Or and being able to see and work with them daily. I love watching their interactions and witnessing their interesting and complex lives – actually pretty hard to miss. I am looking forward to the opportunity to “Author” my observations, the voices I hear, and to share some of my time spent with these wonderful horses in this new section of the Training Collaborative.
Introduction to the Herd
Delta (C II Pirouette x Destina) 27 in July – retired. Been with me since age 2. Delta has always been and will likely always be Her Ladyship – she rules. Born in eastern Washington she spent her youth with me in Alaska where we shared what seems like a lifetime of adventures. She is the herd leader, has never formed a strong buddyship with another horse. My favorite and most intuitive vet once put forward that Delt was one of those horses who only need their person.
Mistea (F II Bonasera III x Plutona), aka Sera, 28 in March – retired. Been with me since 2006. She came to us by request from her breeder – please, can you take her she needs a new home? – upon learning that she had been dropped off by her owner with a friend in AZ, and would not be returning. We came to understand this was more a rescue than a simple rehome as first thought. She has been the most challenging of our horses and though not initially an ideal fit, we could not send her down the road again. I have learned a great deal about both horses and myself from this mare. Interestingly, she is also the most ‘verbal’ of the herd – always nickering and mumbling with a very wide range of murmurs. Her moments of trust and connection are priceless.
MonaLisa (N Savona x Angelica) 21 in July – my current riding horse. Been with me since 2013. Through the manipulations and intervention of fate, time and a USLF matchmaker, I was introduced to ML. Her very loving owner had come to the hard decision that it would not be much longer that she would have the opportunity and interest in riding and be able to provide the active life that ML should have, and wanted to place her before age became a factor. Located in CA, we talked all summer – she had a lot of criteria for the home she sought. I was initially hesitant, but her owner decided I was exactly what she wanted for her mare and kept after it. Went down to meet and ride her. A couple of months later, she arrived.
I have spent the last 25 years with mares. Over time there have been five, two have passed and will be introduced as they emerge from our stories – they still hold places in our herd. Of the remaining three, two have been together for almost 16 years; these three have been a herd for about seven years. Each is very distinct in disposition, voice and world view yet they have somehow have found common ground. It is continuously fascinating to observe their community and to occasionally be a part of it.
Pasture Memo 8
Lessons from the Mares – August 2022
Sera’s eyes and ML’s support
In a late July-early August postscript I wrote: Mistea continues to adjust to the changes in her vision, perhaps considering her surroundings and orienting herself more before making a decision……………..The bond between the two mares continues to deepen.
What also occurred during that time was an ulcer on her eye – not related to the developing opacities, likely a scratch. Dealing with pain, medications and treatments threw her trust issues wide open and our relationship was pushed to the edges. This turned out to be a very traumatic experience for all three of us.
This memo recounts one very amazing morning. Over the course of about six weeks; three veterinarians (same office), weekly vet visits, and multiple attempted (mostly failed) procedures to deliver medication to her eye, our relationship went from working with a horse who can be very challenging to handle with medical procedures to a horse becoming increasingly dangerous.
At our lowest point I found myself standing next to her in the aisle one morning at 7 am, near to tears with frustration trying to inject medication into a tiny little catheter that would, through the tiniest tube, deliver medication to her eye. Single handed, this was not possible. Up to this point Sera tried all evasions but had not, bless her, resisted with a harmful move, but it was getting close. That morning she was at her limit and we both knew it. ML was in the aisle nibbling hay. I was on Sera’s right side and exhausted of physical and emotional resources. ML quietly walked over to Sera’s left side, leaned against her holding her in place and began nuzzling Sera’s withers. That gave me just enough time to insert the very tiny needle into the very tiny catheter and inject the medicine. From whatever perspective ML had for what was happening she made a conscious choice to interact in a deliberate and most understanding way.
To say I was struck dumb would be an understatement. I know there were tears. Those I have shared this experience with have had pretty much the same reaction. My farrier (who has known me and the mares for probably 12 years) said I had to tell it. Pretty sure I will never forget it.
