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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Its Still Winter...or A Spring Storm

Well sure glad i picked Friday to go for a lesson, cause on Saturday when i got up it was pretty miserable out.  Thought it was only gonna snow a little then get warm and melt, not so much.  I was talking on the phone to my mom and saw the birds trying to find a dry spot :)

So not much happened yesterday, we got a bottle calf (what a pain) and so he got fed 3 times and heifers and cows checked and Neil fed the cows, they are all hanging out in the creek where its not so windy.  We had a new calf yesterday morning and it was running after its mom last night so I guess it will be alright.  No others so far....I hope they wait till tomorrow at least.

Then this morning was more snow and although there is wind, less than yesterday and it isn't very cold out, just below freezing so hope everything comes out OK and we don't get any sick ones.  Was pretty miserable for us humans outside too, pretty hard to stay dry for more than a minute in the deep wet snow.  The ponies are not very happy, although I think they got the best spot in the yard for this kind of storm.  Even though the ground is wet they are in a low spot and with the tall fence there is very little wind in there and it actually felt decent in there (which is probly why the ground is not frozen I guess)









Sure hope it goes away, they say the snow should quit this afternoon and I hope so and the sun comes out.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Riding and Disappointment with a Plan

After I brought my ponies home last Sunday I was just itching to ride at home outside (there only is outside at home, lol so kinda silly to mention that)  but there was so much snow and mud and I was so tired from the weekend, so the ponies got Monday off.  It was so cold Neil had to plow a trail to the round pen so I could get there with the ponies and there was no water their so I had to take them to water in the corral.  it was like back in the old days, cause the waterer where the bulls were wasn't working either so they got chased to water everyday as well, and our heifers were in 2 different bunches and they all had to have water and we were all using the same waterer.
(boss horse always drinks first)

I cleaned out my truck from the show and the stuff at the barn,
 it kinda took over the house for a while)

Tuesday I was on my way to take Jess to water and I thought I should brush her too and since everything was just right there I saddled her up and took a ride.  It was only about 20 minutes, around the yard and then we trotted up and the road, the road was the only dry spot I could find.  And funny thing is I rode in my jogging pants cause I had no intention of riding but it was actually comfy and I might do it again :)
(just glanced out the window and saw the cat with a mouse in front of my tack shed)

Then Wed I made a water trough for the girls cause the water was running and I figured I could probly keep an unheated trough in there and it would melt, even if it was a little frosty at night.  I never had time to ride after I got home from town (and the chiro) so I just worked them in the round pen.  I dunno if they needed it but makes me feel better if they can move around and stretch their legs out some.
(have to fill the tub in my truck at the hydrant then drive to the pen 
and drain water into the water tub for them, 
will be so much easier when I can string a hose out)

Thursday I figured I would go for a ride and maybe try to ride out where the cows are I figured there should be some dry spots out there.  But since I was kinda lazy I just rode Jessie and ponied Razz.  Been since last summer since I did that and so I had made no plans on how long I would go.  We headed out and it was really good, Jessie was pretty happy to get out and was walking out really nice, which was good cause everytime she slowed down Razz tried to eat grass.  We went out quite a ways, there is  still a lot of water sitting out there and a little snow, but not as much as in the yard.  On the way back Razz saw the other horses and they nickered but never come over but Razz was having a freak out and so I shortened her rope an was ready to get off if I needed.  She was swinging her butt back and forth and just in a tizzy she couldn't get over there.  Jessie was awesome, she just kept on a trucking home and after we were out of sight Razz was fine.  It was like ponying a baby not a 7 year old!  So after we got back to the yard I tied up Razz and unsaddled and let Jess eat grass and she got to be a model for the pics of the blanket I won in a door prize at K & K livestock on Sat.  I thought I would send them a pic and my thanks again.  Its a pretty nice blanket, Jess may get to wear it next winter.
 (Razz stays up nice and close, I hate when they drag behind when ponying)

 (Love the view between the horses ears, she just saw there were cows out there, lol)

