Still Winter

Seems like everyone has stuff going on and so boring here.  Well I'm not that bored but sure no horsey stuff going on besides these cute boys :)

(Dixon will drink right out of the pail, head all the way in past his eyes)

Otherwise just more crochet and book folding and I took a quilting class last week and we made table runners.  I got mine all pieced together but not quilted and binded cause my sewing machine is at the doctors and I borrowed one to use for the day but he wanted it back.  They said there is one at the school I can use when I go on Thursday nights for craft night but I probly wont, hopefully wont be too long till I get mine back. 

(I didn't mean for it to be baby looking but it kinda turned out that way)

Also made this baby blanket for a shower, they are both big hunters, it went over well as they had steer heads already decorating her room, with flowers on them.  Different but that's ok.

Heard back from Rayne and she was pushy, which I knew but shes better and progressing nicely, I may go down this week if it warms up and see her.

And biggest news is I sold Easy.  Sad that is my cutting dreams for this year but I put the money in a gic for when Dixon goes.  Which I talked to him about taking him, he would prefer started and wants him in March or April next year.  Kinda excited. Anyways Easy sold to a gal doing high school rodeo, they also ranch and he said shes a good hand so that's good. I may have to keep track of her and go see him this at a show.  Will miss the silly bugger although makes my life freeer and have many plans for this summer already in place :)

Horse Goals

Well I beat last years blogger record ;)  Haha not that is was hard but I'm glad to be back anyways.  Well big changes here. Today Easy went to Doug's, he's gonna leg him up and sell him.  I will be sad but I think its best in the long run.

And Pally came along as company and she's staying in for a few days or months lol I am gonna ride her and probly sell her as well.

I got to use my new trailer it pulls so nice!  I got it last October after selling mine in June cause it just wasn't what I wanted and this one is almost exactly what I was looking for except its steel not aluminum but I will use it for a few years and see, it was a steal so I couldn't resist.  No pun intended.

And I got Rayne booked in for 2 months to get started, she will probly be for sale but I'm in no hurry for her to sell, I really prefer they are nice and broke before I sell so it may be another year but she's so big already and she's 3 how do they get so old so fast???

Looking into a beginner ranch roping clinic, I will take Jess cause that's one of my goals this year is to learn to rope and shes my best candidate cause shes done it before.  Not a lot but she did get roped off at a branding and could care less unless you slapped the rope on your leg but that's dealwithable.
Also going to take Jess to BC and we are gonna do some of the rocky trails cause she will have shoes all summer, I'm pretty excited about this.

My boys are growing, Huck is becoming quite bossy and I had to get after him the other day, he wouldn't let Dixon in all day to eat so I locked Huck out and in the morning they were best friends again.  Huck is really good at joining up and Dixon is really good at disengaging the hindquarters, partially cause he wants to keep and eye on me but whatever I will take it haha.  Haven't actually "done" anything with them lately cause of my back but I do have to go in there everyday to feed them so spend a little time just visiting and being friends, its working Dixon comes up to me now, Huck always did.

Got goals for Jax as well, gonna get him pulling a cart and want to go on a group drive with him.  And Razz, shes probly gonna have an easy year but I'm sure she will get used here and there :)  And Nita.  Haven't decided what I am doing with her yet, I will probly end up selling her turns out I can only ride so many and looks like about 4 is more than I need so that means 5 to sell but not yet if I get 2 sold I'm happy with that for this year.

Summer Times

Well its been a whole but my computer quit on me and I can't blog on my phone too tiny.  Been a lot going on, my sisters wedding, got my 2 nephews out for the summer to help us here, went to another clinic with Razz, a family reunion, and both my mares are bred and back home again.

(I have wanted a gate up North so I can ride through it,

 it works well I took Jess on a ride to try it).

(Picking berries, we had a lot of saskatoons and even more choke cherries)

(Tristan and Neil pounding posts in our bull field)

(Neil saw this Tardis in Drum so we had to get a closer look and a pic)

(the hall at the family reunion)

(the family crest)

(a cool but not cool smokey sun)

(one of my favorite flowers in the garden)

(Trying to get pics of Easy as AQHA has lost his papers

 and he was not always cooperative)

(and a poor pic of a Piping Plover in the creek)

I got a lot of projects on the go as well, and some we got done already, sure handy having another pair of hands around to get stuff done.  I will need to do a special post on the wedding and the clinic and what else is going on with ponies as well.

