EquiSearch Community

4th day with quest

barrelchik4life — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:14:00 GMT

Well he is not failing me one bit. He was a gentlemen on Friday. He lunged like a pro. The only thing was he played stupid when it came to yoyo then the trainer arrives and he is like oh... he is here I guess I better do what she says. He was rode for about 10 mins. He rode him around in the pasture. Quest acted like he did it all the time. He was being rode in a rope halter too. He was calm and didn't spook at a thing. It's pretty hard to spook him, I have come to conclude. Which I will not complain. He asked if i was ready to ride him and I said no which I regret I want to ride him so bad now. I honestly want to ride him with out the trainer there. I guess I will wait though intill he thinks I am ready to ride him. but I just wanna sit on him... But I don't wanna take a chance and smack dirt. anywho... I sprayed him with flyspray and he was fin with that, brushed him etc. He was good as gold.

HUS horses not moving out???? Why Not??

Chelsea_Simon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Hello-

I having some trouble latley.... My issue is this... i currently own a AQHA registered gelding four year old. He's a really cool mover and he's got some cool bloodlines also. I show in local shows for 4-H and then i also show the circut shows. There two completly different atmostpheres and expect two different sets of rules or what there looking for in your horses. In the local shows i move out with my horse no matter what but then i have a whole bunch of pleasure horses in my classes trying to move there horses out and most of the time they can't so there posting to this western jog which just doesn't look the smooth or put together to me. Then i'm the one of the few who are moving out and lapping people my horse is collected and moving out and tracking up nicely under neath himself but my problem is that the judges are still looking at these pleasure look and it's just not right to me. So I don't place well untill i go into my junior horse class in HUS and the only young horse in that class are to ones who are moving out and are riding the same way i am. Then i go to a circut show and there looking for horses who are moving out and collected and are well put together horses and my horse is that but the compettion is much harder at the circut shows so i'm not placing as well as i would like to there either. Then the transition is very difficult because it seems like i can't do well in either places. My horse has done everything i've asked of him and came a long way since i've had him and he's made me proud. I feel like i'm going crazy or something because i don't know if i should pick local shows or just circut shows or if i'm crazy for think these local show horses should be moving out too..... in my mind if you go into a HUS class or whatever english class your horse should be moving out and collected and it's almost like if you can't then practice at home then come back and try agian... I know i can't change what judges like or what they think but i sure am going to keep showing my way at these local shows and not give in but should i just do circut shows from now on??? Am i the only one who feels this way or are there other english riders in my position also????

woah. I have a blog.

nicole_1992 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:33:00 GMT

So far this site is looking pretty neat. Devoted entirely to horses, and its even got its own blog. Im practically in heaven, lol.

Well, lets see. Im DYING to go riding again. But its kinda like people who want to go swimming in the winter, and only have lakes to swim in. I have no money, no job, and definately no horse *dream!*.

I want a stable to hire me, but there arent many close enough to the city for my dad to drive me back and forth, and since I dont own a horse nor work in a stable, I have no idea how to muck a stall or anything like that! I want to learn though, I love learning new things, especially when horses are involved. I dont care if poop is too.

I love my western boots. Theyre perfect even though theyre about a year old and all dirty. Makes them seem lived in, I guess. I wish I had money for a better helmet with Dial fit, because then it'd fit better than mine does now, which makes me feel safer.

well blog,

Im out.

PEACE!

Nicole

3rd Day working Quest

barrelchik4life — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:45:00 GMT

He did GREAT!!!. He lunged to the left and right just pointing. He also did the yoyo with just a little wave. I am so proud of him. He was bengin ok also. but I be danged if he didn't have to be a terd over somthin. He was bad about his back feet. I don't like the way he wan'ts me to hold his back foot with my leg. egh... I like being able to let go of it with my hand. We are going to work him again on Friday so we sha'll see how it goes. He told me I could ride him now, but I told him I don't feel confident enough too. I might next week. Idk If I trust myself not Quest, he is just beign so loyal and sweet right now!

Outta Here!!

inclined2ride — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:44:00 GMT

Well the week is almost at a close and I am just so excited to get the heck out of the office and up to the river I can't hardly stand it!! Sunshine, BBQ and wine here I come!

I am also excited about my new saddle! I have some leathers - irons - and a new bit picked out, I will place an order next week and then I should be good to go. I am working really hard to get my old ones sold and have had a couple of bites but not luck yet - I worry if I consign them i will have to mark them up too much to get what I need to get out of them for them to sell. I already have them pretty low...

I was thinking I would give good old eBay a try next week. Run the autcion over a weekend but have it begin and end during the week.

Am also going to add a bunch of my Western Pleasure blouses to my list of things for sale. I really don't thing I'll need them for a while and when I do of course they will most likely be out-of-style. As I like to say - cash in my pocket is better than show clothes in the closet.

While I was alone this week and organizing things I took some shots of my trailer as pictured below - complete with my little tiny half-ton truck that huals it around all over the Northwest.

Sometimes my family or friends feel sorry for me staying in my horse trailer over the show and will invite me to stay in a hotel with them or in their house. But what most people don't realize is that most serious horse show exhibitors with a LQ Horse Trailer have exceedingly comfortable beds. Mine is more comfy than my bed in the house by far - because if they weren't we'd make them that way in a hurry, a good nights' sleep is important when you're on the road and competing. I always sleep better in my trailer than any hotel or friend's house. I added it up one day and I spent 36 nights in my trailer last year - that's a month! It had better be comfortable.

