More Ponies and Crafting

Seems all I do these days is crafts.  I been crocheting of course, cant show my last make till next week as its a gift, but I also made a shawl and a sweater and a baby blanket.  Since I signed up for a craft sale in May I want a few things made up that I can have there,  Also gonna make some unicorn purses, some baskets, scrubbies, dishcloths, scrunchies and face cleaners.  Also gonna have some wood stuff there too.  Not sure what as there is still a 4 foot drift in front of my wood shop so its out of use for now. 

But its been -20 or colder everyday (except 1) since the first of February so I turned out Pally and I had planned for Rayne to go to the trainer on Feb 6th for a couple months, get started and going good so when its nice (ish) here in April I can ride out on her.  Well it was -34 when we were supposed to load and so I wimped out and we decided he wasn't doing much anyways so wait till the next week.  A little warmer, only -21 and Rayne was so good, shes kinda a pleaser anyways which helps a lot.  but shes only been loaded once before when I went to pick her up.  So I asked Neil if he would help and I brought Jessie too.  we walked up tot he trailer, I had shavings down and she thought she would eat them silly girl.  I could get her front feet in without even asking but she wouldn't take those last two steps and she just stood there.  I tried bribing her with cookies which I don't normally do but it was cold!  Anyways swung my lead rope and she backed out but no biggie, just walked front feet in and stood again, not worried just hanging out.  I was cold, Neil was cold and I finally said to Neil you have any ideas I don't know what to do.  and kinda just gave up.  Well up she hopped in.  So lots of scratches and there was a hay bag there too and we tied her up and closed the door.  All in all was only 15 minutes, I was surprised at that felt much longer.  Got there and we put her in the indoor arena to run around and she was excited to run without snow and ice everywhere it was funny.  He said he does that a lot then they can check out everything and its not a scary new place when he takes them in there.  We visited a while then I headed home and got home before dark and turned out Jess.  Got an update the other day, they did say I can ask but I don't wanna bug them everyday, well I sorta do but trying not too.  He said she was pushy and tried to run him over which I knew she definitely did try that here too but he said shes coming along pretty good. 

(Dixon and Huck)

(Rayne and Jessie)

(George, Jax, Nita, Razz)

(Huck and Dixon)

Otherwise just feeding colts and trying to stay warm.  And started up paint class again, started with something fun Luigi :)

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.

The Pregnant Girls

So my nephews are here for the summer and so I made one come with me when i went to pick up Jessie.  It seems so far away, its about 3.5 hours but its hot and blech.  Anyways we got there and it was lunch time so we just wandered around looking at stuff and mostly standing in the shade of the barn cause it was 37*C and boy does he have flies down there.  Anyways he come out and we got Jess after paying and filling in paperwork and chatting for a while.  Then he asked if I was going by Doug's cause he had a mare and colt there.  So we loaded Jess and the mare and the colt was not halter broke yet so we just sorta herded him in.  He took off a few times so we got a panel and he just jumped in no problem but he was a terrible traveler.  But he will get better over time, there was lots of room and he moved around a lot and I think annoyed both mares.  Gerry says he expects to see me and the foal in the futurities in a few years, I said that's the plan but I may not be riding it.

(She looks good, this is when she came home, 

needed a feet trim but otherwise fat as usual)

So off we went and dropped the pair off and then we headed home.  Jess was glad to be home, probly mostly cause there was a lot less flies.  The others just accepted her right back in after Easy had to chase her around a bit to make sure she knew he was boss lol but otherwise pretty boring which is how I like it.  Super excited about this foal!

(after her feet were done figured I might as well ride)

(and see the new gate we built this summer)

Then a week or so later got a call from Carol that Nita was bred, that was a bit more ordeal they bred her and then when went to ultrasound her she was in a silent heat so they injected her and tried again and she caught the second time around.  So shes due later than I wanted but she is bred, I hope its a colt.

(Nita looks good too, fatter than when she went I think even)

So Jess is due June 4th and Nita June 23, be kinda  pain in branding season but that's how it is.  Pretty sure I wont breed next year so we can get earlier again if I like them.   Been trying to think of names for both and I got a few I like but we will see how it goes when they are born.