Weather. And Horses

Monday before the plant sale, Neil was out farming and he messages me that Nita was out and heading east across the farm field.  Stinkin horse, maybe that's why she was for sale.  But anyways that's a couple miles away and I'm not walking that far so I get Jessie and figure Ill ride out.  Well I had her saddled and Neil says shes heading south in the winter pasture now.  OK that's the way I was gonna go out anyways.  I had a hunch she would come back to the yard anyways and sure enough just as I was bridling Jess she comes running in the yard.  So I drop my reins and corner Nita put a rope over her neck and lead her to a still in my arena.  Since Jess was all ready to ride I figured I might as well go anyways.  So instead of on a horse hunt we went south to look at our mismatched cows.  We got the cow with the twins out there and the cripple cow and the one we put a twin calf on after she lost hers.  They were all hanging out by the dugout and just happy so we headed back home, kinda short ride but I hadn't planned on riding at all so it was good.

Then I don't want Nita out again so I figured turn out Jess and Easy and keep Nita in with Razz, that was gonna be interesting when I went to the clinic Nita would be along, but I know she cant get out of the corral by herself and shes done it before, and she has ponies on the other side of the fence.

(George just want cookies lol)

 Well that worked well till after the plant sale I came home and Easy had himself just in a lather, what a nut, so I turned out Razz and Nita and so far all is good out there.  I have to fix the close fence so they can be where I can lock them in the corral in the daytime so I can ride and they don't get too obese.

And well it didn't matter about the clinic, they cancelled cause of the miserable wind and rain, or maybe snow over there I don't know.  Kinda sucks but not much you can do when its all outdoors.  Oh well he said he will give us a refund or we can do another clinic or he will come to our place to do a clinic.  Not sure what I want.  I was kinda excited about it but now I just have too much to do that I would rather my own thing for now, not sure I need a clinic on anything but driving and I don't see anywhere he does that so I will go elsewhere, maybe in July there is a clinic I think. Anyway before the storm we had the most orange sky it was so pretty.

(carraganas)

(also got flowers cause I had the camera out lol, the lilacs just opened)

And yesterday and today are just awful wind wind and wind, can hardly stand in the house never mind outside.  And we hardly got any rain even, maybe 1/4 inch but its been blown away for sure.  I was hoping for more rain as we just got the crop seeded so it woulda been perfect timing.  Really was hoping today was nice so I could get the rest of the plants planted but I guess maybe Saturday as I am going shopping in Calgary tomorrow.

More Riding

Had a nice lady (a friend) come out on Thursday and try out Pally.  She hasn't rode in a long time and would like too and her granddaughter comes down and stays during the summer and she is quite the little rider.  So she was interested in leasing Pally for the summer, after branding season.  It will work well for me, someone to exercise my horse :)  Not sure she is interested 100% because I know they were sold a kid quiet horse and she bucked and bucked on them so she is really suspicious.  Which is understandable and it sucks.  Also why she wants a lease then if it doesn't work out she can return her.   I'm not really looking so sell her but if the right place came I would.  I don't mind even keeping her around just for fun cause I like her lol.  Nice to get on from the ground and she literally has done everything so I know I can do whatever I want on her. Shes not perfect but shes a good horse.

Then I rode Razz that evening totally confused her and me oops.  Forgot the gate to the hay corral was bad to Neil just permanently wired across it.  There is another one but I forgot and rode over to it, Razz musta thought I was weird when I made her go that way then turn around and come back.  Oh well not the craziest thing I've done with her.

(gotta ride in the arena first)

(then way out)

(and home, so green )

Also been taking Jess out randomly, last night we went over in the hay field, past the bulls and across the summerfallow field on the way back.  We were riding and then comes by Neil in his truck, just come back from the north place putting up gates.  So we visited for a bit while Jess got a break and a snack.

(our house, should get a front view with ears )

(bulls in the corner, worth looking at, but they didn't care about us, didn't even get up)

(Wide open prairie, under big skies)

(Oh there is Neil)

(funny view from GoPro looking down)

(and across the freshly plowed summerfallow, ready for seeding)

And today headed to Chars with Easy, Razz, and Jess and rode in her arena.  Perfect day for riding.  Although I am using Neil's stock trailer and its a bit different cause mine is in the shop, had a bent axle and it was under warranty so waiting for the parts to come from Oklahoma should be ready next week.  After clinic of course.  But will be so nice.  So no tack room on Neil's trailer and so they had to wear the saddles.  Something new for Easy, a stock trailer and carry your own saddle and bridle.  He was a pro I think he liked it better actually.

(Big Razz is in the way but everyone else is in there too 

if you look you see Jess ears on right side and Easy stirrup on left by Razz chest)

Tomorrow we go to see my Mom for Mothers Day and then 2 more rides till the clinic.  Should be fun I guess.  Hope hes a good teacher cause we are going back in July lol.  Its at Amazing Horse Country, Scott Phillips.  It sounds like a lot of fun but a lot of rules,  We shall see.