Found some pretty interesting things in there too, since I noticed them I made a list of interesting things. I know I have some of that stuff from when we used to hold real horse shows - where we had no pluggins and actually had horse shows in the summer when it was hot and where we used to have no tack stalls and tied our horses to the trailer for tacking and untacking. So here it is:

Plastic Martini Shaker
4 plastic coffee cups
Small thermos
4 nice plastic wine glasses
Small stack of coke cups (stollen from a fair vendor when I was a kid to use as practice pattern cups)
Napkins from my wedding
Mini cutting board
1 small knife
Folding sicisors
Small collection of various tools
2 rolls of duct tape - 1 roll of electrical tape
Boot Jack
Shower flip flops
Various electrical cords, outlet splitters and adapters
Bug Spray
Battery powered fan/light combo
Battery powered stereo
Sun Screen
Sunburn Cream
Rubber Gloves
2 First Aid Kits
Propane Stove - single burner
Hand held can opener
Spray greese for ball and hitch
Velcro
Homemade screen door (with the velcro)
Collaspable clothes basket
Rain gear
Cold weather gloves
Hydrogen Prioxide
Various nails and screws
One small pot and one small pan
Paper plates, bowls
Plastic cups
Bottle of reserve Tequilla
Boot Polish
Small sample lotions
Box of Nylon hose
Box of hair nets
Box of bobby pin
Perfume (shower in a bottle!)

Some of my food - the stuff that is non-perishable includes:

Easy Mac
Soup at Hand - Cambells, Tomatoe & Clam Chowder
Mini bags of Popcorn
Bags of Cocoa Mix
Cup O Noodles - Beef & Spicey Thai
Old Granola Bars (horse snacks)
Protein Bars
100 Calorie Cookie Snacks
Stash of water bottles, Diet Pepsi, Squirt & Propell fitness water
Mini warm desserts - Fudge and Carmel (just add water & microwave)
Some random box of instant pasta
Small bottle of Tabasco sauce

Weekend Adventures

inclined2ride — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:56:00 GMT

Our Youth, The Future is in Their Hands...

So while we were out having fun this weekend - we arrive at one of our favorite fishing spots on the river. I worked on my tan while hubby put a line in the water. We were sharing some adult beverages, having fun - and getting a little friendly. The stereo was cracked up and sun was dialed up. We had jumped in the water to cool off a few times the only thing that could've made it better would've been to have actually caught some fish.

Well to liven things up a bit while we were there a group of kids showed up. A group of high schooler it looked like. I am not sure what they were there for, I think they were bored and had no one been at the beach it may have been the sight of a party that night. They had no food - no swimsuits - for matter no drugs either at least that I could see. They had a bottle of lighter fluid and a lighter with which they greatly entertained themselves for about an hour before they left. They showed a mild liking to the rock music we had going but obvisiously it wasn't enough to keep them around too long - as they left shortly actually saying good bye.

Check out the picture below - I am just so glad these kids were of no relation to me (although they were from the town I grew up in so I should be careful there, as they may have been distant relatives...alot of people in smaller towner are often loosely related). Lighting the water on fire must be pretty fun cause they did it like 3 or 4 times....

Also Saddle Update - I found one that I think I will like, a Beval - Gladstone (so I know its not their top-of-the-line), its been ridden in once, new as of last year, and I picked it up for $650 (includes shipping). So my hope is that is fits and everything is okay - its still far nicer than current saddle and while it may not be a Jaguar - like Sidetracked has said - the Beval will most likely be more suitable to my needs than a Jaguar. But some day I am going to own one of those.... Its a Close Contact with slightly longer flaps, knee pads and knee rolls. This was a trail saddle that the lady used once so its not even broken in yet. Is there a special way to do that?

I am excited - I think I am going to use my old leathers which are nice ones, and buy some cheaper ones to put on my old saddle (as I said I would sell the saddle with leathers) and pick up some new irons as my trainer hates the hinged ones I have now he says they make my toes tip down slightly every single time I post. I was looking at getting the weighted ones - they seem pretty nice? With black pads on them? (seems like black would be less noticeable in the show ring..) I am also keeping the girth off of my old saddle as it is a pertty nice girth - and I have a cover for it so other than the saddle my initail investment will be fairly small.

By the Banks of Troublesome Creek

mauibiff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:20:00 GMT

Troublesome Creek runs through Camp Nathanael. It's very picturesque. Nate and I, the camp horse wranglers, live ten minutes from camp and also live by the same creek. Troublesome creek is 99 and 3/4 miles long. We understand that when a creek is 100 miles long, it is then called a river. That would be disasterous for all the people that live in this area of Kentucky. What would happen to Troublesome Creek Times? That's a newspaper put out in Hindman, KY. There are many Business that have Troublesome Creek in it. They would all have to change their names.

How has Troublesome Creek affected the horses? Well, there have been times that the creek floods. One summer camp season we were trapped at camp because of flooding. We couldn't get in or out. The flood rose into the horse pasture. The horses didn't seem to mind it too much, in fact, Snickers our Hafflinger/Shetland pony enjoyed a good time of splashing about and he even rolled in it.

One time we kept a horse in a neighbors barn situated by the creek. One Sunday morning after a good rain all night, I drove to camp to feed the horses. Water was up on the road in places and it was slow, scary driving, but I made it. I immediately saw the barn at the neighbors was flooded with water. I waded through 6 inches of water to rescue our horse. We never put horses in that barn again. We quarenteen new horses at our house now.

When the Creek looks like coffee with creamer stay away. When it's clear? It's still best to keep the horses out of it because of the terrible pollution in it. The back side of our property is bordered by creek and we have picked up buckets full of junk....lots of glass too. It seems people think it's the Royal Flush when flooding time comes. They just throw their junk in the creek. If there is that much junk in the banks then what is in the water? Beware of what is underfoot. What you do not see can hurt your horse.

That's it for now.

By the banks of Troublesome Creek

Monday, Monday

inclined2ride — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:51:00 GMT

Hi there,

Not much time to devote to a post today, but wanted everyone to know that I was still alive. I am enjoying my horse break, continuing my saddle search and looking forward to the 4th - we'll hit the road camping as usual down at one of our favorite Lake Rosevelt haunts.

