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.

300

Well I made my 300 hour mark with rides with the Alberta Equestrian Federation.  Seems like it took way longer than it shoulda, haven't been riding as much this past year as I would like to or have in the past.  But I got there and now on my way to the 500 hour mark is the next reward.  With all the horses I have it shoulda took no time at all haha but we are continuing on.

I also headed to a trail clinic over the weekend, fantastic place and what a good guy, he is very mindful of the reasons he does stuff and has no trouble explaining it all till we all get it.  Very interesting guy to ask questions to.  We had a bunch of obstacles there and that was kinda fun, it wasn't about the obstacle really just making sure your horse was looking to you and going forward.  Very cool how we went about it, taught them to relax first then bring in a scary object, get them to look at you and relax and scary thing goes away.  Very neat.

(nice big pens to keep the horses in)

Also worked on releasing the poll and then getting a sidepass out of it.  Was easy but hard lol.  Easy to understand hard for me to release at the right time but we did get it a few times.  My timing is not right but I am working on it.  Then he has a short trail course with stuff in it and steep hills and we all went on it.  Pally is pretty cool she was going up the hill a little fast and I asked her to slow down and she just stopped.  Half way up a steep hill.  Was crazy. Didn't even rush out of it just walked to the top, that was cool.  Then his other short course has a swinging bridge, rain, pond with fountain (Pally didnt care for that one), vines, a slicker on a post, a rope gate and a block bridge.  She did everything but had to follow right behind his horse to do the fountain one and she rushed pretty fast through the rain but never thought of refusing so I will take it.

(the cabin at we stayed in, belongs to a friends cousin)

He took some pics but I haven't seen them so hopefully I can get them cause that would be super cool.  Thinking of going to another clinic or 2 in September if I can find time.  Id like to take everyone lol, but specially Razz, get her to slow down and maybe into a bit.  I am gonna try some of the stuff on her and see how it goes then when I am struggling can ask him about it.  The 2 day ones are only $150 and include 2 hour and a half sessions to work on whatever you want each day.  Pretty reasonable.

What's Been Happening??

I dunno if anyone looked at my sidebar but I try to keep it up to date with whats going on, works well, I look at it often.  But it was full a couple weeks ago and now its almost empty.  I much prefer it this way.  Finished almost all the brandings, got 2 left, a clinic and a wedding and cows to go to Stettler place.

Both my nephews graduated this year, Tristan from grade 12 and he is going into Sait in the fall to take some computerized drafting course.  Got a full scholarship so that is pretty sweet.

Jaret from grade 9 and he doesn't know what he wants to be yet but hes got a few more years yet.

I been doing a bit of woodworking, finished Neil's golf caddy for his birthday, built a raised bed (I want 4 more but later) and started on the deck.

Sometimes while out there I have a few visitors, barn swallows and a deer (he was unwelcome)  We also have a couple baby bush bunnies in the yard, haven't gotten a pic of them yet but I will keep trying.

I took Pally to a few brandings, she is kinda fun not real ambitious but does what I ask, I may be taking her in the clinic next weekend.  I also got a pic of Neil while we were waiting for cows to mother up cause his mom always asks for a pic of him riding.

And a funny colored mushroom, the kids were bored lol

2017 Branding

Early in the morning, 6 I got up and did chores.  I normally don't get up that early but I should so I can ride before it gets too warm.  Anyways I took Pally over to the neighbors to help gather.  We were there by 8 and it took about an hour.  She was pretty good.  Shes fun :)  She does want to lean towards the trailer and she wasn't fond of going through the slough but we did and she wasn't too hard to convince to go away.  I also stayed on her to help sort the cows out, they like to use horses and she wasn't great but not bad.  Probly never done that before and she's the same height as the cows lol.

(Dusty likes his job)

(Cookie has a creepy  blue eye)

Then after we branded there then went and ate we came home and got the food in the oven for our branding and went out to catch the horses.  They decided they wanted none of that so we were kinda late but a neighbor showed up grabbed our quad and gave us a ride back in while leading the horses it worked good.  They were not that good to gather, we had a little smaller crew and I think the cows knew lol.  But we did get them all in, Razz had to work hard though and she's fast and jumps over holes, I was glad for my cutting horn.

(my Mom even got a pic of me working)

(He was so adorable, trying to throw rocks at gophers and 

gigling when they would pop out of the hole)

We were short a couple people, 2 were not feeling well and one had a graduation so I helped brand for a bit, been a while since I did that and there is a lot of steps.  Good thing Karyn came out and helped finish up the food.  I got back about half hour before everyone else and so we got the food all out and sorted and then we ate.  No one stayed too long I think we were all tired.  I had a bath and bed finally at about 11, I sure slept well too.

I found we went through less beer but more food being the second branding in a day.  I think I like only one a day.  Or we should go first next time.  Specially since we had 2 the day before as well.

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.

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.