He is right here sleeping with Mr. Bill (who no longer has a nose) and is getting along fine with Captain and Bodie.

Here he is…isn’t he beautiful?!?!?

Thank you so much to Karin Foley of Solar Hill Sport Horses for trusting us with your lovely boy. We ADORE him and are looking forward to many adventures in the years to come!

It was a year on the 18th that Dumplin’ passed, and the babies arrived a year ago on the 22nd. The monsoon rains made a party nearly impossible but we were able to get a couple of fun shots in and a little “carrot cake”

The two little horses are just getting better and better as the days go by.  We have a young Borrowed Freedom student working with Firefly, and I see many shows in their future next year. The two of them together is just magic and they look so beautiful as a team. I can already picture the show clothes…soft dove gray breeches with a charcoal coat paired with Firefly’s white and grey…gorgeous.  Firefly will also begin training to drive although we will not be start in earnest for some time, she is just two so her job is to learn to be a solid citizen first, riding and driving come second.

Rye is filing in, he is getting that stocky little mini look that I love. We had our moments at first that is for sure, most of which were all my fault. It’s hard to bring in a new horse when you have just lost one who was your world. It’s not that I had expectations of who and what Rye was supposed to be, it’s that I wasn’t ready to be who he needed me to be. He was looking for a guide and someone to love him and I was mourning for my Dumplin’. Firefly was aloof when she first arrived and took the role as Rye’s protector so working with her was easier, she didn’t demand my undivided attention and my whole heart. But Rye was different! He wanted to claim me and I just couldn’t let him…I was not ready. But moments like the one below just kept creeping in and grabbing me by the heartstrings.

This little horse has my heart and soul now, he is lovable and playful and a joy to have here. He has a wickedly devilish streak and can unlock doors, untie ropes, rearrange his stall and play basketball and soccer. And he loves a good snuggle!

There are more photos on the Borrowed Freedom Facebook page so please stop by and become a fan! There is much going on around here and so many changes as the program continues to grow. It’s nice to back and to be able to share them with you all.

Colleen

Spring Rolls are a fabulous alternative to the traditional salads for a holiday picnic. Lots of light bright colors, cool crunchiness, and the incredible pairing of cucumber and chili all wrapped up into a low calorie, vegan, gluten free food. Go easy on the chili for the kids however! My daughter always loved spicy things but a big old bite of chili might turn off a young child! Each spring roll is about 75 calories, and complete with good soy protein and nearly zero fat. Omit the tofu and add sprouts for a zero fat option.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday and I hope you take time to remember all those who gave their lives and bravely served and are still serving our great country.

One big thing that is happening is that you’ll start to see some changes here with the recipes. It seems that eating a vegan, gluten free diet is going to be a requirement for me from now on. Most people would be overwhelmed but you know you what? I look at it as an experience in cooking, and I love and embrace any new culinary experience so why not this?

Why vegan? Chicken and eggs, beef and pork are all issues for me as is dairy. That leaves fish and I may still incorporate that into the menu now and again but a good balanced vegan diet is very obtainable and my family has no issue with a lack of meat in their diet so I am not concerned about that either.

All in all I anticipate this to be a good thing, something that not only benefits my health and wellness, but creates a new niche in my catering and cooking repertoire.

Making good for you spaghettios is quite simple, so I was able to save me from myself. All you need is your meat of choice, some crushed tomatoes, garlic, vegetable stock and ring pasta. I had venison and some homemade sauce so I made it with what I had and it came out delicious. Just make sure that you cook your pasta right in the sauce, adding stock as the pasta cooks. It’s a bit like making risotto…just peek on it every few minutes and add the stock as the pasta absorbs the sauce…yummy.

Be honest with your horse. He will be honest in return. Don’t ask your horse to do something you are not comfortable doing.

Spend time with your horse. You have family, friends, a job, hobbies. Your horse has you, if he is lucky he has a herd mate.
Don’t abandon him, he needs you.

Don’t breed your horse. There are hundreds of thousands of horses facing an uncertain and possibly cruel end.
Don’t add to the problem.

If you do breed your horse, commit to be responsible for that offspring for the rest of its days.

If you can’t afford “bail”, transport, quarantine etc. You can’t afford to “rescue” it. Period.

Listen to your horses Farrier and Vet, they really do have your horses best interests in mind.

Properly prepare for your horses needs each year. Know how much hay you will need and add 20%.
Prepare for the worst. It happens.

Be the best rider and groom you can be, don’t make him compensate for your inadequacies.

Understand that the love of a horse is a love like no other, and be grateful for that love. You are blessed to have a horse in your life!
Do not ever take it for granted.

and an added 11th Commandment….

Every once in a while gallop with your eyes closed and your heart wide open

Welcome to our website, we hope you enjoy your visit and return often!

Miss Firefly received a beautiful new hot pink cooler from Ann. Here she is modeling it for Todd…

Of course Rye needed to try it on too…

Katie had a go with a blanket too. Go ahead, laugh, but I wasn’t going to put a $300 Rambo on her and have her destroy it so we went with what was in stock. It was this or a white, yes WHITE, old New Zealand rug. I didn’t have a spare backhoe handy to help me heave the New Zealand on her so we went with this one. Check out her butt hanging out….heheheeee….

Of course it came back to bite us. Twenty four hours, a pot of coffee, a near case of pneumonia and we were left with this:

What blog update is complete without a cute face and seriously, could he BE cuter?!?!?!

Paco is doing really well. He is affectionately known as the “sofa” now because he has gained his weight back and has been moved back into the easy keeper category. Thank goodness. I love how much he adores Todd, and that the feeling is mutual. Todd said to me the other day “What do people who have no horses do with their time?” To which I almost answered “well, honey, they go on vacation. They can sleep in. They can leave the house for more than three hours at a time”. But I didn’t, because I knew exactly what he meant.

These are the moments that I wouldn’t trade for anything. So I close this post feeling a little more cheered, a little more positive, and ready to face February the best that I can.