Since I fancy myself a desert dweler the climate there usually suits me just fine.

Have heard back from my friend a couple of times - and she is wanting me to call her as she is leaving for her next show and will have little to no computer time. I am very gaurded but will give her a call when I have time to do some talking without interruptions.

It seems like there may have been some stuff going on with her family...after a few emails that surfaced...and she said that she was really focused on her horse. I know all about being focused - I hit the upper edges of 4-H competition as a High Schooler and Golf (yes golf) competition through college, but hey it got me a scholarship. But I was never so focused that I shut down my closets friends so if there was stress concerning her family or hubby I would understand or at least have some clue as to what was happening? What hurt is that she had no trouble talking to others so I guess i will just have to wait and talk with her, before I open my mouth and sound like an big ass. As always i am keeping an open mind and will just see where a conversation takes us - even my hubby says I need to talk to her in person, "it'd be a shame just to blow it off - you were such good friends.." he said - and he's right.

We did a little scouting trip this weekend up to a couple of beach haunts checking things out - saw a couple of really intresting things I caught on digital camera for your viewing pleasure I will try to upload them tonight or tomorrow morning.

Stretchers still seems fine last I spoke to Joe, he was not limping and was enjoying his break too. Pat is gaining weight already with no riding and only light turn-out. Hopefully when we meet again we'll be all refreshed and ready to get competitive.

Happy Riding everyone!

Black/ Quest's 2nd day with trainer

barrelchik4life — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:43:00 GMT

well I decided to name him Quest... He did great with the yoyo game and did good with having the rope thrown all around his body. He is now bending good as well. The only thing that was bad saterday was trying to lunge him, he doesn't want to give you space AT ALL! he comes in close when you try to guide him out. The trainer can make him do it, but I on the other hand seem to be a flexible cone to him that he knows he can run over. I dont pop back up like that cone will either.lol but after he handed me the carrot stick I could take care of myself, I need to become relient with out the stick, but he gets up in my face so I am not comfotable at all. His sister Misty is also being worked, and me and her work good together batter at the lunging

Someone Help: To Keep or Give Away - Tormented by the Decision

appys101 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:43:00 GMT

Please someone out there help me. I am totally lost as to what to do. I have a horse and I have had her for 18 years. I love her more than anything else in this world. When I went to college she went with me and when I moved back home to where I am from she again went with me. Three years ago she suffered a leg injury and can never be ridden again. The best specialists have seen her and at her age of 27 there isn’t anything that can be done. She isn’t in any pain but she does often favor that leg. She spends her days in a pasture and her nights in her stall. In order to afford her I was living at home with my family and really I still wasn’t able to afford her. I was charging up my credit cards. A year ago I was offered a great position in a new company with a huge raise the only problem was it was several hours away in a different part of the state. I decided to take the job and leave her at the stable where she knew all the horses, people, and her vet and Ferrier knew of her special condition with her leg. I thought that it would be the best thing for her. Of course in leaving her behind all my costs have gone up. I worked at the barn before so my stall rent was free and I took care of her myself so I didn’t have to pay anyone to do it for me. Moving has had me paying for full board and it has been killing me. I try to spend at least one weekend a month back home so I can love on her and bathe her and let her know how much she means to me. I end up sobbing every time I pull up to the barn and see her and I feel sharp pains in my chest every time I go. It would appear as though the extra money provided by the job really hasn’t put any more money in my pocket. Her costs run me from $600-$700 a month and to compensate I stay in a friends extra bedroom for free with everything I own other then necessities in storage. I dream of one day owning a home with a little property so I can have a couple horses. That is all I have ever wanted in my life, to wake up and look out my bedroom window and see my horse grazing. I can think of nothing quite as beautiful as the sight of a horse. They truly are God’s greatest creation.

So a few months ago the original owners of my horse contacted me and informed me that their horse of 30 years had passed away and they had heard about my horse and that I wasn’t around much. They have offered to take her and give her a good home. I went to meet them and they seem like really wonderful people. They really do, they are older than I would prefer but they have a three stall barn that is actually nicer than the barn she is in. There are 3 acres of grass pastures but no shade. They said they leave the stall door open so she could come in if she got hot. The husband would be home all the time as he is retired and the wife works part time. One problem I find is that she would be the only horse there and there aren’t any others around. Horses are pack animals and they don’t like to be alone, plus she has a boyfriend now. I know that sounds funny but she shares a pasture all day long with a 28 year old gelding. If they aren’t in the pasture together they are nickering the whole time at each other. I am someone who preaches to others all the time about once you have an animal you should have it for life. For me they are like my children. I work with local rescue groups and help rescue dogs and cats all the time. I feel like a complete hypocrite that I could even think about giving up this horse I have had for essentially my whole life. I thought I would have her until her death. I promised her I would always take care of her and I am tormented every night by what to do. What kind of person would I be if I give her up to this couple? I want to have a home and I feel like my whole life will have passed before me before I will ever be able to obtain one. I am unable to buy furniture or go on vacation or participate more in the animal rescue group because I just don’t have any money. Any fun things that I do try to do I charge on my credit card. Her vaccinations are behind right now because I just don’t have an extra hundred dollars. What kind of selfish person am I that would even consider giving her away so that I could have a house, just some material possession? Isn’t it more important in life to keep your promises and take care of you pets then to have a home and go on vacation? Growing up I always said I would live in a cardboard box before I would ever live without my horse. There were people I scolded for choosing to give up there horse to get married and have a family and look at what I am considering. What would they think of the girl who felt so deeply for her beliefs that she now may give her horse away? I tried to convince the owner of her boyfriend to move him to this new place as a possibility for the two of them but she said with no shade and no pond he would be to hot and he is a non sweater, so that wouldn’t work. I told the couple I would call them on a Wednesday but it has been a month now and I still haven’t been able to call. What a coward. Please someone tell me what to do? I have been on my knees praying about this and today I felt the need to put this to people who may understand.

