Tom Rides Star for the First Time

Well, my little filly is growing up! Star has been sat upon before, but today was her very first time to carry around a full sized rider. I am so proud of both of them! Tom rode her sever times around the RP in both directions.

Tom did all of the work himself. I just sat on my wooden bench in the sunshine and watched him work. he RP'ed her, sacked her with the rope, sacked her with the pad and with the saddle. He also bridled her today but didn't really focus on rein cues.

It is so fun for me to watch him work with the horses. He is a natural.

Here they are!





And one more of my proud cowboy with his trusty steed.

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A Laugh for Today... and Tomorrow... and the Next Day

French and Saunders



I have never seen this duo before, but they are hilarious!

Girls and Horses

My good friend Courtney posted this video and I thought I would share it here. If you are a girl and you love horses... well... this one's for you.

Horse Affairs part 2: Dan Mink

One of the headliners for this years Horse Affairs was a real live rootin' tootin cowboy named Dan Minck. I took a few vids with my cell phone. I really wished I had my real camera with me.

Here he is singing and twirling his lasso. He really is singing too - it's not a lip sync.



Here he spins it around his horse;




And, my favorite his horse lays down while he is riding bareback;



He also threw knives at his girlfriend, twirled his six shooters and his shotgun. It was quite a show!

I have several other vids... here is one more where he is snapping a target out of a little girls mouth with a bull whip while he is blindfolded!

Horse Affairs 2009

I took several photos today with my cell phone at the Horse Affairs that I thought I would share.

9 month old Gypsy Vanner colts. Only 7500.00!

Cody with Richard Shrake

One of the most exciting things that happened was that Cody and I had several minutes with Richard Shrake before the Horse Affairs even opened. We were just walking down the aisle, and I was wearing an exhibitors badge (I was helping with the Arabian horse exhibit) and it caught Richard's attention. We stood and talked to him for a long time and Cody shared about starting and training his horse Speedy. Richard shared some of his first training memories, from when he was about Cody's age.

Later Cody and I attended some of his seminars and Richard kept talking to Cody. "Cody do you hear I am saying? Do you understand what I mean Cody? You have to...." He was very grandfatherly to him! He signed a book for him saying, "See you in the winner's circle Cody." What a nice guy.

I introduced myself to Julie Goodnight before the show opened too. I was so surprised to see her there and not a crew setting up for her that my mind went blank. I meant to tell her a few ways that her show had encouraged and helped me... but all I could stammer out was, "Hi Julie, I love your show. Welcome to Boise."

I felt like a pimply teen aged boy trying to ask his first crush to the dance. Gah.

I did shake her hand, however. I don't think I will ever wash it again.

Julie Goodnight teaches about Horse Psychology

Here's a candid cell cam pic of Stacy Westfall. I choked so badly when I introduced myself to Julie Goodnight that I didn't even speak to Stacy. I hope tomorrow before the show opens I have the nerve. I need one of my B(r)itches friends to egg me on I guess...

StacyWestfall

Here Cody points out some really cool longhorn horns for his Dad. I had my eyes fixed on the chinks below the horns. Wow I really want a pair of those!


And last but not least, (although probably the smallest), there was a baby service monkey being cared for in the booth across the way from the Arabian horse booth where we were.

As a rule I don't like monkeys, but this tot was so very, very cute!

What are those beady little eyes planning?

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Speedy's Going to Boot Camp!

So I sold enough tack to send Speedy to a real trainer for two whole weeks! he is going to work on his upward and downward transitions to the lope. I also asked her to work on his vertical flexion. She rides every day, so he will get a full 14 rides.



These pictures were taken of him this last week. I think that Speedy would make an amazing English pony!

Cody is a great little horseman who has a lot of natural "feel" for horse training.



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Selling some Tack and Crossing my Fingers

I have the opportunity to send Speedy to a trainer next week. Her name is Corrina. She does a lot of work with Blazers and understands their temperaments. I have seen her ride and I have seen horses that she has trained. I am pretty excited about sending him to her.

I talked to her a few weeks ago bout putting some time on Speedy, working on his loping and on some finish work. Corrina said she didn't have any time until April... Well last week she said she had a cancellation and could I bring Speedy next week! Sure... except I don't have the money together yet! I have told my husband that I was going to earn my own horsey money this year. Now I am having to put my money where my mouth is! (Pun intended.)

So, I am selling some tack on Craigslist and crossing my fingers that at least the saddle sells so that I will have some "horsey" money to spend! I have gotten several calls already this morning about the small stuff I have for sale so I am pretty sure it's going to happen!

If this works out we may use Corrina to help with Star's training too.

Here's another pic of my great-niece brushing Speedy.

My Friends

I thought I would share a picture of some of my favorite horsey friends. This is Sam and his "mom" and "dad", Lyn and Wayne. We had just finished riding lessons at the indoor arena and were blanketing the horses for the trip home.

It was a miserable cold day when this picture was taken... but we were out trying our best to enjoy our horses and it shows!

This summer when I am tempted to complain about the heat I will look at this picture and be thankful!

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A Small Visitor

I love sharing my horses with horse crazy little girls! Today I had a pint-sized visitor who came and helped me do all of my chores, and then (of course) she got to go for a ride!

This is my great niece. I can't believe I am old enough to be a "great" anything. I remember as a kid that all of my "greats" were ooooooold people!

This is Caddy, one of my favorite hens. Caddy is an old lady - 6 years old!

First she brushed Speedy up, and he tried to eat her hat.




All I had at the house was a bareback pad, so she didn't get to ride "all by herself" but she didn't mind. I hooked up some reins for her, although the reins didn't really serve any purpose except for her to feel like a big girl. Her grandma (my Sister -in-law) got some pics with a big smile, but this was the best she got with my cell phone.

My niece is concentrating hard in this picture! She really wasn't scared at all. In fact, I would like her to be a little more scared. She is so brave!

Speedy is saying "Lets go!", or maybe he is trying to eat my mitten, or maybe both!

I lead her around for about 1/2 an hour or so. This girl LOVES horses! She kept reaching down and patting Speedy on the neck. This summer I am going to try to talk her parents about letting me enter her in a leadline class.

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I Hate Animal Abuse

WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURE....

I hate animal abuse. I don't care if it is committed against a kitten, a horse, dog, or even an animal bound for the slaughter house. I believe that we have a moral obligation to all life to protect, preserve and honor. No, I am not a vegetarian. I eat meat. But I believe that even our animals destined to be harvested for food deserve dignity, respect and kindness.... but I am headed for a tangent here.

Today I went with Tom on a service call into the mountains. We pulled over to the side of the road right before we went into a pass so that we could make a few phone calls before we lost reception.

We had the windows rolled down and we heard a vehicle coming that was making a funny noise. It pulled around us and parked in the restaurant parking lot. The "funny noise" was coming from a dog's carcass that he was dragging behind his truck. The dog was tied to his bumper by a piece of bailing twine by his hind leg. this was NO accident. He didn't tie a dog by it's hind leg and then then "forget" it was there!

Tom took a picture while I called the sheriff. Actually I have called them three times today. It seems that Scumbag lives in the mountains and the Sheriff was in another part of the county today. They promised me they would go visit him tomorrow.

Sigh. I have emailed the officer this picture and I gave him a good description of what this monster looks like. I hope they do something. If they don't I might just send my little picture to the TV station....

No way this is an accident. NO WAY!