Feel free to use any pictures you would like from my blog, but I would like recognition please!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Im Back...

Well I forgot to mention the horses in the header. They are Liberty (a Belgian I traded for Princess), Dinero (My new yearling), George (Neils horse), Lynn (the other Belgian traded for Gypsy), and Belle hiding in the back.

Finally

Well I finally figured out how to make my blog pretty. The real sad part about it is that it was soo easy, I just am not very computer litterate most of the time I am just muddling along.

My little Gypsy girl worries me sometimes, she doesnt care to hang around with the bunch fro whatever reason, but I dont like it when I go out there and there are only 4 horses out of five visible. So out across the fiels I go at -26 to see if anything is wrong. Of course as I get out there she is just happily pawing through snow and eating, she comes over and is walking fine and not cold or thin, I think she was making her way back to the water, just not in any big hurry like everyone else.

While I was out there, I looked back at the house and saw the bulls needing hay, but eating every morsel that was left



I also saw what a snow angel should look like, although it was hard to get a picture of the whole thing from on the ground



On my way back the other horses, especially Belle and Dinero were giving me a look like "where'd you come from?"



Have a happy New Year everyone and may all your wishes come true!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Dec 30, 2009

Hello again, I haven't been writing in a while, I forget sometimes to write my own blog, while still keeping reading up on everyone elses.

Christmas was a busy time again this year, on Christmas Eve we went to my moms house in Olds (2 hours) and had dinner with the family, all 16 of us and then stayed over. We opened presents from mom that evening and stockings in the morning. On Christmas day, everyone else went to Calgary for Christmas at my Grandpas, but we cam home to do chores then got to Neils mom and dads house in Brooks (1 hour) and we went out to the community supper. This seemed so wrong to me that all 5 of us show up at a free supper for homeless or old people, kinda like we were to lazy to cook supper, but the food was excellent anyhow. Then we went home that night and I went boxing day shopping in Calgary (2 hours) for 13 hours, boy were me and my sister tired that evening. I stayed over in Calgary and on Sunday stopped in at my grandpas to visit with him. On Monday we went down to Brooks again and had Chinese food with Neils aunt Vicky and uncle Elvio who just got back from BC.

I went riding on Tuesday and had an awesome ride on Razz. She is getting very fat and I think there will only be a few more rides for her this year. I cantered on her and she was excellent about it. The first time to the right, I kicked her a little too hard and scared her and she went flying around, but never acted up or anything, we went 3 trips around the arena and she didn't want to stop, but she did eventually. To the left, she was more controlled and we did a nice slow couple of rounds then she stopped real nice. I sometimes forget how sensitive she can be and I am having a hard time keeping my legs off her cause her belly is so round.



Jardi put another ride on Princess on Tuesday and she is getting better, never had to use a crop this time, but still alot of work to get her to keep moving. She totally reminds me of a pony, the other day in the barn she wouldn't move over and we poked her belly with a brush handle and she just stood there looking at us! Shes so funny, but can be very frustrating as well. Good thing she has a good temperament and likes people so much, it makes us overlook her faults.

I have been working on making some new years lists, I make a one year a three year and a ten year list so I have goals to look forward too, not quite finished yet, but they will be up here soon.

I feel kinda bad for our dogs, some days we go outside and they look so cold, but they seem to really like the outdoors, they don't even use the doghouses or the heated shop, except on really cold windy nights. When its foggy in the mornings, they come up with frost on them and look so cute. Here's Betty-Sue:


and Lady or we call her puppy dog mostly:
She is so adorable and bouncy, she gets so excited when we go outside, even if its like 10 times an hour, lol. I never wanted a puppy when they came and delivered her, but I cant imagine not having her here now.

