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.

Happy New Year

Seems like a lot of people have had a bad 2017, not sure mine was bad, it wasn't great and it didn't go the way I planned but I cant say I hated it and I guess that's all one can hope for.  Many things have changed and I have changed and therefore I am hoping more stuff I want to get done this year does and it will be awesome!

1.  First off 2 new foals how can that not be so fun!  I plan of halter breaking them early of course since its during branding season it may not go as smooth as planned but it will happen eventually.

2.  Cutting.  I have plans to start riding Easy as soon as I can. I kinked my back on Friday so I'm out for week or 2 and still working on finding a place.  Then come April he will go be boarded at the trainers and then if I can't ride at least they will keep him in shape for showing.

3.  Finishing projects at home, I have a huge work in progress list, both of crafts, woodworking and building items I want to get done.  I have made out a list/timeline and gave myself goals for when they are done I think it will work knowing exactly what I need to do.

4.  And of course my other horses, I have goals for pretty much everyone, all listed out, I wont bore you with them here but it starts with getting Rayne started and taking more clinics with Razz to have her calmer and relaxed in groups.  And taking Jax on a group ride/drive.  And probly leasing Pally out after branding season, I have a few places asking about her and so we will see, not like I won't have enough others around lol.  Only one who doesn't have a goal list is Jessie which is weird for the first time ever for her.  Still debating on Nita, whether to breed her back or ride her we will see how the foal is and how she is.

5. Enjoy every moment. So even now as I am laying in bed writing this up I have taught myself to crochet.  So far just a single crochet in a dishcloth but I want to make some log pillows for my window seat so I need to practice.  Times a wasting gotta do something.

New Years 2017

Haha Im a bit late but Happy New Year everyone.  Time to make resolutions and blah blah blah.  Actually I like making resolutions and I really like lists and keeping track of stuff so this year I am trying something new and made myself a binder for all the important stuff.  Still working on it and what I like and dont like but after 3 days I like it so far, nice to have everything in one place.

Last year I had lots of goals (written here) and some got done and some changed and some just never got thought of again.  Well this year is a little different I have fewer goals but bigger ones.

1.  Get out and cut, so much so that I am no eligible for the 2000 class in any NCHA show.  I said something last year and Doug said it was possible in a year but wont be easy.  That OK who needs easy anyways...and I got Easy (the horse, lol)  Also in this goal is another one of getting more fit.  I kinda been slacking last few years and I notice it when i ride now and if I wanna be competitive I need to be ready to ride and so I started a workout routine, got it all planned out which helps at least I know what I should be doing when.

2.  Big scary news (for me anyways)  If all goes well I am gonna breed Jess this year, sent away her 5 panel test and they were doing a special for either color or pattern, well shes sorrel no doubting that so I did pattern, she has a lot of white including a belly spot so we will see, not that it matters the stud Im thinking of is sorrel with white too so I kinda know the color of the foal already.  Dont care about color but if it turns out well I am gonna put himéher in training.  Yikes!  Unless it sells haha and then Ill do it again :)  But also because of this this fall I am gonna look at getting a bred mare so I have 2 foals they seem better that way.  But I will be picky cause if I dont breed Jess back Ill probly wanna ride the mare so she has to be broke.  Well that was a longer goal than I expected but kinda needed to be.  No plans to breed Razz yet, I cant find a stallion I like enough for her.  But Im sure I will eventually.

3.  Clean out old house.  Ya that was on my last year list but we just got the garage finished (after a good 6 months grrr)  and this week just moved a freezer and fridge over so I couldnt do much before then althoguh I been slowly working on it.

4.  Ride more.  And Drive more.  Now that I got Jax and a cart and harness for him I plan on doing a lot of driving :)  and last year was a really poor year for riding so I will definitely have to up my game this year, specially with Easy he will need exercise at least 5 probly  days a week.  Im gonna start ponying him so hes not always rode will be nicer for him and hopefully get him more comfortable in the pastures.  And to have more I need a starting amount.  According to AQHA I have 24.5 All breed hours and 98.5 AQHA hours for a total of 123.  Which is a lot more than I thought, most of it while Easy was boarded last winter but I need at least twice that to get through this year.