Pasture Memo 7
Lessons from the Mares – May 2022
Those Dark Eyes. Don’t we all just think our Lipizzans have the most beautiful eyes? Biggest, deepest, darkest eyes. A friend once said to me “your mares wear too much eye makeup,” yup, Cleopatra eyes circled in kohl. Sometimes we get a chance to look through them, almost. Seeing one of the girls intently staring through those dark eyes, I try to track that laser vision, something well outside our human scope, but once in a while I can spot the source. It is most likely something I never would have noticed or puzzled over – does it eat horses?
In Memo 6 I noted how over time I have observed that the mares take care of each other, not so much as a herd but between individuals. They are certainly not overly solicitous, but they do recognize need. Youngers to olders, and longtime friends staying by and staying true. Mistea was beginning to lose her eyesight and ML had picked up the lead.
Adjustments are needed around the farm too. When the world changes for one of us, it changes for all of us. Each paddock has a 100-gallon water tank right outside the stall door and others scattered around the farm and pasture. Mistea now also has a water bucket hanging at knee height right next to her hay in her stall. She is more reluctant to go out of her stall to the paddock and she does not move around in her stall as much. I use my voice more around her and try not to accidently startle her with a touch she did not expect, and I’m trying very hard not to trip over any of her trust issues. Leading her takes more time – that trust and confidence thing.
She follows ML pretty well and I have not seen ML wander off and leave her. She has lived here over half her life here now and certainly knows the terrain. I think she is starting to rely on her mental map as well as the surface she is on to navigate – gravel drive and walkway, matted barn Isle, turn right and step over the ledge to her stall. Pretty sure she is also following familiar slopes. Clever girl.
Over the last six weeks, I see her confidence being shaken. When she and ML are loose or in the pasture, I check more often and try to notice if she has followed ML to a water tank. I see her lifting her head and cocking it to identify and track a sound. Everything I have read says to give her time and that she will adjust and continue to experience a good quality of life. That is our plan.
Experiencing the world through dark eyes. I have always thought Mistea had, of all our mares, the most beautiful eyes.
Pasture Memo 6
Lessons from the Mares – March 2022
Old Horses – I love old horses. I have had the gift of sharing time with old horses, my mares. I have also had the chance to observe over the years that they actively take care of each other. My first experience was with Anacolina who lived to 33 (about 15+ years in our little herd). She kept a strong presence and an independence right up to the end, but it was seeing how two of the others (MonaLisa & Mistea) shared keeping an eye on her, watching that she didn’t get left behind and hanging out with her that was (to me) evidence of relationships, assuring and confirming of their good character.
Now I am watching MonaLisa (21) take her friendship with Mistea (29) to another level. Mistea (aka Sera) is losing her eyesight. I don’t know whether she has actually gone dark, but I do know that her world has been increasingly broken into pieces by thick shadows cast across her field of vision. My observation now is that MonaLisa has a strong awareness of Sera’s experience and is actively looking after her. There is a lot of communication between and among horses that is outside of our awareness. I see that ML no longer wanders off without Sera. I see her nudge Sera’s shoulder – hey, going this way. I see Sera listening and see her seeking and tracking scent. I see ML with an increased need, insistence, on visual and physical access to Sera, even in the barn.
Clearly there are words I keep using over and over to describe the behavior and relationships I see with these mares, but I can’t seem to find alternatives for “looking,” “seeing,” “keeping,” “watching, “awareness,” and “sharing.” All are verbs that seem worth living by, as demonstrated by the mares.
Pasture Memo 5
January 2022 – The Herd is short one voice, the dominant one. Adjustments happening and new listening skills required. Perhaps I am not just the messenger but part of the conversation.