The Saddle Search Continues

inclined2ride — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:40:00 GMT

Saddles, Saddles and more Saddles....

This is currently dominating my thoughts so I am blogging about it hoping to clear my mind a bit.

Okay well I have visited a few websites and contacted a few people so folks know I am seriously in the market - but have not found anything that is exactly what i am looking for. I have found a few that come close, one that is real close and I may try to buy it later today.

As I have stated before because I am unable to try saddles out in my area - I am forced to shop online only. There is one shop in my area that sells saddle and they do not sell used saddles at all. But I have learn a couple of thing that may be helpful to others. Unfortuately most folks that read my blog already know these things as they live in the land of the east - the land of jumping, hunt seat, dressage and english saddles. I live in the west - the land of the Quarter Horse, western pleasure, reining, working cowhorse, cutting, roping, rodeo, western saddles, and big heavy spurs where cowgirls drink beer and whiskey. Although some now drink wine (like me, dispite the teasing). There is only so much beer and whiskey one can drink.

Back on Track: Here is what I've learned:

There are saddles of good brands that are made well and hold thier value. So I am sticking to those for obvisous reasons and also because if I get one and later decide I don't like it - I "should" be able to turn it around quickly. Of these brands I am most interested in:

Jaguar
Harry Dabbs
Beval
PJ Delgrange
The Forestier Alliance by Lynn Palm - an english saddle specially made for stock horses
Pessoa
Dover Circuit Elite

I found a couple others I would buy but they seem to be too expensive to find used a price that I could even think about affording:

Antares
Luc Childeric
Devoucoux
And really the PJ Delgrange fits in this area, but I like the looks and what I've read about them so much that I am still hoping I can find an affodable one.

I have also discovered that many saddle companies have try out program in which you can try a saddle out and then maybe buy that same saddle you tried out for a discounted price as it is a demo saddle. There are also some used saddle companies that have programs that like - you basically pay for the saddle - they send it to you in the mail, you try it out and if you like it you can keep it - if not send it back and try out a different one. The companies I checked out don't currently have any of the saddles I would like in my size and my price range in stock. Some have a few that are out on trail but nothing in stock right now.

That given I think I could afford a newer Dover Circuit Elite through that program - I don't know by how much they discount the demo saddles but even a little bit would be nice. If I bought a Dover it would have to be new or almost new as it is not as highly regarded as the other saddles on my list - but highly recommended and enjoyed by its users.

I have learned that ideally, need something with a 17 or 17.5 inch seat. I need something with a 14 inch or longer flap. I need something with a regular tree. In some of the brands I mentioned above I have been advised to get a narrow tree as the trees in europe are designed more toward bigger warmbloods and thoroghbreds than my small compact quarter horses.

I know I would like a saddle that makes me feel really "locked in" and secure. I don't want to be in a position in a couple of years where I need to get another new saddle - this one has to last.

eBay has been a great asset - so has tacktrader.com and equine.com

I have learned the different levels and types of saddles each of those brands produce and which ones would be suitable for my use. So I am feeling more confidient in my decision making skills. Now all I have to do is find the right one. On eBay right now there is a used Harry Dabbs I was thinking about getting. There has been a professional repair job done to the knee roll and you can't hardly even tell it was done.

There is also a Beval LTD up for bid later next week that is in great condition - better than the Harry Dabbs. The HD is up today - and is not currently going for much about $515 - $40 to ship. This would fit perfect in my price range, but I worry about it being too "used" for some serious breed showing?...The Bevel is at $400 with a couple of bids already on it so i know it will go up - but its in better shape.

What to do? Is a slightly used Beval or a used Harry Dabbs better than a Demo from Dover? I also found a very slightly used (about 4 rides) Dover Circuit Elite for about $650 - plus shipping - do I just buy that one? Is it better for those saddles to use the try-out program?

There is also a nice Pessoa coming up in 2 days that is currently sitting at $800. Probable won't stay at that price but you never know. As many good things I hear about Pessoa I hear bad things - so I don't know what to think about that brand, I think Sidetracked said she had one and loved it.

What do you think? Should go for the used Harry Dabbs or wait - I can wait that not a problem...yet.

I had a great weekend

Pretty Palomino — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:58:00 GMT

Oh,man! It rocked! I got in two lessons and my horse was an angel.She was totally focused and never gava me guff. I was kinda of wondering why she would be that nice, But...If it isn't broke don't fix it.And it is not like she is little brat all the time...it's just that she responded to every cue perfectly. Now if she would only do that when my friends are around.

Working with black

barrelchik4life — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:49:00 GMT

Sometimes it honestly feels like I am not to be happy with my horse career, huh! but I am happy to say this weekend I found me a new trainer to help me train my paint Black. This horse is going to be a handful to train. I have never really been a pirelli fan, maybe its because he contradicts what he says sometimes and basically comes up with items to sale to the public to make him rich. but thats not the point. He showed me the yoyo game with black, and OMG. the boy did what he asked. He can be a very rude horse and get in your space real quick, but making him back up out of my space makes me feel better. He is a very demanding boy. He want's you to go by his rules. Which now isn' going to happen.His last owner spoiled him to death. I was fixing to help add to it, but now I am not giving him treats by hand. He exspects you to always have them.The yoyo was the only game I really learned, but I can't wait till his next lesson. He was actually rode around the pasture,but he wants to back up and not go forward. He got black to walk forward stop and do turns at a walk. I am so happy cause I think this is the horse for me.

Why Not Go 2 a Horse Show?

inclined2ride — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Ok - well its Monday following a weekend where I threw a graduation party with the help of my mom and my friend for myself. I was VERY stressfully and I believe it was way more fun for my guests than myself. Drank too much (after most folks had left of course cause I didn't have time to drink while everyone was there). I am dragging a little bit today, but not as bad as I had expected.