Oh and Shirley the mermaid, I got a better pic so you can see it, I love it!  And Mrs Shoes I sure will share the recipe.  tomorrow if I get time :)

Horsemanship Challenge 2014

I somehow stumbled across this group on Facebook that if you want to join just submit a picture of you and your horse and agree to do 40 horsemanship hours in the next 12 weeks, this includes 30 rides of which 5 may be bareback the rest must be saddled.  Sounded like fun so I joined, sounds like a supportive group of people just wanting motivation to get out and ride in the winter.  I put in a pic of me and Jessie and so we are in :)

I would also like to do it with Kali but only entered Jess, I think only one horse and hopefully I will have Kals sold before 12 weeks too. It starts on Jan 5th so will have to get my butt in gear, had planned to already but always nice to have more motivation.  Its hard when my friends aren't riding for the winter and I feel like that's all I do.  It starts today but at -31 this morning I can wait till tomorrow.

This is a great start for my 2014 horse goals, I want to ride more, I dunno how much I rode last year was pretty slack about keeping track but will try to be better this year.  I also want to move out of the $2000 limited cutting class.  I have a long ways to go, am only at $168 but hope its possible this year to move on.  I am sick of feeling like a beginner all the time after 2 years of doing this should be a little better right?  But money earned in winter series doesn't count nor does central shows so if I am gonna do this I have to prove to Doug (and myself) we can compete at ACHA shows and win.  He always asks what my goals are and so next time I go I am gonna tell him this.  He will say its gonna be work but I am ready this year, no more excuses!

Equestrian Challenge -- Day 2

Day 2 --  Current riding goals

This is a challenge for me.  Right now I am wanting to get cutting.  Have for the last year but its been slow going.  Much slower than I care for it to be.  But I am learning patience along with cutting ;)  My only specific goal in cutting is to go to a bunch of shows next summer (as many as I can) and over the summer get consistent.

But at the same time I am still working on the other horses, for instance wanting to get Razz into a two rein then into a spade one day.  And with Kali am gonna get her jumping this winter so that is another goal I gotta get done, pretty new to me as well.  Been around jumping a lot but never really done it.

And always looking to improve my riding.  I need better balance.  And I need to work on being more consistent and demanding, rather than just letting my horse decide sometimes.  I have for a long time if they are not being bad, not expecting more.  But now I know it is actually easier for them if they know exactly what I want all the time, but its hard for me.

2011 Riding and Riding Goals for 2012

I remember sometime I did a review of all the hours I rode in 2010 so I thought I might do something like that again and in it add in my goals for this year as well.  It is easy to keep track cause I am part of the AQHA Horseback Riding Program and I record all my hours riding or driving both Quarter horses as well as other breeds.  The only confusing part is they don't keep specific records for other breeds so its a little harder for me to keep track of but the registered horses shows exactly how many hours riding each of them has. 
About half way through the year( I can't remember when)  I started putting Razz as a Buckskin and Dinero and Gypsy were paints but I am sure I put some of Razz's hours as a paint too, but this year Razz will be a buckskin and Jazz will be a paint cause those are the only 2 I have that aren't quarter horses.  And if I ride someone elses horse I generally put them in the grade quarter horse category unless I know thier registered name and number which is a nusiance so I don't usually bother.

So it looks like I rode:
Quarters:
--Disco half hour (that wasn't the plan but hopefully more will occur this year)
--Shasta 2 hours (only cause I only had her a few weeks, she will definitely get more hours this summer)
--Bailey 3 hours (that's sad, I feel bad for her cause she always wants to go so hopefully more this year as well)
--Kali 26.5 (not bad but she will probly get more outside riding this summer)
   So a total of 32 hours on Quarter Horses last year, 13 hours less than the year before, probly cause I ended up riding Razz a lot more than any other horse around here.
Other Breeds:
--Paints 53 hours (between Gypsy and some of Razz's  and Dinero's hours I thinks)
--Buckskin 124 hours (of Razz's, she may get the same, but probly less if I am riding Jessie)
--Palomino 23 hours (Dinero's hours but maybe not all of them)
--Grade quarter Horse 7 hours (I can't remember who this all was once was Ricki and maybe Twister or Avril or Smartie or Karcy)
   For a total of 207 hours on other breeds, not totally unexpected, way up from 2010 which only had 135.5 hours, but will probly change for next year.
  So a total of 239 hours riding last year, not too bad at all.  Kinda fun how I can keep track like that.  I think I should be getting another award soon cause there is one at 500 hours, so hopefully this summer sometime on both levels cause I am over 400 on both.