So here is where I am right now. It is so often said that time flies when you’re having fun. As it turns out, it flies even if you are not. I know I am not alone in acknowledging that 2021 was a roller coaster of a year both physically and emotionally. I don’t care for carnival rides, just Merry-Go-Rounds. Upshot is that I have not ridden for nearly nine months – longest time without in almost 30 years. No whining! Time to step out of the lead weight boots and feel the sun.
Coming Back: MonaLisa and I are actually quite fit overall – minus some muscle stretching on my part that can only occur in the saddle and a little working muscle on her part. What we really have to do is get our heads and hearts back in sync and reconfirm our relationship. Neither of us are kids, coming 22 and 75, though I’m thinking there is actually some celebration to be had here. I have never been a fearful rider and I’m not now. That said, I’m not foolish and the likely outcome of coming off is not to be denied. There are some challenges.
Item 1 – Me: my right hand, and arm to some extent, are still not 100% from breaking both the radius and ulna last August – I should note that it was a barn accident, but no horses were involved. I totally underestimated (appreciated?) both the recovery time and outcome. Bones healed just fine, very quickly. Tendons, ligaments, nerves – not yet. I’m pretty good with my left hand, but there are some barn and horse tasks that require your dominant hand. Some brushes are too large to hold securely; hoof picking is pretty hard, especially with winter clay/mud. Horses are barefoot so not too much of a problem, but frustrating. I have a baby size curry that fits my palm, but grip is still a problem. Need a couple more brushes with straps. Hoping I can snug a girth – have not tried that yet. Will have to see how reins feel. My fingers are stiff, somewhat numb and clumsy. Wrist lacking some rotation and fine motor movements.
Item 2 – MonaLisa:
Have worked with ML on the lunge a couple of times, so that discussion has begun.
Impact of herd change – new position, older friend to look after,
Support for fetlocks
Pasture Memo 4
May 2021 – Season of the leather socks
May whizzed by with lots of planning needing to happen. Also, a lot of ‘get the place ready – the kids are coming. Gotta look like we can handle it all’ is taking up time and attention.
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Not a lot communication from the pasture, or so it seemed. Wrong. As it turned out, yes there was.
June, July, August, September, October………..
November 2021
“Here’s to the lives we share with horses who are unsound in some diagnosed way, or in some way beyond diagnosing. It isn’t the journey we would have chosen, but it’s where we are. Here’s to a relationship of intimacy beyond riding to a fragile negotiation of well-being. Here’s to the commitment of sharing our lives, no matter what comes. Of giving up even our dreams, to live in the moment with a creature so magical that we will never let go. It was always about them. With that awareness, the horse’s fragility becomes our strength.” Source Unknown
Delta II July 1984 t0 November 2001
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Pasture Memo 3
April 2021 – Spring sprung, grass riz. Season of the big itch on going.
Finally, warm enough to get a bath and tails washed and combed out. Birds are snatching horse hair right off the floor.
Demo and reconstruction of the pasture fence along with repainting the barn and run-ins will start soon making horse logistics a major feature of the month. Once the demo begins the girls will be limited to rotating through the arena for turn out, which will translate into a lot of standing around, grousing and staring at the house. MonaSera are fine in the arena together. However, it has been learned that three is one too many and Delta prefers to occupy the arena alone. I can let two loose at a time to graze independently around the barn and orchard. Mostly they stay within bounds. Three out loose is not a good idea.
When it’s Delta’s turn for a little free time out:
Me (I do always ask): Delta, can you behave and stay by?
Delta (never lies): NOOO, ‘cand’ do that – out now….
Delta can be out on her own – but not without supervision. She is waay too confident and fearless, knows the neighborhood really well, and has not a shy bone. She is also very rapid – never staying in one place or area very long, always moving.
