Thursday

So I feel like I haven't gotten anything done this week with going to the Supreme Tuesday and going back this afternoon and staying till Saturday. In between, on Tuesday Neil took in a dry heifer to be butchered and today he is taking in the other two drys to the sale. Last night I rode both Kali and Razz. I need to get Kali ridden a few more times before she goes, so she will at least be sorta legged up for training.  She is pretty good now even takes longer for her to start puffing and for the whole ride yesterday she walked super fast to keep up to Ricki.  So she is feeling good.  I am pretty excited for her.

I haven't done a lot of canning since last week, made 2 batches (13 jars) raspberry jelly and canned 2 batches tomatoes(6 jars of Italian and 6 jars of Mexican).  I still have to make more jam and jellies but the fruit is frozen so its not as big a rush now.  But since we took a beef in, I will have to start cleaning out the freezer to make room.

And since we got a good hard frost last night I now should be putting away hoses and all summer things and closing up the garden shed for winter.  I hope that means the rest of the flies are gone.  Can't say I'm really sad about that frost now.  As long as it doesn't get really cold I'm okay.

Pretty excited to meet up with blog friends this weekend, should be lots of fun :))  So much to talk about and yet we all know all about our lives so kinda weird like we know each other with only meeting a couple times.Will also be fun staying at my moms for the evenings and visiting with her.

I am pretty excited for the trade show at the Supreme cause I know I need a few things and stuff is usually on sale and some new stuff to check out too.  I need a winter blanket and maybe a lighter blanket for Kali, and another neoprene pad and a show pad, I really like the one I have and wish I had saved it instead of using it for the last three years.  And I hope there is a chap booth and always like the art even though I usually can't afford any of it, and I want to look at all the arena/barn booths and get pamphlets to take home and try to talk Neil into an arena this winter.

Oh and I got a fun package in the mail.  Carol from All These Pretty Horses sent me my prize in the foaling contest and it was coasters!  They are so cool and even better I dont have them yet :)  Thanks for the prize. 

Wordless Wednesday

Canadian Supreme

This week is the Canadian Supreme. One of the biggest cohorse, cutting and reining shows in Canada.  It is a week long show and is pretty cool place to come watch some of the bigger trainers come and show thier horses.

Since I am taking my Kali down to Doug Rheinhart soon, I thought I might want to see what he does this week.  She will be going sometime after this show.  As well as Jardi is showing her 4 year old gelding and a 6 year old reiner.  Jardi is on the commitee, so she is always looking for volunteer people.  I think I will be there helping on Thurday and Saturday.

This year they are having a live webcast of the whole show.  Kinda neat, but unfortunatly I missed seeing Jardi this morning, but Doug is still up and Candice is later on this evening.  I will probly be going up there tomorrow then coming home for Wednesday and going back up for Thursday to Saturday.  Shirley and Janice are coming up on Friday so that will be fun.  I can stay at my Mom's this week, so that is handy.

Sunday Stills -- First Signs of Fall

This week Sunday Stills is fall.  Whatever reminds us of fall.  Well of course there is the usual green grass turning brown, but that can happen and usually does around here in July or August, way before it should be fall.

And of course there is the leaves turning yellow and falling off, which in our yard we still have lots of green leaves and some yellow and not very many have fallen so far.  So much so I had to go to Dorothy where the leaves are actually changing color.

But what really reminds me of fall is the fact we are getting less sunlight.  Sure makes me sad when it used to be light till long after 10:00 and now it is pitch black by 8:00.  Makes me kinda sad I miss all the daylight in the winter.

Antelope

As I was coming home last week from my Massage I thought I should stop and get some pictures fro Sunday Stills and as I was taking them, an antelope popped over the hill.

They are so curious, I think he had to see what was going on.

So I took a few pictures of him and as I watched him walk down the hill, I noticed he had a few females with him. 

Well the females started going up the other hill, and all the sudden I noticed a whole lot more.

It sure was kinda neat to see that many all together.

So I just kept taking pictures, first they run one way

Then turned back and run the other way

Then back the first way again

It was kinda funny that the females all wanted to run and the male waited till they were running then he would go really fast and get ahead of them and stop them or turn them.

He wasn't near as worried about me being there as they were.

