3:00-3:55 p.m
Got myself out of my funk and saddled up Crickett today, the weather was wonderful. All of our snow has melted and the flooding has resided (Not that I am affected much by either), my brother has gone off to his permanent duty station so I am no longer distracted by his x-box or the drug that is Oblivion. While it might not have been the warmest of days, it was still pretty nice once I headed out.
By out I mean, trying and failing to get the Mare to go into her pasture so that we could really work on some circles. It was far to late to go out on the trails and I did not want to be to far out of sight of the house just in case Crickett showed her devil side. So instead of going into the pasture, we did 15 foot circles in the drive way until she decided it would be ok to go down the driveway a bit.
After a few stop, stare and snort sessions, which I remedied by getting her to flex to each side. That did the trick most of the time, until we got to the new scary neighbor who was building fences. That took a minute or two to work out of, and kind of emabrassing for me. But all was ok. Crickett did pretty good considering that she has not been ridden for a few weeks and quite fresh from good hay.
I got home just in time to cool her off and take care of her mane and tail before I had to rush inside and resue the beef barly soup that I had been making (and convenintly forgetting about) for the last three hours.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Fresh snow, fresh pony!
3:00-3:50
Alright so the snow was not so fresh, a few days old and slightly crusty, but it was still pretty fun to ride in. Crickett was sure fresh, she has gained some weight (good) so I had to re adjust all my tack. After the few weeks of non-riding I have done, it was harder then I thought to swing her saddle up on her.
Of course she takes off before I am fully on, and once I got my foot in the stirrup she broke into a trot. In the opposite direction that I wanted her to, onto the icy driveway to the other pasture where her boyfriend was excitedly pacing the fence. She threw a fit in the middle of the driveway, spinning and trying to get to her boy, but after a moments battle she let me move her to her own pasture to ride.
I do not think that I have ever ridden a more stiff horse then her! Goodness gracious, her neck was like an iron bar, and did not want to flex or give to the bit at all. We worked a bit on that, but before I could really get into the problems Crickett EXPLODED, bucking rearing and just going at it. It did not seem live a vicious kind of explosion, just a small "I don 't wanna" type of explosion. With the snow as deep as it was, she did not last long and was quite happy to be done with it.
That was pretty much all the excitement of the day and I do not really have much to add to that, other then it was fun.
Alright so the snow was not so fresh, a few days old and slightly crusty, but it was still pretty fun to ride in. Crickett was sure fresh, she has gained some weight (good) so I had to re adjust all my tack. After the few weeks of non-riding I have done, it was harder then I thought to swing her saddle up on her.
Of course she takes off before I am fully on, and once I got my foot in the stirrup she broke into a trot. In the opposite direction that I wanted her to, onto the icy driveway to the other pasture where her boyfriend was excitedly pacing the fence. She threw a fit in the middle of the driveway, spinning and trying to get to her boy, but after a moments battle she let me move her to her own pasture to ride.
I do not think that I have ever ridden a more stiff horse then her! Goodness gracious, her neck was like an iron bar, and did not want to flex or give to the bit at all. We worked a bit on that, but before I could really get into the problems Crickett EXPLODED, bucking rearing and just going at it. It did not seem live a vicious kind of explosion, just a small "I don 't wanna" type of explosion. With the snow as deep as it was, she did not last long and was quite happy to be done with it.
That was pretty much all the excitement of the day and I do not really have much to add to that, other then it was fun.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Rest Easy Sweet Girl
I have not updated for a few reasons, first and fore most my family decided that it was time to eauth. our fourteen year old Pesky dog and we said goodbye to her yesterday the 19th. She was an awesome dog, but it was her time to go and she was ready.
As I picked her out of the wiggling mass of black and brown bodies, she came right up to me and knocked me in the mud, while my five year old self was wearing her favorite shorts! She earned her name right then and there. Pesky.
While we lived in Idaho, she became an escape artist, not that I remember much except we always joked about her being a farm dog, it seemed that we could always find her down the road with the sheep herd. On that small urban lot we had a lot of fruit trees and in the fall it was my brother's and mine job to pick up the fallen fruit and place it in five gallon buckets. Pesky was soon doing the same.
Once we moved out to the country Pesky was very happy, she ended up with an Opps litter of fourteen puppies, of which we kept the one lug known as Patches. When we got horses, there was no keeping her home if we were out on the trial, and the last ride she went on was up Twin Canyons for a moonlight ride.
I know that one day she, Frosty and I will one day roam through the sage again and spend an endless day by the banks of the river. We will swim, sleep and never hurt again, I look forward to that day even more knowing that she is full and once again young in body as well as her mind.
Rest Easy Sweet Girl
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
December 10th 2008
I finally got my butt out of the house to work the mare today, I did not ride but we got a better understanding of what exactly Crickett is supposed to do when I go out to catch her.
Crickett has always been easy to catch whistle her over and slip the halter on her, but not today. Today she thought that it might be fun to avoid me and swing her but at me. I popped her on the butt with my lead rope and of course she trotted off to the end of the field so I whistle her back in and the shit does it again. This went on for a few minutes before I threw the lead rope around her neck and got her caught.