I have been thinking about maybe trying to throw in one more show this year - and decided for sure this morning that I wasn't going to do it. Since I have no vacation time I would have leave work on Friday night AGAIN and drive to Montana for 4 hourse and after losing an hour in Mountain Time I would not even have time to ride when I got there. This is all IF my horse is sound enough for a show. Last I spoke to Joe the blame was squarely placed on a stone bruise due to his round pen antics Saturday morning at the Moses Lake show. With fuel costs the way they are - and considering the unusually steep stall fees and post entry fees leveled by the Montana Club - its just not worth it.

And while nothing would make me happier than waking up Saturday morning in the Bitter Root Valley in Montana (one of my most favorite horse show areas ever - I've travel alot in my short life and trust me you will not find a more beautiful place in the month of June) I must decline this year. My budget would be greatly helped by me skipping this show. If I were trying to qualify for World or maybe running for a year-end award, I would make the effort - but not this year with nothing going on and sky high fuel and stall costs. PLUS since I would not want to pay to send my horse on to the next show my trainer is going to (Kalispell, MT) I would have to drive Stretch all the way back to Lewiston ID by myself - turning a 4 hour trip home into a 7 hour trip home.

To give you an idea of what this show might cost me:

Post Entry Fee Charged by Club: $10.00 Per Day = $20.00

Novice Classes: $15.00 per class (Novice HUS + Horsemenship both days) = $60

Open Classes: $18.00 per class (Green Horse HUS both days)= $36

Amatuer Classes: $18.00 per class (Amateur HUS both days)= $36

Stall: $95 ($7 a bag for shavings I'd use mostly likely 4 bags and no, you can't bring your own) = $123

Fuel: Paying about $90 for a tank of fuel now - $220

Food: $90 (Includes going out to eat once)

AQHA Drug Fee: $3 per horse per judge - $6

RV Hook-Up (with this warm weather I would most likely skip the plug-in but it would cost $25 a night) $0

Trainer: I would pay him mileage one way plus day fees, not sure, but I think it would run me $200

Banding: Since I would not be there in time to do it myself, I would be looking at paying $25

Tack Stall - if I can't park close enough to the barn to tack and untack, I will have to split a tack stall with the only other barn member who is attending the show and my trainer ($95 divided by 3) $31.66

So I would be a good $847.66 poorer by the time I got home.

And that folks is why I am not going....

AQHA, and most of the Quarter Horse clubs in our area are going to have to do some major re-thinking of how they are puuting together their shows if they want to continue having horse shows....why I ask - must a horse show cost that much? Show management says they have to charge that much or they lose money - then how do Open shows that charge a fraction of that make money? Lower judging fees? No association fees?

Tell me where the the money is going and I will tell you how to save money. If horse shows were run like a business instead of a hobby cost would not spiral out of control like that.

I felt like the man from Snowy River

mauibiff — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:12:00 GMT

At Camp Nathanael horse space is limited. We have 20 horses and we can't possible keep them on grass all year. We keep them in a dry lot with two round feeders most of the time, but the horses do get an opportunity to romp on small grassy pastures. One particular pasture is situated in a way that the horses must move out of the barn area and down the drive about 1000 feet to the gate. We kept them there the last few days after the camp activities were completed. It's amazing how fast grass can be cropped down to bare ground. They stayed on this small pasture for two nights. Friday morning I took a walk to check them. Nate revived an old wheel barrow so now it is all wood and can carry bales easily. I spread the two bales of hay out for them in the lower ungrassy, forested part of the pasture next to Troublesome Creek.

Have you ever been in a group of frolicing horses? That's what they did when I came that morning. They raced from one end of the field to the other. They kicked of their heels and jumped up into the air and kicked just the the little goats back on the farm in Michigan used to do. People who are driving into camp stop their vehicles to watch. Sometimes it feels like the Kentucky horse park here.

On Saturday morning after the 115 campers left on the buses, I went to work at the barn. The horses needed to come back to the dry lot. The feeders were again filled with hay. A few girls showed up to watch as I worked with the tractor. When I came back into the barn I made a comment about them being at the barn in flip flops. If they were going to help me with the horses (I knew they wanted some hands on horse fun) they needed to run back to their suitcases for the right footwear. When they came back we walked down to the grassy pasture whistling as we went. All 20 horses met us at the gate. We opened it up and out the horses came. I had a driving whip to get them moving along. If Camp Nathanael horses have an opportunity to eat grass, they will, but the slightest touch of the whip on their rump moves one of them along. A crack of the whip in the air and they all start off at a walk. We held up traffic at the new camp entrance as the horses moved back to the barn.

One of the campers asked if they would run away. I said they might go past the barn gate, past the apple orchard and on past the duplexes to the grassy bottom behind the pool. Today they didn't. They went right into the gate...even Ruthy the mule (who can be contancerous at times and takes a notion to run off on her own) trotted through the gate. All the while the whip was being whizzed through the air. I felt like the man from Snowy River.

That's it for now....by the banks of Troublesome Creek

Mary Beth

P.S. I'm new at this blogging stuff. I got my first comment the other day. Thanks.

Come Join Us!

Jane Howard — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:58:00 GMT

Would you like to join us?

For every horse in the pasture there is likely a woman in the kitchen longing for someone to ride with. She has long since given up her childhood dream of riding into the sunset. Instead, she married, raised her children, maybe even was a "showmom" or 4 H mom, but always others' needs before hers. Her husband has no interest in horses. If she is lucky enough to have ponies or horses as pasture ornaments he wonders why?

