Throwdown Finished

So I finished up my horsemanship challenge this time around on Wednesday.  Hadn't planned it but that's how it worked.  I wanted to ride on my birthday but it was so cold and windy I just stayed inside and enjoyed it, doing crafts, playing video games (love me some Luigi and Zelda)  while Neil was over helping a neighbor wean.  Anyways I got in a bunch of hours moving cows and gathering cows, both at home and for the neighbors, and the poker ride, but most rides were spent at home just enjoying the scenery we have here.  Although I do prefer to ride with others most of the time just cause it keeps me motivated.  But seems I have no friends who want to ride and so alone it is unless its at a group function.

(moving cows into weaning field, this cow wanted to play....so we did)

(Cows going through the gate, I rode point and Neil brought up the back)

One of the funner rides I like at home is to ride over the dams we have, we have 3 of them but one is a bit tree filled and hard to ride over in the summer/fall when there are leaves cause you can't see the trail very well.

(Treeless dam in farm/hay fields)

(south dam)

I also lots of times just ride out East and towards the slough and the creek, Jessie doesn't like being in the bottom of the creek valley so I can't enjoy it much on her, I do make her go down there and she's fine if there's others around or there is cows (a job) but otherwise shes always trying to head back up the hill and its not that fun.

(there's the slough with the brush and birds nest pole)

(pretty fall colors in the coulees)

(and on the way home)

.

(walking out towards slough)

(loping...I don't remember which way)

Of course I also been riding in the arena some, I really love it, but when the weather is so perfect I can ride out I tend to do that, although I usually only walk and sometimes trot out so I get a better workout in the arena.  The other day I worked it and then wrote Jessie's name in there, I saw a girl in the challenge do that and I wanted to write my name but thought I would do hers and it turned out really well, a little hard to see but still cool.  Sure makes you see how broke your horse is cause that's a lot of little turns and stuff, specially since I did it three times so it would show up better.  I almost got lost at the top of the J, mostly cause I don't do much cursive anymore, specially capitals, I tend to print and it works its way into writing.

(Writing Jessie's name)

(Hard to picture but I think it turned out good)

I think I might start taking some lessons this winter, of course cutting lessons, but just basic horsemanship lessons as well.  Not sure where yet, there's a place not too far away (in Tilly) that does them but I don't know who they are so I might have to try it out and see how it goes, keep life interesting and improve my riding as well.

(one of my favorite pictures of her,

 wish I had been lower when I took it tho)

(After moving cows one day

 I got Neil to take me and Jess's pic by our 100 year sign)