Well Happy New year everyone and have a great 2010!!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Brrrr

Man, its winter again, and its kinda weird to be writing in the daytime since it seems like I'm always writing in the middle of the night.
Yesterday was such a busy day, I was exhausted when i finally got home. I had a haircut in Hanna at 9, so I left home just after 8 and then did a little shopping there then went to Drum to get some pictures developed. I then went to ride and found out Lu wasn't coming cause she had to finish up some shopping and had coffee with Susan. That was good cause I was making her a set of reins out of an old rope and i measured wrong and it turned out only 9 feet, too short for her horse, but perfect for Bailey. So I had coffee there and then Barb shows up to ride. I rode Razz (and forgot my camera to take a pic of her in the hackmore) and Barb rode Sid and my instructor rode Princess. I asked her to ride her a few times and maybe she would have better luck getting her into a lope. She injured her shoulder and its been so cold she hasn't gotten to it yet, but she asked if I was gonna ride Princess later and I said no, so she did. It was good, she had to really work hard but she finally got a canter after a few kicks and crow hops (nothing serious--that would take too much energy!)
It was a good ride and Razz is getting better and better every time I ride her in the hackmore, I think she really likes it, I just gotta get enough courage now to lope her, I think if i ride by myself and feel confident, next lesson I will try to lope. I have been afraid to ride her when no one is around because i worry and she gets fast and outta control. She has never tried anything bad so I know its all in my head, but if I get over riding alone, I'm sure i can lope and we will just progress like crazy for the next month then I guess i will have to give her time off, even though its going so good.
After riding I was meeting Neil in town for supper at |Boston Pizza, that was really good then we did a little shopping and finally picked up our new all fridge and a small chest freezer, and got them in the basement today.



I went out to check the horses again this morning because when I was out there the other day, I though Belle looked really big and shes not due till Mid May and I was getting a little worried for her that's still 5 months away! I talked to Jardi about it and she was worried about twins, cause theres been a few around in the last few years and they aren't good and shes a little mare, maybe 14.1 and like 900 pounds. Well after today, I don't think shes quite as big, just bigger than I have ever seen her before, no doubt she is in foal, cause shes never been very fat and now she is



and a side view



Well off to go fill up the new freezer, I think Neil is bringing in the meat now, probly wont ride over Christmas, but we will have to see, I would like to get out though.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Trail Ride

Today I woke up and it looked yucky out so I was gonna stay home and do some baking and laundry, but at 11 I went out to feed the dogs and it was gorgeous out so I phoned up Barb and Jessica to see if they wanted to go for a ride and they did. So we met at the barn and decided to go outside cause it was so nice out. Here's me trying to take a picture of myself riding the Princess:



Here's Barb on Sid and Jessica on Dusty:



The ride was going really nice and since Jessica hadn't been home in a month to ride her horses she wanted to lope, so her and Dusty did and me and Barb just walked, although it was a little faster walk cause Dusty was getting away, lol.

Barb thought they should take some pics of me cause I never have pic riding cause I'm the only picture taker around usually, so we went to the top of a hill and posed:



Then we got creative and decided we wanted trees and coulees in the background, so here's Jessica...





and me...




and Barb...






Then Princess was having problems keeping her ears froward for pictures except when she was turning around looking at me...





It was getting cold cause the sun was going down so we went back, turned out the ponies and went for supper in town, afterwards on the way home, the roads we awful foggy and you couldn't see anything




It was a fun day and I think outside riding is more to Princess liking as well.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Dec 18, 2009

Hello again

Well Shirley I took your advice and tried the hackamore on Razz today and was kinda expecting not too much because she hasn't been stopping real great, but she took to it like a duck to water. I got on and she was a little confused but I asked her to bend left and right and that was okay then we walked a few steps and asked for a stop and she braced, but her head never went up or anything, so i was felling pretty good and we went into a trot and asked for a stop and it was actually kinda soft. I was so impressed I had to try it a few more times and she just kept getting better. My trainer/instructor came in and asked how she was and I said fabulous and she never believed me but after a few stops she was pretty impressed. So I guess it'll be the hackmore till I quit riding her this spring. Shes gaining quite a bit of weight, I had to undo the back cinch 2 holes today! I don't think its all baby either.