New Blog and More

Well I have started a new blog. It is all on diet and excersize and is probly really boring. I actually don't expect anyone to read it, its just for my own personal tracking use. But if you are interested her is the link. Diet and Excersize.

I had a chiro appointment after a massage yesterday but I lost track of time and missed my massage, still made it to the chiro, but was pretty angry at myself cause I woulda really liked the massage cause my choulder is quite sore. Not sure what I did to it, think it was somehow slept wrong.

I am going to my Mom's tonight to go scrapbooking. She was talking about quitting the group evenings, but I hope she doesn't cause that is the only time I do scrapbook and I would really miss it. I keep thinking I should work on it at home but have no place to keep it all set out and I know I wouldn't if I had to put it away and take it our every time I want to work on it.

I also rode Kali last night with Charlene and Ricki. We went out in the summerfallow field and we did trotting and walking in intervals, along with a little lope thrown in. We were gone for about an hour and a half and it was really good. She was so good, but sure lopes a lot slower than Ricki and his long legs, it was funny.

We preg checked our heifers and had 3 dry, we really only needed one so we can eat, but we will take them into the sale next Thursday. The one we eat goes to the butcher on Tuesday. Can't wait but before we get it back, I need to clean out the freezer and defrost it. No more frozen foods getting bought for the next 3 weeks. Shoulda started earlier, but its so hard to not buy the frozen foods.

Neil was getting his post pounder ready to go fencing and since I asked him this spring we needed a windbreak for the horses in the north pasture we put in the posts and rails and anytime I can put up the slabs. Should work a little better than the few carragana bushes out there.

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

Ranch Horses

So I been thinking the last few days about what I expect in a horse.   Shirley got my mind going when she said she loves how ranch horses take everything so calmly.  I guess because that's how horses have been since I been around them I just assumed every ones horse was like that.  But then I got thinking about what ranchers/cowboys expect their horses to do and there is a lot expected of that horse.  Quite often a trail horse is lumped in the same category but they are not quite the same.

It is just normal for me to have a horse that's easy to catch.  Our horses are in large fields and I don't like walking enough to want to go to the far end of the field and chase my horse around for an hour to catch them.  Most often they will come to me but I'm okay if the don't and just stay where they are. 

I also expect them to just be caught saddled and ready to ride.  I don't want to or have time for a bunch of groundwork on my horse everyday before I ride.  Usually by the time I caught them, walked out the pasture and saddled them and loaded them and unloaded them I expect to get on and go to work.  Maybe its cause they are used more often than pleasure horses that they do this or maybe its just that's always the way its done so its normal.

I have never had a horse that was hard to load.  This concept seems foreign to me even though I hear people complain about it all the time.  I really don't get it.  I have gotten most of my horses as young stock and have never had a problem getting them on a trailer.  Maybe because I expect they will do it and they know it or maybe because when I ask them something I expect a response.  Sure I have had a horse that needs a tap on the butt for motivation and Razz if you even wonder if she will load she will just stand outside the trailer till you think she will load and then she does.  But I travel a lot with my horses and its just a part of life kinda like catching and saddling that's what we do.

And being tied.  Dont know why this is a problem except maybe noone ties for any length of time.  Quite often our horses are tied to the trailer for hours.  This sure creates patience in a horse.  When I got Kali she got bored and pawed while being tied.  Jardi always wanted to hobble her but I found just tying her longer and ignoring her seems to have worked just as good. Its a learning thing its hard for a young horse to stand tied for a long time but sure comes in handy.  Like last summer when we went camping our horses spent the first night tied to the trailer.  I wasn't even concerned, but Charlene was all worried something would happen.  And of course they were fine.  Both horses knew how to stand tied for many hours (and we left them with full hay bags to occupy them).  Sure pays off in situations like that to have a horse that ties good.

There is also an expectation of being able to ride alone or in a group of different horses.  Quite often ranchers ride alone to do a job and if the horse cant do that not much good.  And we all get together for brandings and weaning and our horses see different places and different horses and there usually is no kicking or anything.  Just another day in a ranch horse life.  This spring I picked up my neighbor and his horse and we just threw them together in the trailer and they just tolerated it.  Not all horses can do that, not sure why but just not asked very often.