Now there is a place and a club for her. Red Hats & Purple Chaps is composed of women just like her. Some have waited over thirty years to ride again, but they are doing it, and doing it with a bang! We are a band of self sacrificers whose time has come, whose time is now! We camp, trailride, line dance, play soccer on horseback, square dance on horse back, parade the small towns, and parade the really, really big ones. The crowd loves us because though they may not be horse people they still identify with what we stand for and what we are doing. They often shout to us "You are our Heroes!!!!"

Don't be shy. You can do it again. If you don't have a horse we'll loan you one at the clinics. If you don't have a trailer we will try very hard to find you and your mount a ride. If you are afraid your horse cannot do it, so were all of us. Nearly every horse we have started has finished the training and loves to parade as much as its rider. Don't know how to decorate a horse? We'll teach you. Next thing you know you 'll be making costumes for all of us! Visit our website www.redhatsandpurplechaps.com

Email the following info to springjane@msn.com

Twenty Four kids at once..

mauibiff — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:11:00 GMT

It has gotten to the point of horseback riding that we can't just ride by ourselves. There should be other people with us enjoying the sport. Well, we have landed ourselves in a place where we do have lots of kids riding with us. Two groups of twenty four kids come to the horsebarn three times this week and next. How do we handle that many kids with just 14 horses? First we do a kind of round robin workshop. The first 12 come into the barn and get their helmets on and adjusted. We give a small training session with all of the kids on how to stop, turn, mount, dismount, and ask the horse to move. We show them with one of the bigger ponies, then start to mount them up using the mounting block. As twelve are in the arena learning with an instructor and an assistant, the rest are brushing a horse and learning horse parts. another group is swinging on the barn swing. We rotate them around in the alloted time we have for the camp schedule. The other two days we have with these same campers is different. We divide the the twenty four into two groups. Twelve go on a trail ride, and the other twelve stay at the barn and learn to brush, saddle, bridle, lead, mount, dismount, scoop poop, :) and other easy horsemanship tasks. It is all put into a game using two poniesand two groups of six. They kind of go through this learning obstacle course and have a race to see who can get through it the most carefully and efficiently. The last part of their time is to run...on foot around the arena to the finish line. The kids are having a lot of fun. If you want to check out Camp Nathanael go to www.campnathanael.org

On the Hunt for a Good English Saddle

inclined2ride — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:48:00 GMT

So much I don't know about Hunt Seat...

Since I now have 2 Huntseat Horses - one that might possible be a fairly serious Hunt Seat Horse. I have been told by a fairly big time trainer - Joe's friend Carolyn Rice - that i need a better saddle, one that puts me in the correct position, is balanced and comfortable to ride in. I love shopping!

So I have learned that the following saddles are of good quality and would be good investments. I am looking for such a saddle. A used one, as I cannot afford a new one. One that I could show at fairly high levels with if I wanted, and one that maybe I could jump with a bit and although it may not be perfect for jumping it would work. I have learned I need a darker colored close contact saddle with knee pads and perferrable a squared off back. So here is what I found:

Beval Butet
Luc Childeric
Jaguar XJS
Harry Dabbs
Antares
Tad Coffin (I believe this goes in relation to one of the other brands...)
Devoucoux
Bruno Delgrange
PJ (Also i believe this is a version of one of the other mentioned brands...)
Alliance (Lynn Palm) Forestier
Dover Pro-Circuit Elliete

I have found some of these on eBay - some completely out of my price range ($800 at the most) so seem to in my price range but the auctions aren't over yet so they may not end up in my price range at all.

From the ones I have seen online - I am REALLY liking the Jaguar XJS. It just looks so nice - a far cry from the Colliegente I ride in now. But even the used ones are crazy expensive - so I don't know if I will be able to afford one of those. It looks like getting a Beval might be more realistic for me - there is one I saw on eBay that is slighty damaged on top but doesn't look beyond repair and its right where you sit so no one would see it. Depending on how the price goes I just might pick that up. Anyone have any experience with that brand? Or for that matter any of the ones I have listed?

I will also be selling both of my Colliegent saddles - ones an all purpose and ones a close contact. Both were made and purchased through Millers when it was still around in its true form - when they still made good quality low-cost saddles. I was think about selling them with the leathers and stirrups for $300.00 each. How does that sound?

Update on Stretch - Joe called on Tuesday said that on Monday he was still a little "off" - but completely not druged at all and was much improved. He called just because he was going to get him out that day and if he was still off at all - he was going to Vet him and then call me back with whatever the vet said. I haven't heard anything - which could be good or bad, so I will call either this afternoon or tomorrow morning for news.

Roper and Kaiser

inclined2ride — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:47:00 GMT

Meet the Dogs!

I don't know if I have every properly introduced my dogs - so here they are.

Kaiser is the German Shepard and technically belongs to my husband, and Roper is the Black Lab and belongs to me. They are both a little over a year old and not quite past the chewing stage.....grrrr.

Roper is pretty calm for a Lab dog and makes a good horse show dog as his favorite past time is sleeping in the trailer with me. He is a little slow on somethings which I find odd for a Lab but I love him anyway. I got him from our neighbor who couldn't make him stay home at all and since they had another dog that didn't have problems running off, they didn't want to put up a fence just to keep one dog in. So we got him and he lives inside our fence just perfectly. He is very sweet and is great inside - just lays down and hangs out with ya. But he whines ALOT. Don't know how he learned that but it gets him no where at our place.

Kaiser is the protector and full of energy and personality and he is VERY VERY smart. He is also super in tune with me and my hubby. Our moods, our patterns of daily life, and just about everything about us. He communicates with us so well its almost kind of creepy sometimes. Like living with Lassie. He is a great dog but can be a little more aggressive towards other dogs than I would prefer - we are working on that, he's made great strides on his walks toward behaving normally. He thinks he needs to protect everyone - a trait I don't mind at all and he is HUGE, no one has ever even looked at me cross wise on our walks when he is along.

