Spring is here. Maybe some of you are still peeking out of snow drifts, but it’s on its way to you also. Take heart. Princess Anne (barn kitty extraordinaire), Archie (dear dog), Sheldon, Starlight, Digger, Snitch, Party Girl and all of us here at Sky Ranch send warm April greetings to all. The beautiful flowering bush is just to point out how beautiful the Central Coast is in spring! Spring reminds us there is hope and also to go play outside.

And yes, it was raining, it was pouring…seemed like non-stop. There are many trees down, and that’s always a little heartbreaking. Many had been weakened by our long years of drought and just couldn’t hold up to the winds and rain.  We had power outages, reminding us of how dependent we are on all of our conveniences, and we now have streams running where there had been no streams before!   And beautiful wild flowers are popping up all over the ranch. Sheldon doesn’t care much for the rain. He’d rather stay inside as it pours down. When he relaxes his lower lip like that, I always imagine he’s making an editorial comment or just wants to be adorable! We need the rain and supposedly have more coming. But today it is sunny and we are loving it!

We’ve had quite a bit of rain…though the drought stands strong. But along with our relief and happiness at getting some moisture, we’re appreciating the sunny days we so often take for granted here on the California Central Coast. After an initial burst of energy when the horses are turned out in the morning, they often stand quietly in the sun, dozing or just taking it in. What’s retirement for anyway!?

I love to watch them as they enjoy their time out in the pasture. And if I catch sight of one of them lying down to rest, I’m always relieved to see him/her get up and move around normally.  All horse people know about colic; how common it is and how devastating it can be for horses (and for those who love them). One of the symptoms can be lying down and sometimes lying down and thrashing about in reaction to the pain.

I have a dear friend whose horse has been fighting for his life after a colic surgery. He seems to have turned a corner and is making his way to recovery, but he’s not out of the woods yet. These large creatures have delicate internal systems and can seem fine one day and be seriously ill the next. Another reminder to appreciate our four legged companions every day. Hang out with them, play with them, and enjoy them.

I hope Starlight and the other horses enjoyed their day in the sun, and that we will have many more days in sun or rain, together.

Snitch has been hinting that he needed a chiropractic treatment; doing lots of stretching and moving his neck around. Sheldon was showing some stiffness in his hind legs. So, we were all pleased when Dr. Greg Ugarte said he would be doing treatments up in our area. On Monday both Snitch and Sheldon received chiropractic care which included acupuncture. Snitch, who is a horse in constant motion, stood still and seemed to relish it. Sheldon was curious and a little surprised when his neck was adjusted but behaved himself and seemed to relax with the treatment. Horses seem to sense when we we’re trying to help them.

Though we’re not all lucky enough to receive a “spa” treatment this week, we at Sky Ranch are going to try and relax and enjoy the holiday. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and good health as we head into the winter holiday foray!