Breeding Mares

I made a plan a long time ago that I wanted to breed Jess this year.  I had pretty much decided last spring who I wanted to breed her to on the suggestion of her previous owner, so all last year we watched his colts and liked them, they are decent, and they look good and they are winning.  So I phoned up the owner and made a date for Jess.  Took her down last Friday and got the tour and left her there.  Bit weird not having her at home here.  Pretty excited about this foal, I'm not even sure I care if its a colt or filly.

(Jess was just happy for grass didn't care about a whole lot of other stuff going on )

(Dually Cat, he has a big pen right by the house)

I also don't really like one foal they seem better when there are 2 so I was on the look for another mare I liked, probly said this before but I was planning on buying this fall an in foal mare but then along came Nita and shes perfect (except she jumps Texas gates) I can ride her, she is short and she is decently bred.  And now I can get my Hesgottabefamous colt that I have always wanted.  So I took her down Friday as well since its sorta on the way.  I just love going down there I always come away with more knowledge then when I got there.  She knows quite a few of the stallions on her papers, her cousin even owned one of them so that was kinda cool.  They were collecting off a stallion when I was there, the new guy Fix N To and he was so funny, rather noisy and excited until he was done he fell asleep on the dummy lol.  Then they bred a couple mares, always something going on there.

(they gave me a whole folder full of info)

 

(the stallion poster)

(Barrel incentive, not sure I will get any of this but kinda cool anyways)

(and of course the new guy)

After we went out to see Famous and hes so quiet and nice, I still like him.  She said his offspring are not much taller than him, and willing and handy.  Sounds perfect.  Said a race barn in Edmonton has 4 in right now and they are so easy a monkey could ride them.  Sounds perfect for me :)  I decided to put her in the group and Carol said if it doesn't work she can be in her own pen but she likes her herd so I think it will be best.  I'm hoping for a colt out of this cross.

(they are already cutting hay down south, I know they are ahead of us but wow crazy)

Super excited for next year and the couple years after that!!  Fingers crossed all goes well and both get bred easy.  My worst fear is Nita will catch and Jess won't.  But I will be patient and try not to worry.

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.

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.

Cold Days

Well besides the snow we got yesterday morning its been a good spring.  We are more than 3/4 calved out, had 2 sets of twins but as it would work we had 2 cows who lost calves (actually 4 but 2 went to town) and so they now have new calves.  One we are still working on but she seems to like it its the calf lol he likes every cow, so we got to get him to believe this is his only mom.

I got a perm earlier this month, Neil's cousin's kid is taking the hairdressing school in Red Deer and needed a model for her exams,  I wasn't sure I wanted a perm but oh well its only hair and it will grow out.  Turns out I actually kinda like it, gives a bit of volume to my otherwise super straight flat hair.

I been riding a bit, not as much as I want to or should be but its been wet and cold.  Neil went in the horse pen without moving the horses and they of course escaped and Easy and Nita ran around the yard a whole bunch of times, finally quit and I caught Easy and then Nita.  Easy worked hard, he was all sweated up, Nita was just following she wasn't even breathing hard.  I had a good laugh at them after being kinda annoyed with Neil and then did some groundwork with the weird stuff I have set up in the arena.  Easy doesn't care for anything he doesn't know, but the whip cracking or travelling anywhere over him is not a big deal, he backs up real nice (almost too much) he didn't care for the hula hoops or the logs, but the tarp that is one scary scary thing.  But I got a toe on it and praised him and quit there.  It was a big deal for him.

Nita didn't care about anything, she walked over the tarp, through the hula hoops, I even flipped one around and threw it and she didn't care.  The whip wasn't a big deal either after she could see what I was doing but she does not back up.  So we will work on that, she probly has never been asked and that's ok, quite normal I think from what I've seen.

We had Neil's birthday celebration on the 15th and that was good then the next day headed to Calgary for Easter.  Was nice, worked out well.  I stayed over and picked up my foam for my window seat and now just waiting on a sale for fabric to make the cover.

(I made Bunny Butt cookies,

 not quite as good as pinterest but still delicious)

(Finally finished my sisters Christmas gift,

 its hard when the shop isn't heated)

Was up at the Mane Event on Saturday, met my neighbors there that is kinda fun, all I bought was a slow feed hay net and got a bag of feed for free.  I'm trying to find a ration balancer for the ponies that isn't soy based and its really hard.  Watched some trainers challenge and a bit of the clinics and that's always fun.

