What's in a Name, and Other Odds and Ends

The thought has been tumbling in the back of my head since I brought Renegade home that I wanted to rename him. I have hesitated because he responds to his name and so many people know and love him as Renegade.

However, when we (my partner at the time and I) adopted Hobbes his name was Dakota, and his previous owner said that other folks had tried renaming him but he wouldn't respond. Yet he didn't take very long to get used to Hobbes and now knows his new name very well. I like to think he associates it with better times than when he was Dakota since he has obviously had some rough times in his past.

I don't think Renegade has had rough times, but I love the idea of starting fresh with a clean slate. A new home, a new person, a new name. 

SO, Renegade is now Harlan Pepper!

Not only is that a character from one of my favorite movies (Best in Show), Renegade/Harlan's registered name is Renegade's Shock and Awe.  A quick internet search revealed that Shock and Awe was developed as a military tactic by Harlan Somethingorother. (Finding out his registered name also reinforces the need for a name change; technically he's Renegade Jr....gross.) Throw in that he's salt and pepper colored, and it's a fit. For some reason it just works!

Now all he needs is a bloodhound named Hubert and he can go catch a big fish. (movie reference)

In other news:

- In a spectacularly terrible coincidence, Daisy Mae choked on grain last night...just a few short weeks after Casey's other pony Gus did the same thing. Gus' choke resolved on its own, although we did have the vet come out because it was both my and Casey's first experience with a horse choking and we had no idea what to do. Daisy on the other hand definitely required assistance from the vet via a tube up her nose to clear the obstruction. Luckily both Gus and Daisy are fine, but we are going to have to rig something up that makes them slow down while eating grain.

- I bought a rat trap (basically a giant mouse trap) and have caught/killed 5 rats. Wednesday morning I found 3 rats drowned in a water tub in the tack room. With the original ROUS, the body count is at 9. NINE RATS. What is the point of having 3 cats if they're going to let rats run rampant around the barn??

- Hattie is back and settled in. She and Gus are in their own little pasture and have quickly become thick as thieves. They are just abominably cute together.

- Last Friday I drove down to New Hampshire with Shalegh to pick up Reese, the pirate pony formerly known as Piper, and deliver her back to Lupine Farm. The surgery was very successful; the surgeon removed everything, placed a silicon ball in the socket, and sewed it shut so that it just looks like she has her eye closed. It was pretty Frankensteinian with a temporary gauze stent sewed in when we picked her up, but it has since been removed and looks very natural. Shalegh and Reese have a learning process ahead of them as they figure out how to navigate the world and each other, but Shalegh reports that Reese is in good spirits and has been a "little cuddle bun". If you can, please consider donating to Reese's vet bills.

- Deno reports that Cooper is gradually settling in to his new home. Best wishes to both of them!

- As of right now we're slated to get 8-14" of snow next Tuesday. Yippee.