We then spent an hour learning how to be haltered and how to keep her big butt out of my face. At the end of our workout she was spinning pretty fast to keep her front end facing me. Hopefully it sticks and I do not have to worry about her trying to kick out at me.
Crickett has always been easy to catch whistle her over and slip the halter on her, but not today. Today she thought that it might be fun to avoid me and swing her but at me. I popped her on the butt with my lead rope and of course she trotted off to the end of the field so I whistle her back in and the shit does it again. This went on for a few minutes before I threw the lead rope around her neck and got her caught.
We then spent an hour learning how to be haltered and how to keep her big butt out of my face. At the end of our workout she was spinning pretty fast to keep her front end facing me. Hopefully it sticks and I do not have to worry about her trying to kick out at me.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Christmas Parade.
December 7, 2008.
Last night was the Yakima Lighted Parade, and I of course went with the 4-H group I have been involved with for the past 9 years. What a blast. I of course did not haul myself, I got picked up by Les, who grew up in the group and who's parents are still involved in the program. We loaded Crickett up in his 4 horse slant with his three charges for that night.
Drove through Yakima and ended up parking on a hill above my moms work, I helped the other kids get ready, chatted with the Barrel Racers club (and the girl who beat me out of a rodeo queen, because she was riding a judges horse) then ended up having to scramble to get Crickett ready to go.
I am sorry but I do not have any good pictures, but I attached battery Christmas lights to Crickett's bridle, breast collar, along the top of her mane, draped around her hind end and tinsel every where and had sleigh bells one about every limb. (I told the judge from the Queen competition that it looked like they needed more bling, (the supposed reason I lost the queen LOL). They were a little put off but I made them laugh so it was all good.
In the 4-H club there were six of us riding, Les and his daughter Kay, who rides a cute grumpy appaloosa that looks and acts exactly like Frosty, Les's ex-step daughter Ser who's birthday was yesterday, Les had this huge TWH/Paint/Arab gorgous hunk of bay goodness. Our leaders young daugther and her mom's walkaloosa, then our leaders boss.
We waited for about a half hour before the parade was supposed to start on the door step of my mothers work (Sorry for the yellow stains Mom!) right along side of a Coca-Cola truck, a hand full of carolers, three big floats and a tractor that had an air horn. All the horses were great, not one of them were spooked by anything.
I was pretty surprised with Crickett, this was only her third parade and first one at night and she was awesome, even the sleigh bells on her legs were perfectly fine and the blaring lights wrapped around her head. The parade finally stated and we had to fight our way into our spot and then deal with a couple of antsy horses who were ready to get going.
Kays poor old appy did not want to go, so I ended up having to pretty much lead her by her headstall and get her going every few steps. Finally I switched with Les who was leading our leaders daughter so he could lead his daughter.
This whole entire time Crickett is just fine and dandy, she has a low head set perked ears and just happy as a clam. I was so proud of her, no a single spook at all, with the kids coming up to pet her on the sidewalks, and the occasional candy that hit her nose she was PERFECT.
I really think that parades are now her thing that she just loves, it was so amazing I have never seen her so well adjusted to her surroundings. This was not a short parade, defiantly the longest and loudest we have gone through.
We got to the trailers that had been parked at the bus station and I again helped all the kids get un-tacked and ready to load. Being as were were at a bus station a lot of the homeless people were there to spend the night and Crickett just lapped up all the attention she could get, I let all the little boys and girls sit on her, every one petted her.
The last people to come up to see her was a little boy in a wheel chair and his mom. The boy was probably around 5, and it was evident that he had some sort of severe health issues I want to say cancer but I am not sure. The mom was really polite and asked if Crickett would spook at the wheel chair and I said no (she had been dealing with strollers all night). So she wheels him right up, and Crickett just sticks her head into his lap, like nose between his legs and just stood there while he played with her ears. Finally the boy leans forward and started to whisper in her ear real quiet , and for 10 minutes Crickett just stood and listened to him, not moving an inch
When the boy was done, the mom had tears in her eyes and they left. I have no idea what he said, what the boy had or anything, but Crickett knew. It was just so amazing to see a horse that I knew to be a bit of a hellion do something like this. It was a prefect end to a wonderful night.
Les then took us all out for dinner, for his fathers birthday, and I of course heard the story of the wagon train yahoo's running out of camp in 110 degree weather for the 20th time, but that was just fine with me because Les Sr. is just one awesome cowpoke.
Last night was the Yakima Lighted Parade, and I of course went with the 4-H group I have been involved with for the past 9 years. What a blast. I of course did not haul myself, I got picked up by Les, who grew up in the group and who's parents are still involved in the program. We loaded Crickett up in his 4 horse slant with his three charges for that night.
Drove through Yakima and ended up parking on a hill above my moms work, I helped the other kids get ready, chatted with the Barrel Racers club (and the girl who beat me out of a rodeo queen, because she was riding a judges horse) then ended up having to scramble to get Crickett ready to go.