Also expecting them to rate thier speed.  If I ask them to walk we walk until I ask for something different.  But that all changes when chasing cows cause if the cows walk I walk if the cow trots we trot and if the cow goes the wrong way we turn them back.  Doesn't take long before even a non cowy horse know this and will stop the cows going the wrong way without being asked.  I also expect them to be calm even after a fast chase and excitement.  I don't want a horse that will never calm down after being high.  I also expect them not to get high when trotting or loping outside.  It isn't much of a big deal becuase they do it so often that its not something they look forward to and if they do we cankeep loping for many miles till they do get quiet.  Some days takes 6 or 8 miles on Razz (she hasn't gotten this one down pat yet).

They also have to walk through all kinds of stuff, water, brush, muddy ground, rocks, anything and everything is possible.  Sometimes trees (although not where I live).  They also are used to deer and antelope jumping out of nowhere and birds flying up underneath them.  Not that I don't expect them to get scared, but not to the point where they can't get back to working.  And they have to watch where they are going. I  don't think its my job to make sure they don't step in a hole and since they live on the same type of pasture that they are worked in, this is not a problem.

My horses are also not picky about feed.  They get grass and hay and oats.  I just use plain feed and they seem just fine.  I have boughten other feed for young or hard keepers, but pretty much everyone gets the same feed (although not the same amount).  The also are not picky on water.  In the summer they drink out of a dugout and so when we haul somewhere usually any water is okay and they will drink cause there has been times they were thirsty and there wasn't any water around. 

I think one of the main reasons ranch horses are calm and accepting is they are ridden a lot and not always working.  There is a lot of wet saddle blankets while going somewhere to work.  And even though they are getting ridden they are not constantly being told what to do.  They have to think for themselves and watch where they are walking.  Some of it I think also has to do with they don't know if its gonna be a one hour ride or a 8 hour ride.  Don't want to spend all their energy in the first 15 minutes when they may have to go all day.

I also think its why my horses are so calm but not necessarily as broke as some show horses.  I think if I can get them to do what I want without a big fuss im okay.  But now taht I am cutting I want them to do more.  Which is not a bad thing, more broke is never bad.  But I dont want to get away from the basic ranch horse charecteristics. I like not having to worry how my horse is going to react to something cause there is ussually a look and kinda questioning it but not freaking out and gotta get out of thier attitude.

And I'm not saying all ranch horses are perfect because there are many ranch horses that a lot of people couldn't ride.  Even my Bailey she is broke broke broke but I am very cautious about who I will put on her because she is very reactive.  I know her and know how to avoid any problems (mostly) and can do anything on her, but she isn't and never will be a beginner horse, she really is a ranch horse.  And if she never had the hours a ranch horse puts in she probly would be a nervous wreck or never ridden.

And in the same regard, all ranch horses are not suitable for all jobs.  I use mine for all jobs, but thats cause I dont ride all the time for the ranch, I want to do other stuff too and we just don't have enough cows to keep more than one horse going.  But there are horses that are good in corrals, some are better for long gathers, and some can do everything.

Another Horse Sale

Last Saturday was the other Maple Creek Sale we usually go to.  They always have a free pancake breakfast and this year it was sooo good (kinda wished Id have helped myself to more than two pancakes)  Then we went to watch the preview.  Some really nice broke horses at this sale.

I really liked two of them, even though I don't need anymore horses.  But this number 11 was so nice and the people who started her do such a nice job.  Their horses are so used to stuff going on around them and they dont get worried, even though they only have 30 rides or so.  I really like the way they do thier job.  She was ridden in the arena to show how she moves then into the roundpen where they had cattle and she really was watching the cow.

The gelding I liked, 23, was just a quiet gelding.  And pretty.  He was consigned by a member who does a lot of ranch riding and so after he showed the horse in the big arena in the roundpen he roped some heels and the colt just held on like it was no big deal.  I was liking it.

He was holding the heels of a cow another rider had roped the head of and this little kid came to help tip over the cow so they could get the ropes off.  I'm sure that kid was trying his hardest but the cow outweighed him by ALOT.  Eventually his dad come and helped him and he got it.

On the way home it rained and we saw a rainbow!  It was really pretty.

We also saw the sun going down and made the edges of the clouds orange.  It is hard to take pics in a moving vehicle though.  But at least I got the chance cause this time I wasn't driving.