Human Memory:
There was a day quite awhile back when Delta really stepped out – saw her just as she headed south behind the west pasture fence line moving toward Talent with Annie close behind. Delt and I rode out in the back a lot but she had never gone out there on her own before, had always stayed in front of the house – thank goodness I happened to see. Annie would never have gone there alone but there she was right behind, nervously looking back over her shoulder, but staying right with her. Annie would follow Delta off a cliff
“let’s see Oregon, this way…….” D
I grabbed a lead rope and headed off to catch up. I was surprised but not initially too worried until she headed across neighbors open acreage with no hesitation and I was starting to have trouble keeping up on the hilly terrain. I did think to bring noisy treats but was not getting much interest or close enough to offer. I don’t think Delt was actively avoiding me, just on her own mission.
Stu saw what was going on and jumped in the truck to see if he could intercept them at the road or pick me up. I did finally catch up with Delt and got a lead hooked. Have to admit my heart was pounding with more than exertion.
Back to the present. The swallows have also arrived and are in a constant flight pattern in and out of the barn, chittering and arguing about previous nest sites. I knock the mud nests down in the fall but I’m pretty sure it is the same birds reclaiming their site each season. Our rental agreement stays the same – swallows, you can nest here and are welcome, but I do not want to see mosquito 1 around here.
The other day, while Delta was in the barn the other two were loose in the orchard moseying around while I did barn chores. The fella doing the fence work came by to replace the broken arena rails and to take a final count of parts and pieces for the pasture fencing.
There are times the incredible intelligence of our Lipizzans just leaps out, and sometimes you are offered a peek into how they view the world. ML is about the most curious horse I have ever known and since she and Sera were loose, I watched. She did not disappoint. While Les was working in the arena ML went right up to that strange truck in the drive and snooped all around, looked in the windows and in the back and even underneath while pretending she was eating. She returned to the orchard, got sera (who will follow her anywhere), and led out to the pasture through the open people gate and began grazing out there. A little while later Les started walking and examining the pasture fence line.
“don’t know him” ML
She stared for a bit then walked over and from the inside, pushed the gate closed and walked away.
Loving the new paint job:
Barn Notes: In Lipizzan speak, “Allout” is one word, everyone knows it and it must occasionally be spelled rather than spoken so not to set up a loud chorus and expectations for immediate action.
Pasture Memo 2
March, 2021 – Happy Spring! Season of the Big Itch.
Barn Notes: More Lipizzan Lingo as spoken around here.
I find there are routine questions which I ‘hear’ being asked a lot and these stock answers seem to cover most. “Soon” – “I Knoooow” – “yes, you’re right” – “I see you” and finally if I am feeling a little brave “what do you think?” (someone will nearly always answer). There is also a special message that I share with Sera, who by the way is losing her eyesight. She often waits for me in the orchard while the others are coming in. I always tell her “come on Sera, let’s go together,” “We’ll always go together” and I walk next to her withers and rub up and down her mane a little and off we go.
Memories from the Human:
So, it has been a year now and a story I have to put down for my own record of time. Anacolina (Annie) left us last March 29. At age 33 she still carried on with life and enjoyed it. Laughing – she had all her the faculties and the kind of attitude we all hope to carry with us as we age. And darned if at that age she didn’t still have all her teeth and her signature canter pirouette. A very elegant mare who carried herself well right up to the end. She also had a beau in the neighboring pasture, a very nice gelding by the name of Doc. He came every day and waited for her at the fence. Annie always had the run of the farm (with age comes privilege) and they visited on the grassy easement, grazed side by side and just shared company. (photo, Feb/March-2020).
Annie was busy and maintained her place in the herd even while she slowed down a bit. I noticed over the previous six months that both Sera and ML took special care to see that she did not get left behind and always had a companion in the pasture. Looking ahead I had been concerned about how she would cope with what would, by all certainty, be a very hot summer.
The aspect of her decline that I was most worried about though turned out to be the one that presented itself that lovely, spring-like Sunday afternoon. She had been having to struggle a bit while rising from rolling, which she loved, and had a knack for getting herself head down on a slope. And so it was that day. My neighbor called to let me know she was laying down in the easement next to Doc and the fence. I check on her a lot so I know it had not been long and she had always been able to get up with a little encouragement. When I got there a minute or so later, it was clear that she was very tired and had been trying to rise and couldn’t.