I am sorry but I do not have any good pictures, but I attached battery Christmas lights to Crickett's bridle, breast collar, along the top of her mane, draped around her hind end and tinsel every where and had sleigh bells one about every limb. (I told the judge from the Queen competition that it looked like they needed more bling, (the supposed reason I lost the queen LOL). They were a little put off but I made them laugh so it was all good.
In the 4-H club there were six of us riding, Les and his daughter Kay, who rides a cute grumpy appaloosa that looks and acts exactly like Frosty, Les's ex-step daughter Ser who's birthday was yesterday, Les had this huge TWH/Paint/Arab gorgous hunk of bay goodness. Our leaders young daugther and her mom's walkaloosa, then our leaders boss.
We waited for about a half hour before the parade was supposed to start on the door step of my mothers work (Sorry for the yellow stains Mom!) right along side of a Coca-Cola truck, a hand full of carolers, three big floats and a tractor that had an air horn. All the horses were great, not one of them were spooked by anything.
I was pretty surprised with Crickett, this was only her third parade and first one at night and she was awesome, even the sleigh bells on her legs were perfectly fine and the blaring lights wrapped around her head. The parade finally stated and we had to fight our way into our spot and then deal with a couple of antsy horses who were ready to get going.
Kays poor old appy did not want to go, so I ended up having to pretty much lead her by her headstall and get her going every few steps. Finally I switched with Les who was leading our leaders daughter so he could lead his daughter.
This whole entire time Crickett is just fine and dandy, she has a low head set perked ears and just happy as a clam. I was so proud of her, no a single spook at all, with the kids coming up to pet her on the sidewalks, and the occasional candy that hit her nose she was PERFECT.
I really think that parades are now her thing that she just loves, it was so amazing I have never seen her so well adjusted to her surroundings. This was not a short parade, defiantly the longest and loudest we have gone through.
We got to the trailers that had been parked at the bus station and I again helped all the kids get un-tacked and ready to load. Being as were were at a bus station a lot of the homeless people were there to spend the night and Crickett just lapped up all the attention she could get, I let all the little boys and girls sit on her, every one petted her.
The last people to come up to see her was a little boy in a wheel chair and his mom. The boy was probably around 5, and it was evident that he had some sort of severe health issues I want to say cancer but I am not sure. The mom was really polite and asked if Crickett would spook at the wheel chair and I said no (she had been dealing with strollers all night). So she wheels him right up, and Crickett just sticks her head into his lap, like nose between his legs and just stood there while he played with her ears. Finally the boy leans forward and started to whisper in her ear real quiet , and for 10 minutes Crickett just stood and listened to him, not moving an inch
When the boy was done, the mom had tears in her eyes and they left. I have no idea what he said, what the boy had or anything, but Crickett knew. It was just so amazing to see a horse that I knew to be a bit of a hellion do something like this. It was a prefect end to a wonderful night.
Les then took us all out for dinner, for his fathers birthday, and I of course heard the story of the wagon train yahoo's running out of camp in 110 degree weather for the 20th time, but that was just fine with me because Les Sr. is just one awesome cowpoke.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Yarg
12:20-1:12 p.m
Not the best short ride I have ever done on Crickett, we worked in the pasture and had some attitude issues. She was just reverting to a stubborn self that I have not seen for a while and it was somewhat frustrating on both of our accounts.
I wanted to really work on bending and flexing and getting her up and downward transitions down, but she was having very little of that at all. So I moved on to getting her sidepassing and other smaller cues to be quick and precise.
Crickett did really well on those and I am glad that I ended on that note, she was very light to the forequarter cue as well as the sidepassing. He haunch turns have always been really good. I think my next step with those is going to be perfecting my rollbacks and getting her to really push herself with her hind.
Not the best short ride I have ever done on Crickett, we worked in the pasture and had some attitude issues. She was just reverting to a stubborn self that I have not seen for a while and it was somewhat frustrating on both of our accounts.
I wanted to really work on bending and flexing and getting her up and downward transitions down, but she was having very little of that at all. So I moved on to getting her sidepassing and other smaller cues to be quick and precise.
Crickett did really well on those and I am glad that I ended on that note, she was very light to the forequarter cue as well as the sidepassing. He haunch turns have always been really good. I think my next step with those is going to be perfecting my rollbacks and getting her to really push herself with her hind.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Why is it gray on days I am home and sunny on days that I am busy?
It is really not fair at all, yesterday I had to run around town all day and did not get to ride at all, I did not even see my ponies in the daylight. It was a gorgeous day to, no wind, bright and sunny, but today when I am home and have nothing to do it is gray and just plain cold?
I brought the horses in, Crickett got her tail re-done (Braided) and groomed up while Diamond who has gone back to his easy to catch self got groomed and ridden around the round pen bareback and halter.
Yeah exciting day I know. It just seems hard to get motivated when the weather is crappy.
I brought the horses in, Crickett got her tail re-done (Braided) and groomed up while Diamond who has gone back to his easy to catch self got groomed and ridden around the round pen bareback and halter.
Yeah exciting day I know. It just seems hard to get motivated when the weather is crappy.
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