 (Jessie modeling the new blanket)

(Best treat after a ride.  Ever.)
Then Fri I went to another lesson and it did not go well.  I worked cows and was having trouble again getting her to stay straight with the cow so we really worked on that and I kinda think I now know when I have to correct her.  I asked about going to the show and he suggested not too, go to the Central show on May 4/5 and maybe go in 2 classes and correct her in the first class if I need and see if she is better in the second one.  Since the classes are about half price of the Alberta shows it will be about the same price so that will be OK.    I got looking up classes and they have a 2000 limit class and a 500 limit class so those are probly what I will enter.  He figures I will have to work cows more than once a week, so I guess I will start going twice a week for a while and see if that helps.  He also suggested that sometimes I will go for lessons and he will ride her and make her correct every turn.  And he will call me when they go practice at Thorlacksons (which is only about 20 min from his place) and we will practice going straight across like in a show setting.  So there is a plan in mind its just not what I had really planned.
 (Our main road, the water is sure running and creeping on to the road on our side)

(Bare ground was showing yesterday, the snow is disappearing, until today had to start again)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Thorlackson Fundraiser show April 6/7

So I finally got the videos loaded, it really wasn't that bad, I just set them to upload when I was going away and doing something else for a while and come back and they were ready.  Before the show, Friday I had a lesson and I worked he flag first and it was OK, I was finally getting her to move off my leg and wait for me rather than just turn in, I think that will be an ongoing process with us.  Then I walked her around a bit and let her catch her breath then we went outside to work cows.  I got the first cow out and he was telling me all sorts of stuff, I had heard before but for some reason my brain was not comprehending.  So he says he will get on her. So that worked well, she tried the same stuff for him and he got her better and gave her to me and said, lets try that.  Didn't leave me with a lot of confidence, but what else is there to do?  So I headed back to the barn and Jessie got to stay inside cause of the mud, so I cleaned her up real nice and put her away for the night.  Went home and tried to get ready for the show, but all I could think about was being not ready....

So Saturday morning I got up bright and early at 4:30 (they said only 55 cuts all day so don't be late).  Well I overestimated the amount of time it took to drive there and was there at 7.  Oh well, sat in my truck for a while cause no one was around and then about 8 another trailer showed up and it was the girl I met a Doug's last week.  So we saddled up and visited and had coffee and took the ponies inside and got kinda organized and then got on and started riding about 9 when the show actually started.  It was a little early so we took a break and then got back on again and our class started about noon.  I was fist in and so in I went.  The first cow out of the herd I made a mistake on stopping too soon before I was in the middle of the cow and as soon as I did it I knew it was gonna be bad and sure enough it was, good thing Dustin was there to stop it for me.  After that was better, my second cut was really nice and that cow was perfect for me.  The third cow was OK, but I was losing control as the buzzer went.  I was pretty impressed with how it went and got a 69 for a score and ended up second place.  Woulda won money too, if it wasn't a fundraiser show and we were asked to donate all winnings from the Sat show back.  But that's OK, Sunday was a new day and a regular show.

But no good luck on Sunday.  I got up at 6:30, much more reasonable time to get up, and it was snowing!
 I got there about 9 and got Jessie ready and brought her inside.  I got to watch for a bit and got on around 10 and we went around noon again.  I was second in and I dunno if I didn't get her tired enough or what, but she wasn't the same as the day before.  I was having a better time getting a cow out of the herd, but after that she would not stop and kept turning in towards the cow.  Was so frustrating   And the last cow she walked right up to the top of the pen with it, even if I had my leg in her, she wasn't listening.  I was not happy and it showed with a score of 64, which put me in 4th place.

 I guess I am in the right class though cause I am in the middle of the pack, I was always worried what class to go in cause I am new to this but seems like I am OK here for a while.  At least till I earn $2000 dollars as its a $2000 limited rider class.  I think I can stay in all year but if I get more I will have to move up next year.  So far I am at $165 for the one show I been too, lol got a ways to go yet.