This year I plan on more riding, but it will be different riding.  Bailey and Shasta and Razz will be used for mostly ranch work and trail riding, Jazz will get started and rode out and in some, and Disco I'm not sure yet, I will start ponying her from Razz here in the spring, start her all over again like a colt but hopefully faster.  And then Jessie (or another cutter)  I will hopefully show and take lessons and get a lot done that way as well.  I am trying not to make specific goals because they seem like they aren't working but I know I do want to ride more, and that should not be a problem if winter gets nice again and I get Jazz started early enough.  I am gonna ask Doug if he starts colts cause I think that would be an awesome 30 or 60 days beginning for her to learn the flag and work cows, even if she will not be a cutter. 

Goals For Horses This Year

I was reading Shirleys blog a while ago and she had made a list of all the different things she wanted to get accomplished with her horses this year.  I do this every year, so I thought I would share it here as well.  It will be quite a long list as I have 10 horses to go through.  Last week I had 11, but the people who came to see Gypsy decided to buy her, and it sounds like it will be a perfect fit.  They are coming on Wednesday  to pick her up.

Well first off my Bailey girl.  This year I want to ride more cows with her, maybe rope something, work on getting her softer in the bridle, and maybe move her up to a curb bit.  I think she's ready for it, I'm not sure I am ready to give up control.  I also want to get her to open gates calmly.  She gets pretty worried when that gate is coming at her, and she likes ignoring my left leg, so that will take some work.

Then onto Belle.  I was planning on breeding her to Jardi's stallion Tangle this summer, but am not so sure now.  I would like a foal from them, but not sure if now is the best time for it.  Of course that would mean another 3 years before I ride it, so maybe that would be a good plan.

Then Dinero.  I want to get him more broke, maybe go to a paint horse show later in the summer/fall.  I also want to ride him through our cows and see how he takes that.  I am pretty sure he would make a good rope horse, but I am not a roper so we will have to see.  Or a kids horse, but of course that will be in a few years when he is more broke.  I was planning on taking him to the APHA World show next November and maybe selling him down there, but now that I have been cutting, it seems all I want to do is cut and I don't think he will make a cutter.

Disco.  She is gonna foal here end of May sometime and all I want to do with her is ride her in the fall.  See how she is, supposedly was ready to show cutting.  Means I may have 3 cutting horses!  That would be fun.  And would be nice to have something to learn of off.

Fly.  He is gonna go to his new home this spring, but before then I would like him to be halter broke and know how to load.  If we ever get nice weather that might happen.

George.  Not technically my horse, but Neil's.  I probly won't do much with him and he will get used for moving cows and stuff.

Jamaica.  He is staying here for a while I think.  I really like him but may list him for sale along with Jazz.  If he doesn't sell I am okay with that too. He will learn to lead, pick up his feet for a trimming and load in the trailer and get castrated.  Then turned out for summer and maybe work more with him in the fall.

Jazz.  She may get listed for sale as well,  she is not my favorite foal even though I am sure since I like Razz so much I would like her as well.  I think I am biased though I try not to be.  She is a registered paint, but looks like a quarter horse.  I always figure if you are gonna have a color breed they should be colored.  She needs to learn to lead, pick up feet for a trimming, and load in a trailer.

Kali.  She will get more training in by Jardi for a few more months, as soon as it gets warm out I will take her for trail rides about twice a week.  I may give her a month or two off in July/August and the go back in training with the intention of showing her in ranch cutting in the winter series.

And Razz.  Not last in favorites, just alphabetically.  I plan on getting her quicker responses from the leg and more cow work.  I want to show her in some shows this summer, not sure if we are ready for cutting yet although I had been told the Central Alberta Cutting Assosiation is a great place to start and there would only be about 4 in the classes.  Charlene wants to go to some gymkanas and so I may take Razz to those as well.