I asked my trainer to ride Princess a few times for me to see if she could get her to lope, maybe i was doing something wrong or who knows, and the other day, she had her ready to go and went to put the saddle on another horse and pulled some muscles in her bad shoulder, so that was the end of her riding for a few weeks, so I never rode today because we had to go to dinner.

I went out to see the outside horses yesterday to make sure they are doing alright and they are fat and furry, no worse for the wear from the cold.

On a side note, we went for a Christmas dinner today at some friends house, I think the best part of Christmas is visiting with friends and family. I got them a Cowboy night before Christmas story and they gave me a western photo album, sow i need to fill it with some pictures.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

I Need a tropical island!


This is what our windows look like from cold and humidity

Wow I sure miss summer. Its now -28 and it warmed up all the way to -24 this afternoon. Fortunately they are saying on Wednesday we get above freezing (I'm not sure i believe it yet)




We got our new freezer and its already full, we figured it wouldn't hold as much as the chest freezer and we still have 2 boxes of fruit and some hamburger left over. I guess we have to get the small chest freezer as well. We also ordered a fridge but it wont be in till the 22nd. It is kinda cool cause it has no freezer in it, only fridge all the way to the top, which will be perfect cause all we use it for is pop and drugs for cattle and horses.

I have figured out the problems with having a palomino paint horse, I lost him today because he blends in with the snow and dead grass in the field.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Decisions Decisions

Well today it was -15 and I braved the cold weather and went riding. I rode Princess and have tried again to get her to lope, and all we can get is maybe one lap around the arena. She doesn't even work hard enough to sweat after 45 minutes of work! I am thinking I need to sell her to a child or an adult as a walk trot horse for trail or pleasure riding only cause she sure excels at that!

I was too cold and so I wimped out and never rode Razz. I also don't know if i should be riding her now. She has bad teeth that have been bothering her for a while, and she is chewing on the bit pretty bad every time I ride. We had her to the vet and he doesn't want to sedate her to do her teeth because shes bred so either I don't ride her anymore till she foals, which will probably mean till next fall after her baby is weaned or just ignore it and ride her anyways till march. I really wanted to get a few more months on her before giving her 8 months off. I am not sure if i should try her in a hackamore or side pull and that may make a difference.

We finally got a hot water heater installed yesterday and went a picked up a freezer today, unfortunately our furnace cant keep up so its ccccold in here tonight, but tomorrow we are getting a new furnace (I hope he comes early). The only good thing about that is we are getting an air conditioner as well, although its not included in the replacement cost, but for an extra $400, its worth it in the summers.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Dec 9

Well we are finally warming up, its only -17 now. (I cant believe i just said only)

Well our crew came back today and cleaned out all the garbage and took away the fridge and deepfreeze. Its so hugely roomy in there now!



They left the fans and will come back on Monday to pick them out, but have no idea when they are gonna rebuild.

Tommorow we get a new hot water heater and going shopping for a new fridge and freezer, or maybe two freezers, and upright and a small chest.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Flooded Basement


Well it got all the way to -22 today so no riding, which was OK because on Sunday our basement had a foot of water in it when we came home.

So today the restorers come and took away all the wet stuff that we might want to save or has a value. They are coming back tomorrow to take the 47 bags of garbage that we are throwing out. I had been thinking we should clean out the basement, but this sure isn't how i wanted to do it!

The horses here are fine, I don't even think they mind the cold as long as the wind doesn't blow too hard. I wish I could handle it as easy as they can.

New Blogger

Hi everyone!!!

I thought I would just start a blog just to write down what I have been working on with the various horses I have been riding.
Right now I am riding a 3 year old paint horse named Razz that is very sensitive, and a 6 year old gray mare named Princess that I am having trouble getting into a lope. I just got Princess at the end of october in a trade and she is very sweet and gentle (lazy).
Last Wednesday we went to get the horses teeth checked and Razz needs hers done, but the vet never wanted to sedate her because shes bred, so she wont get done till spring.
Not sure when I will ride this week because of the cold weather, but I will try to blog anyways.