My owner is always  thinking about better ways to do things, making less work for everyone. So they finally invested in some Quads around here to move their latest acquisition , a hay sleigh, wahoo,  modern technology.

On a good day when it is not piled too high, they can pull it with 2 quads, 

But when it is piled high, they gotta work together and pull it with all four quads, and when it gets really heavy or they hit a pile of frozen poo they gotta use all quads, quadruped and quadrumanous!

Oh does that make it an octo-ped!?

Gotta munch my hay and think on that.

   Who has time for musing when

   your ears are froze!?

   Who has times for musing

   when you got ice balls in your toes!?

   Who has time for musing

   when they put crazy things on your head !?

Well I do–McTavish–’cause I am standing around forgotten–oh sure, they trim my toes and stick that vile paste in my mouth, brush me once in a while, feed me that yummy hay–but when are they going to RIDE me?!!!

Oh no, they are too busy riding those red mares (although they are cute) than to pay attention to me.

Or they ride those spotted things–Taco and Chief, and they even rode my cousin–that ass, Gordi.

Hello people come out and ride me–or if you have a horse–when have YOU ridden last!?

I live with a million dollar horse.

His name is Charli, just Charli, no registered fancy shmancy name, just Charli.

He is, to put it politely, a grumpy old poop. He hangs with my brother Happy.

He is old, 23 or so, they (my people–Cec and Megan) haven’t told him he is retired but that’s the word on the barn floor.

Charli is a chestnut standardbred just a regular old horse, so why is he worth a million dollars you ask?

‘Cause he is the whole reason we are here, on this 160 acre piece of Manitoba prairie.

Charli was acquired by Cec in April, 1999. He then was ridden across the Canadian Prairies in what was called “The March West,” a re-enactment of the original Royal Canadian Mounted Police march of 1873 that brought law to the Canadian West.

He was the only horse that made it the whole way in 1999, 63 days and 1500 kilometers with just one day off.

Anyway, when he got back to Manitoba, Cec, his passenger on the journey, decided that it would be cheaper to buy a little piece of land and keep him and his buddies, Buttercup  and BUT WHY( may they rest in peace)  at home than board them at some place.

Hence, $1 million dollars later, give or take a few thousand, St Andrews Stables was born!

And here we are 47 horses, 2 mules, 2 donkeys, 7 cats, 3 pesky dogs and 2 families living together on this awesome chunk of land with the nice barn I used to sleep in ( that is another story), the sandy arena I love to roll in and the best part- the yellow skid steer that brings me my hay!!

Thanks Charli, I will let you bite my skinny white ass anytime!!

Charli and Cec (and Megan and Eddie)

McTavish is my name. I’m one of a few alternative equines here at St. Andrews Stables, and if you want to keep up with what’s really happening around the barn, I’m the one to listen to. Stay tuned!