Speaking of which whenever I get the chance i will take them with me on my walks or runs around a 2 mile lope of road that goes by our place. They love it and it helps them burn off some of that puppy energy. They also enjoy destroying any and all toys that I buy for them. But we love them alot - I would also like to add that we have a very old Rotty that doesn't get around much anymore but still manages to get up and bark at the pups whenever they go flying by looking like they are having too much fun. Her name is Taz. Don't have any current pics of her but we love them all.

Show Weekend Update

inclined2ride — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:46:00 GMT

HIGHS and lows of a weekend show...

Well, despite my horse troubles I packed up late until Thursday night - and took an hour or two out of my time to finish up my friend's birthday present - a framed B&W photo of mine (which it seemed like she liked) to fill some empty space on her walls. Put everything that I could in the trailer and truck crashed then woke up early Friday morning to finish packing.

I took my truck and trailer to work with me that morning so I could leave directly from work and jump right on the interstate. This meant I had to leave my dog Roper at home this time, which he was sad about - but he hasn't been feeling all that well anyway so it was good he stayed home with hubby. Getting to the show in a timely manner was important because I'd had delusions of grandeur of putting at least one of my Hunt Seat Horses in the Hunter Under Saddle Futurity. My friend also wanted to do the futurity and I figured that if we both did the futurity - and were the only ones that did it - then both of us would at least win back our entry fee. Futurities are fun to do anyway - a little increased competition with the money - so I didn't think anything of it.

Well, after hauling ass down to the show - 100 miles south from Spokane after work, I made it to the show grounds in time to unpack and unload and get dressed for the futurity, the AQHA classes were over for the day but I had plenty of time to get ready for the futurities. It turned out to be a great success - me and my friend both competed and I won under 2 of the 3 judges!! She won under one judge - we both got our entry money back plus some.

Lame?
But after that the show turned kinda ugly as the next day my horse Stretch turned up really lame for my english classes. This was especially sad considering I had to work on Friday and therefore missed all the English classes on that day - it was a split and combined double judged show so Saturday was my only chance to show Stretch English (to date the only thing me and Stretch are real competitive at). I went in one class - he felt kinda funny, then went in a second class and had to go right back out because he was so lame. I have never had a lame horse so I really didn't know what to make of it.

He was still off the second day - but it wasn't beyond a dose of "vitamins". We found no heat or swelling in the leg that he was favoring and I only had one class to go - so I got him out of stall just before the class and rode through a horsemanship pattern with him (it went rather poorly by the way - there were only 3 in the class and I was last and beaten by a reiner that was just there to fill the class up and warm-up his horse).

I really really really hope that this doesn't lead to a big vet bill - nothing would put the brakes on the rest of my showing than one of those. I think and hope that he just had a stone bruise going on - from pretending to be a wild mustang in the round pen Saturday morning - the footing was horrible (very rocky) but he was being so dang goofy on the lunge line in the arena I thought a round pen work out would be good for him as he could work out some of his goofiness in there instead of scaring people in the arena by his leaping, hopping, striking and bucking.

Patty
To top matters off I didn't get a chance to ride Patrick. I thought well, heading to the show after missing half of it might be worth it if I could invest some real time riding Patrick - didn't get to do that either. Joe rode him a ton, which was great but I kinda wanted to hop on for a bit. I did however get the chance to bath him and try out some new whitening products on him. He looked just stunning!! If my camera would've been near by I would've gotten his picture for the blog.

Long still time no see...
But what made me real sad was that my friend from Wyoming was there on a two week visit to see her folks and to visit her horse which Joe has in training. You see I had looked forward for so long to doing this show with her to hang out like old times and she hardly said 3 words to me the whole weekend. It was very strange and I have been over the whole weekend in my mind a dozen times I can't think of anything I did to make her mad. Seriously we talk on the phone while she is home in Wyoming more than we spoke to each other at the show - and I made it a point to seek out opportunities where neither of us were busy so there was times that she could've struck up a conversation with me, but choose not to. There were also times I tried to hang out and talk a little bit and it was kinda like she avoided me. I was crushed.

I mean I know she was up to see her folks and horse show a little - but she'd spent the last two weeks with them straight. I wasn't wanting to hog all of her time, just wanted to hang out for a bit. When she moved to Wyoming we were like best friends so many things in our lives are so similar even when she moved we would call each other and talk for hours - our likes and dislikes and dang near everything is the same. A couple of years ago we meant up at the AQHA world show and had a blast - it was so damn fun! Usually when she comes up for shows or whatever i give her plenty of space and time to spend with her folks but we always find time to hang-out, go shopping or whatever the case may be. But this time if I didn't know any better I'd say she was actively avoiding me.

To look forward to seeing her for like 4 months and then not really even get a chance to talk to her - killed me. Now I know what people are thinking - why didn't you go over and talk to her? Well folks, we were at the darn fairgrounds its not like we were miles apart we both were camping there - she knew where to find me. I didn't want to be the annoying insecure friend - so I just minded my own business and was nice. But it hurt ya know so I didn't and don't really know what to make of it. Maybe she'll email me and explain, she'll be back home today - or maybe she won't and I will have lost one of my best friends ever....I just feel a little sad about the whole thing.

The Girl and the Fire

inclined2ride — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:45:00 GMT

Why Patrick is Special - Concluded...

A new horse
It was towards the end of Patrick’s 2 year-old year that the girl’s trainer finally traded her out of the mean gelding. With a huge training credit the girl decided she could afford another horse, and she knew just the one she wanted. A friend of hers owned a mare that had been consistently producing excellent winning babies. This mare was by the famous late great Dynamic Deluxe, and she has just had a baby by Infinitive a couple of years ago. Exactly what the girl had been wanting for a long time – and just to make it even better the baby was colt and it was black, the girl’s favorite color in horses. In short the baby was everything the girl had been wanting in a horse.

