Working With horses

This week I rode Razz on Monday and Bailey on Tuesday, then thats where it ended in riding.  I sure would like to ride more, but Wednesday I worked with Jamaica a little bit and it was the BBQ and it was also hot, about 30.  And Thursday was even worse with temp of 33 with no wind and it never cooled down till it got dark out.  So yesterday it was only about 25, so it was time for Jamaica again.  He is learning me to be more patient.  I hope he is learning something for himself as well, and I think he is.  He is fine all quiet and calm out there and even when I go in the pen hes fine until I go to reach for the lead rope he thinks he needs to run away, so I have been roundpenning him (in a squarish pen) and he is really good at facing me and turning to change direction.  I am impatient and think I only need a few minutes and he will stand, but he reminds me everyday he has to work hard to get his brain in gear.  I sure wish I'd done this last fall when he was smaller and younger and I probly had more patience cause he was younger and smaller.

I eventually get him to where I can just walk up and scratch him, but he is not relaxed about it even if I do it a million times.  I am unsure about how to fix this, but I will keep trying.  Yesterday I had tied him up which he is fine with untill I walk up to him again then he gets all tense.  So I did it about 50 times and he eventually  just stood there while I walked up and scratched his withers.

I keep looking for signs of relazation which I am always told are licking the lips, lowering the head or cocking a hind leg.  And I believe the licking of lips and lowering head, but since I got Razz, I am not sure I believe the cocking of a hind leg means relaxing.  Razz would stand there all bug eyed at something and haave leg cocked.  She looked relaxed if you didn't look at her head.  I thought she was just weird, but then I seen Jamaica do the same thing and there is no way this is a relaxed pose.

So I guess I just need to go out there more and just scratch him (which he doesent care for) and get him used to me being around all the time.  But not today cause I am helping my friend move today.  I also kinda wish he was more like Jazz, she had a big reaction when people came around to do something with her (rearing up and big eyes and blowing) but she settled and was calm and quiet about a minute after you got in the pen with her and then shes always okay when I touched her.  It was really amazing how much different they are.

BBQ

Tuesday night the tack store we use in Strathmore, K & K Livestock, had a pre stampede BBQ.  I had wanted a few things, so I thought I might as well go.  This is the only tack store I think I have been to that has food everytime I go there. 

I showed up around 5:30, an hour later than I had planned because as I was driving through Drum I got a flat tire and since I didn't want to change it myself (mostly just didn't want to get the spare out)  I stopped at the tire place and had them fix it.  It took an hour!  Wow I'm pretty sure that was a little long, but at least I could relax while they did it.

Jardi was there and she talked me into getting a breast collar.  I had been thinking of getting another one for my wade saddle since I moved the one I used to use on it to my cutting saddle.  I had a little narrow really pretty one with pink swarski crystals on it that match Kali's bridle, but it is too smal for Razz and looks silly.

So I ended up buying this one with flowers on, they are not the same flowers as my saddle, but close enough I think.  I have to show a picture on the stand cause I felt bad that it was so hot I didn't want to saddle a horse even just to take a picture today.  Sure would have been nice to take a ride or work with jamaica, but 33 is a little to warm for me and I feel bad for the ponies too.  I guess I either have to get up earlier, stay up later, or wait for a more reasonable day.

I also got a mane brush, conditioner and some chin straps.  I had 3, and since I  like a seperate bridle for each horse thet meant I was stealing off a different bridle all the time, what a nusience.  So now all the bridles have thier own.

I had a hamburger and homemade donuts and butter tarts, mmmmm.  I'm glad I went even if I wasn't planning on buying the breast coller, I love it now and I'm sure I will as soon as I get a chance to ride when its not so hot out.

Wordless Wednesday

Nighthawks and other birds

The last couple years we have had a lot of nighthawks around our yard.  They are a pretty cool bird (for a bird).  Normaly I dont really like birds, especially ones that make noise, but these nighthawks are different.  They do have a squeaking noise they make, but even cooler is the nooise thier wings make as they are flying.  It took me a long time to figure out thats what was making the noise, but I finally figured it out and it is kinda a deep wooo noise.

The other cool thing about them is that they almost blend into the fence when sitting on it.  Our yard fence is too new and green to match them yet, but after it weathers it is almost impossible to tell them apart.

I also have this other bird that was sitting on the fence as I was taking the nighthawk and its almost the same from the front, but not the same body shape at all.