We stopped in Medicine Hat and had dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and wow did I ever order too much food.  But sure was good and fun to be able to throw peanut shells on the floor.

Sunday Stills -- Roads

This week our Sunday Stills was all about Roads, straight, curvy any type.
So I did far from home.  This is in Saskatchewan yesterday coming home from Maple Creek.

And close to home.  This is coming into my yard.  My favorite spot just around the bend through the trees to the house.

Riding

Last night Charlene called and asked if I wanted to go riding today and after all the canning I done this week I figured I deserved it.  I needed a break anyways.  So I tacked up Razz and Kali and loaded them and went to pick her up.  She had her two ready and we went over and rode in Greg's outdoor arena.

I rode Razz first and she was soo good.  She is still wanting to go fast at the lope, but she can change leads like nobodys business.  I have only tried a few times before and this time she just does it.  We also worked on turnarounds and since the barrels were up in the arena we trotted the pattern.  She wasn't afraid of the barrels (of course she wasn't) but she didn't go real close.  I think that was my fault cause I was turning to soon Charlene said.  But I'm not gonna turn her into a barrel horse it was just for fun.

And then Kali, it was a long time since I rode her (July) and she was really good, mostly.  We had a little argument when she wouldn't go between the barrel and the fence.  There was a good 30 feet, but the shadow was coming to the inside of the arena.  I don't think she was afraid of it so much as using it as an excuse to not go there.  We were loping that way and she tried to turn and I wouldn't let her so she kicked out to the side. I got after her, but it was kinda funny like that was her big NO.  after that she was really good and we even played the mirror game with Char and Dude and she really can rollback!  Its kinda fun to ride her.  I gotta get her in shape a little so she is ready to go to the trainer and he can just work and not leg her up too much.

As I was leaving this morning I got thinking I hope I don't have a flat cause I didn't check the air in the spare, well about 6 miles from home I had a blowout.  Not completely unexpected cause I knew the tires were old and we were just running them locally till they wear out.  But still so close to home.

I couldn't get the nuts off cause the were so tight and was wishing I had WD40 but of course don't carry it but I remembered I had hair conditioner spray for the horses and boy did it work well!  Off came the nuts and the spare tire did have air in it (whew) and so I got it on while I was being watched the whole time by Razz wondering what I was doing.

Jamming

I have been busy making jam and getting my garden out.  I think we had a touch of frost on Tuesday night, so it was lucky I had brought in all the tomatoes.  Not as many as some years, but not to bad for how small and late they were planted.

I also had picked all my onions last week and set them out to dry in the sunshine. That sure worked well last week.  There was lots of onions, both red and yellow this year and so I should be good for winter.

I have been making jams and jelly's for the craft sale and for Christmas and for eating.  Yesterday I made 19 jars of crab apple jelly and 4 jars of applesauce.  I still have probly enough juice to make another 30 jars of jelly and 15 apple sauces or apple butters not sure which yet.

Today it is peaches.  One batch of jam being made as I type and the rest will just be canned, 10 jars of sliced peaches.   And 7 jars of chokecherry syrup for my neighbor.  But he may only get 6 cause I think I need to keep one.

I still have nanking cherries at my Moms in her freezer and raspberries and rhubarb as well.  I will  make nanking and raspberry jam and raspberry and rhubarb raspberry jams.

Oh and trees, pretty much the only trees we have around here are in the yard (excpet a few wild ones in the creek and the ones by our turnoff)  and only the ash trees are turning color.  I am sad, but like Neils Dad says, pretty tree but last one to get its leaves and the first one to lose them.  And he is right.

Oh also yesterdays pictures were actually taken on Monday when it was really foggy, and the first pic is the sun.  I was surprised how much it looked like the moon too, but so foggy it just wasn't bright.  Jamaica is hanging around a ways from everyone else so far cause they kinda pick on him.  Not sure why if he's the only boy or just a newbie.  They all know him but he just stays far enough away.  I actually had to protect him from Kali and after that she was so much nicer to him and so were the others, so I think it will be fine.  But I just wanted to make sure he was alright by himself.  And he was really happy to see me, I can't complain about that, wasn't sure what he would be like in the pasture, but just the same as ever.

Wordless Wednesday