YAHOO!  YIPPEE! 

SPRING IS REALLY ON IT'S WAY!

How can I be so sure of this, you ask?  Well, grasshopper,
listen up - I put new shoes on my horses Wednesday.  After
months and months and months of cold and snow and ice,
it was sixty degrees and the sun was shining. 

LIFE IS GRAND!

Man, it is really weird that I can get this excited about pieces
of steel.

Travis Swanson is the farrier we use. 

This morning he was at the Cat Ranch taking care of
Shawn & Colleen's horses.

He put shoes on Foo Foo and Jade and trimmed Pearl
Bailey and Belle.  That is Foo Foo above. 

We think Travis does amazing work and he has a deft
hand with the horses.  The animals behave well for him. 
Travis hot shoes.  There aren't just a lot of farriers who
still hot shoe. 

Our girls are always better movers afterTravis has worked
on 'em.  If you are looking for a new farrier would like to
contact Travis - he can be reached at 309-574-0015.



He is working on Jade in the above shot.  He's a bit
camera shy.  It's much easier to get a shot of his back-
side than his face.  I'm really glad that we don't have
to work bent over like this.  I hurt just lookin' at these
pictures. 

The DG was home for the shoeing too.


Our horses were PIGS, as you can tell from these pictures. 
Jade would like some of the DG's lunch.  See her tongue
hanging out? 


The mud really showed on the mule; her
name is Southern Belle. 

We DID brush 'em off while they were either waiting
for or getting their pedicures.  But golly - did ya ever
see such mud on a critter?  I wish it was warm enough
to give them baths.  We are both hoping for warm
weather soon.