The moment you pick up the phone and hit autodial for the vet on a Sunday afternoon you realize you have made a decision. Fortunately, the vet on call at the clinic was the one who knows me and our horses. About a 40-minute wait for our vet and Annie had managed to get up before Whitney arrived. As we wandered back to the barn, she seemed a little disoriented, maybe just tired, maybe a small stroke. So, I just brushed her and we talked – asked if she was ready and wanted help with the next forward transition – “what do you think?” I believe she felt that it would be fine. She recovered her awareness but Whitney confirmed and supported my decision. We walked her out to a patch of fresh grass and waited while she enjoyed some grazing in the sun – she quietly laid down and passed peacefully.
The tipping point for me was the certainty that this would happen again and that she might be frightened or in pain and alone when it happened, and that was unthinkable. The very hot summer of 2020 was real and the terrible experience of the Almeda wildfire came in September – either of which could have brought her to a terrible place.
What a gift that mare was. Whenever I think of her, which is often, I can’t help smiling and saying out loud, “Well played Annie, well played.”
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Annie and Delta (Her Ladyship, the Mare-in-Charge, the never had a ‘friend’ by choice mare) lived next to each other, across a paddock rail for 16 years. Why for days after her passing was Delta distressed, starring for long periods into Annies stall? I think she was remembering. Annie was reckless and if there was fun to be had, she was all about it. She was also no push over and had the biggest double barrel in the herd. These two mares had tiffs, some story worthy, at least one with a vet call. I believe they respected each other. For years, the first thing I do in the morning is look out from the house down to their paddocks, and I know their secret. When no one was looking, early in the morning, there was shared wither rubbing.
The now three passed through an interesting period of transition and regrouping. Not long after her passing MonaLisa and Sera became “MonaSera.” They have always been close friends and now they are joined deeper – ML is starting to look after Sera. The three wander the pasture much closer – though Delta still maintains her 20+ foot bubble and she is still unapproachable by the others. Anna Blake, a writer I follow, said, “Horse conversations are always behaviors and not words, but that doesn’t mean their body voice is less informative.” That strikes me as true.
Memo I
January 28 – February 7, 2021 – We are all strong on routine around here and life does seem to flow a bit easier at the barn when we are guided by it. Yesterday was a very wet, blizzardy day with no turnout. This time of year the “allout” days start with large piles of lunch hay in the sparce winter pasture and specifically this year where fire passed through and took the grass to the ground. Later in the week, the wind quieted and the winter sun had warmth.
“Sera is calling and calling when we go out. Running. We ignore her – she is not calling to us. Maybe to someone she knows before, maybe just hormones. Mona stays by her and follows. Very windy, don’t care. Searching for little green grasses. “ D
“Late afternoon sun top of west hillside. I lead, we all stand in the warm.” ML
I went down to feed last night at 8. Thought I heard some strange noises from the barn. Didn’t see anything when I turned on the light and gave hay to Delt. Banging explained when I went out to take hay to ML and Sera. There was Luna. Neighbor mare had gotten out and was visiting. Both ML and Sera were kicking and slam dancing. Luna was friendly and greeted me as usual, always seems so happy to be here. Followed me back into the barn helped herself to hay. Delta seemed fine with this. Usually she would be all pinned ears and bared teeth.
This mare lives about ¼ mile away, lives alone and whenever possible she slips out and comes for a visit. The night of the Almeda fire in September she came and stayed with our girls who took her in and shared hay, shelter and companionship.
After Justin came and took her home I went back to the barn to turn off lights and found Delta very upset – calling, dashing in and out of her stall. Took awhile to settle her down. Wonder if she (as herd leader) had accepted Luna into the herd in Sept while the other two felt her presence was more conditional. These mares are so interesting and complex.
USLF TRAINING COLLABORATIVE 