And the winner is..........

Marty! Yes the new top cat at the Mount Washington Observatory to be voted in clearly pounced on the field and ran away with the election. Personally I feel it was Marty's smug confident demeanor that swayed the voters. Sadly, my choice, Sarah, fell to a third place finish, but we all know how it works when you are a female, you have to catch twice as many mice in order to be thought of as half as good as the guys! Oh and Marty may be looking pretty smug right now but just wait until he finds out he is now an indoor and outdoor cat in a place famous for the worst weather ! Can you say MEOOOWW ?! Good Luck Marty !

Voting day the NH Primary

I don't live in NH but today I will take place in the democratic process to elect an individual to one of the highest positions in the state of NH. Yes ... it's true.... today I will cast my vote for Top Cat at the Mount Washington Observatory. While all the candidates profess to be PURRRRFECT, their politics clearly indicate all three have played games of cat and mouse. After carefully reading their resume's I am going to cast my vote for Sarah, she is the only female in the race, I like her spunk and her wide eyed direct approach. You go girl!!!! visit www.mountwashington.org/events/topcat/vote.php to cast your vote!!

Ahh January

Well here it is the new year has arrived. I love this time of year, 7 storms arrived during December and all my little pastures are sleeping under a foot or more of snow. The horses have yarded up in front of their run in shed and spend their days munching hay for warmth and sunbathing in the protection of the shelter. My favorite midday breaks are spent brushing them, this time of year the snow keeps them clean and the dreaded shedding season is still a few months away. What is my New Years resolution ? Okay I'll try to blog more often, ..oh yeah and loose 5 lbs. Happy 2008

Trick or treat ??

This past month I had the chance to watch trainer Chris Lombard in action, he obviously commands so much respect from the horses he works with that this mare surprised him by bowing to him at the beginning of the session , her trick, his treat!

Can you say Poitou ?

With all this cuteness it is hard to believe that this is a rare breed of donkey, but they are! The Poitou Donkey comes from France, it survives today because of the dedication of breeding programs in France and here in the USA at the Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation. Maintaining healthy genetic diversity in rare breeds such as the poitou, so that they continue to be here in the future, is complex and costly work. The Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation and others like them, gladly accept donations towards saving these and other rare breeds.

Photographer's notes

You might have seen this picture in a magazine recently, the article was about euthanasia. This woman and her horse bravely illustrated the bond and the sadness we all feel when the day comes that we have to make that decision. On the day this photo was taken this older horse was still in pretty good health but I asked Jen if she would help me create this photo, as she posed with her horse, just thinking about the subject brought her to a point of real sadness and the result was this image. That same day we created happy and loving images too and I'm glad that we did. A few years after this photo was taken Jen had to face that day with her beloved Cashel. Thanks Jen, for showing us that emotional moment that all of us as horse owners will someday have to confront.

June is the Month for Photos!

Welcome June ! It is without question one of the best months of the year for photos. The horses are shiny in their beautiful summer coats, the temperatures are perfect, pastures are lush, foals are cavorting with their mums and best of all, no bugs! So if you are thinking about having pictures taken this is the month to do it! Celebrating June, our postcard of the month horses are a lovely mare and foal. Can you name the breed? No, they are not color breeds! Although they could be double registered. A Hint? Think trail riding! Send your guesses to info@dustyperin.com