Moving and Cleaning

Well moved things around here and had a few hassles.  Turned out Nita with George on the North pasture and kept Razz in.  As expected no fighting, a bit of noise here and there but that's pretty normal.  Then I go out to do night chores and there is Nita standing by the others, not good.  So I catch her and put her back.  Next morning she is back.  So I catch her tie her up and go to put panels over the Texas gate.  Well as I am watching her she rears up throws her head up and breaks the lead rope.  She has done that before cause she wasn't upset just went right to grazing.  Then as I am on the way out there to get her cause I have only got one panel so far she jumps the Texas gate right in front of me.  She's done that before too cause she didn't even hesitate just walked up to it and jumped.  So I caught her put her in a pen where she can not see anyone haha she did not like that and I got the panels put up and after a while put her out again, after she settled down.  2 days and so far so good, even saw her out at the far end grazing.  She only has to bee out there a couple weeks till she goes to get bred then she  will be in the field right next to the other horses with no Texas gate.

(newly fixed up gate)

(George and Nita, seems all quiet)

I rode Razz for the first time this year and of course she was good but oh so fat and out of shape.  Not good since I am taking her to the clinic next week.  Its a progressive clinic and we get 1.5 hours a day to work on whatever we want so I really want her to move into a bridle.  She is good in the hackmore but I want more.  So that's my plan, not a lot of fast work just getting her to accept it and be happy about it.  Its too bad the forecast says rain and cold those 2 days, but I think there may be and indoor but Im bringing my slicker just in case.

(worked the arena with the tractor as old as me :) )

(Had to leave the horses in arena for a bit, Jess and Razz)

(Jess is fickle left Razz for Easy lol)

(and Neil cleaned out the shed, its been a few years was getting short in there)

Also been riding Easy on and off, plan to go to 3 central shows this year, starting the end of July but Id like to go to more lessons probly after branding season.  There was a limited show I really wanted to go to but its just at a bad time no way can I go after a full week of brandings :(  Oh Well I will save my money for next year I guess.  I think I have decided I am gonna leave him there for show season or try to board somewhere on the way its just too hard being dependant on weather trying to show from home until i get an indoor arena.

Horses :)

I totally forgot to post a pic of the 6-up horses that I got to ride around on their wagon.  Now that's my kind of team, black and white paint horses :)

Rode Easy, been working him on getting out of the arena, got 2 laps around the yard so far without him freezing up or calling or trying to go back.  That's big progress for him, one day we will actually make it out into the pasture all by our selves that is my goal this summer.  I am so busy and it just hasn't worked as planned with riding early so I am gonna do a few central shows on him this year and I think I need to keep him at the trainer next year if I am serious about showing.  I've tried at home it just doesn't work for me until I get an indoor, or move to Arizona lol.

I had the ponies out the other day cause we needed to load some cows from thier pen and so thought I would give them a good brushing and let them have some grass, Pally is loosing hair like crazy while Jax is slowly loosing his.  I started them on a ration balancer a couple days ago and it has all the vitamins and everything they need in it and they love it so that should help them be shinier, although Pally likes being dirty lol.

(ha half her hair out, half in)

(eww her tail needs a bath)

(hes so adorable)

Called the stallion owner that I am gonna breed Nita too, he sounds perfect.  Even though he is a barrel sire, he is a dash ta fame after all.  He throws really nice friendly colts that just wanna work.  Easy going like him, sounds exactly what I want.  He is a bit taller than I want but Nita isn't very tall so hopefully it won't grow too much.  And shes OK if I never barrel race the colt.  I like talking to her, she has had stallions for years they have the system down and somehow she can remember every horse on the place pedigree and earnings...and they have over 80 there!

Went to the last equine seminar of the series this spring, it was farrier day.  Was interesting the first guy has been doing it a long time and talked a lot about it, the second guy talked more about therapeutic shoeing and showed us a new type of glue on shoe it was a very interesting day, made me glad my horses are fairly easy, all barefoot but front shoes on Jess.

Been debating on selling Pally, wasn't really but I have had a couple people in the last week ask me about her so a friend came out today to try her for her granddaughter, shes not buying just vetting lol.  Pally was good as always and she liked her (as does everyone)  I'm not listing her but if the right home comes I will sell her I am a bit busy too many horses lol.  Be perfect next year when Nita and Jess have colts and Easy is showing we wont be so busy at home.

Otherwise just ranch stuff going on, lots of calves around, only 35 left to go and an orphan we are bottle feeding and a set of twins, still on the cow for now.  Time to start farming, we had a neighbor tear up an old hay field and gonna plant it to oats and plant a different field to hay.  Should work good in a couple years.