Got Easy teeth and sheath done on Monday, teeth needed it but were not bad, sheath however was another story, I kinda figured cause I could smell him but hes so silly sensitive I didn't want to do it and its a good thing cause it was a big job and he had a bean way up high.  The vet earned his money on that one.

Also started back doing the therapeutic riding this spring, last night was the first night, we had a Boy named Tristan and hes been doing this since they began, he loves it.  So fun seeing there reactions.  only 5 weeks, so the end of May I will be done.  And yesterday was our last day swimming for a while since the closed the indoor pool for renovations. One day when it gets warm out they will open the outdoor but its not the same.

Classy Nita Lena

Well that was quick.  Went yesterday to where Jessie and Easy were thought we were gonna go riding and then last minute  I called the lady with the horse for sale if we could look.  She said sure so since it was 3 hours away I hooked up the trailer and away we went.  Took the scenic route there lol but still got there in time to see her with lots of light.  She was in a smaller pen and she was easy to catch he brought her out and looped the lead around her neck she never went anywhere.  We looked her over talked to them about what I was looking for and what they did and stuff and we decided we should try riding her.  I guess its only been 2 years since she was rode and she was an 11 year old boys horse so we kinda thought should be good but you never know.  She's shorter than expected and that's good lol, she has kinda  a long back but not crazy, she is super straight front and back, a little dip in the neck, not real pretty but generally nice looking.

(her papers)

(this morning in the fog)

He said last winter she was up and the other horses got across the creek so he jumped on her bareback to go get them and she just did it through the water and all.  Well he tied up her halter and jumped on her bareback.  He had a bit of trouble steering her she was in heat and pretty sure she should go see her gelding friend.  That took like a second and then she was fine away from him but didn't wanna leave but he climbed on her butt and stood up.  Not sure I'd do that on Jessie even lol.  We locked up her buddy and took her into the yard and saddled her up she didn't care and of course I only had curb bits so I just rode her in the halter.  She still wanted to go to her friend but less than 5 minutes I could make her go anywhere in the yard I wanted, around tires the barrel the pallet whatever.

(at my house, unsure about whats going on,

 she will settle in I think soon she doesn't seem very upset, 

quite quiet actually)

(finding out the waterer, she shares with Jess and Easy 

so that's why she's in her she can see them and they can get used to her)

(our first selfie lol she came to see what I was doing)

So we decided she's got the breeding, she's gentle enough and she is a good mother, they say she was only at the breeder 4 days last time lol.  That was her 4th foal, we saw him and he was pretty nice and so I made the deal.  She was cheaper than I planned to pay even though I still have to pay a breeding fee.  That was part of the deal but not a big part, I'd rather have the horse I want than cheap out but it helped, I'm sure if they rode her for a couple weeks they coulda doubled the price on her. We loaded her up she was fine but tried to turn around before I got the divider closed but second time around she was good.  We took the shorter route home but about an hour from home we run into thick fog it was miserable.  We sorta knew where we were going but we still missed the corner and had to go farther and find a place to turn around.  The last 4 miles to her place is gravel and that was even worse, finally got there and she offered me a place to stay over and I took it.  I had planned on driving home but not in that fog if I don't have to.  We put her in the front pen and fed her and went to bed it was late.

(Oh Jess, she loves her mud)

(Easy looking around, Jess eating)

(Easy :) )

(Easy eating)

(And I called him lol hes looking at Nita she's beside me)

This morning she had to leave early, it was still foggy but seems better in the daytime so about 10:30  I decided to head home.  I caught Easy and Jess and tied them to the trailer, wasn't sure how to load, Jess in the back and that's all I knew for sure.  Went to get Nita and she just stood there while I caught her and she loaded in the front no trouble even waited for me to close the divider.  Then Easy, he was kinda nosy trying to smell her but that's why there are dividers lol.  Then Jess in the back, she's so good just staying in while I close the door.  Got home and unloaded everyone and put Nita in her own pen for a few days then she will go with Jess and Easy and hopefully my arena will dry up and I can start riding her soon.