So a deal was stuck and the girl bought the colt using some money from the girl's savings. The plan being that the girl would futurity both colts one in Western Pleasure the other in Hunter Under Saddle, save the winnings and eventually sell the black colt for a huge profit. The girl named the horse Cole (pictured below) after his coal black color, and because he seemed to be all colt so the name fit well. The girl was excited over having two very nice colts to show in the Spring as it had been a long time since she's had a horse she could compete on – however the excitement was not meant to last.

The fire
The colts were in training that winter while the girl worked away saving money and planning show outfits. During the winter a boy the girl knew from when she was younger passed away and other things in the girl’s life became a struggle. She wanted to go visit her horses as they always made her feel better. After a few failed attempts to visit them she finally had a date scheduled for the weekend. Two days before this date while working she received a call from her friend informing her that there had been a barn fire at her trainer’s place. She didn’t know much only that a lot of horses had died.

The girl’s shoulders fell and she slumped at her desk, as much in sorrow as in disbelief, one thought occurred to her…..Patrick! “Oh no, God please no!!” she prayed as she tried to call her trainer and other friend who lived in Lewiston but couldn’t reach anyone. Finally her trainer answered the phone – but in a voice she could just barely recognize. His first words were controlled and with each following word, what he said became almost like a sob. He said that something terrible had happened, a barn fire, and a bunch of horses died, he began listing the horses that had died.

What we lost in the fire
Infinitive had died (Patrick’s sire and Joe’s favorite all time stud horse)….Grace (the girl’s friends’ horse show horse, who was recently sold to a youth on the west side of the state), Simeon (her other friends horse who was qualified to go to the AQHA World Show), Phil (the girl’s friend Kelly’s horse), Dan (Joe’s nice cowhorse stud – which was going to Kelly’s husband to ride and show next year), a young colt belonging to some folk’s north of the trainer’s barn, a young filly owned by some other friends of the girl…….and the girl’s horse, Cole. Patrick had been one of the few rescued, but that was of little condolence. Everything had been lost all tack, blankets, brushes and anything in or near the barn was gone.

The girl hung up the phone and sat there at her desk for a moment while her co-workers awkwardly glanced at her. She felt her heart sink into her gut and slapped her hands over her mouth to avoid yelling but a sound could still be heard in the office, it sounded like the whine of a small wounded animal – for a moment the girl didn't know it was coming from her.

Grief really is the price we pay for love
She left work for home intending on picking up the trailer and picking up her remaining horse – she didn’t even know if there was a place for them to stay for the night. On her way home she was called by many people, but she can’t remember exactly who, emotion does funny things to memory. She does remember picturing in her mind her little colt, alone, running around in his stall scared and crying out, breathing smoke, then burning….it was more than her mind could handle. She pulled over in the woods between the two HWY's she takes to get home and threw up, fell to her knees, and cried like she hadn’t cried since she was child. She couldn’t breathe, it was like she couldn’t force air back into her lungs, the world spinned and for a moment things went dark.

When she had regained a moment of control she jumped back in her car and with the help of a phone call from another horse friend made it back home safe. The girl made the trip to the trainer’s place that night and will never forget the smell of the burned barn and horses that night as she drove by it to see her other horse, Patrick. The foundation of the barn glowed a bright orange red – it seared itself into her memory like a brand.

The horses had been put up at the near by Round-Up grounds and were well taken care of – so she did not need to bring Patrick home, but the smell of him, the feeling of his warm body and his breath on her shoulder helped bring her back from the brink of despair. She sat in his stall and cried – his eyes were watery from the smoke and he smelled of the fire but he was otherwise unharmed. He was gentle and quiet in his stall just as Gracie would’ve been – and sniffed and bumped the girl with his nose while she cried and hugged him.

While the girl was there another lady entered the barn spotted Patrick and said “Oh my God you’re alive – thank you!” she ran over to pet him. This lady, as it turns out, was the stall cleaner and helper for the old barn and had taken a liking to Patrick, upon hearing of the fire she was worried sick he had died. She started crying as well.

What followed was one of the darkest times the girl had ever gone through. A horse injured in the fire was put down shortly after the fire bringing the count to nine horses that died in the fire. For a while afterward it seemed as if nothing would go right for the group. The girl was heart broken, not just for her horse but the others as well, she had groomed, lunged, bathed, and ridden almost every horse that had died in the fire and her brain didn’t understand that they were all just gone now. Very little except Patrick could cheer her up, not her friends, not the pills the doctor gave her, not her family or her husband.

Time heals, but sometimes it takes a long time
As the world moved on everyone started to feel better, little highs like seeing the immense generosity of others lifted the girl’s spirits if only for a little bit. As a new barn was built and as horses were replaced and due to the quick enormous efforts of her trainer to erase any trace of the fire, everyone involved began to recover, but it was and still is a slow process.

The girl was angry that no one was at the barn to spot the fire and help the horses – but there was no one to be angry at. She was angry that she was not there to save and protect her colt – but grateful Patrick had survived. She was also angry that she had not insured the colt and had spent so much money on him. The anger is gone from the girl now, replaced with a deep lingering sadness that is no longer tapped unless conversations of the old barn or colt are brought up.

The girl is grateful for her friends, family and her horses, she doesn't know what would've happened without them. Her friends and parents, during that dark time and even Patrick it seemed, formed a protective circle around her and didn't let her fall beyond an arms reach into the depths of depression. She would do anything for those people as they have all done so much for her.

With his mom, his dad, and his half brother now gone Patrick (picture below as a two year-old the summer following the fire) is truly the last of his kind and the girl vowed to give him every chance at a successful future as a show horse and to always give him a home, he had become very special to the girl and she to this day treats him as such.

Of course the story isn't over - you've been reading about it since April here on my blog...

As an interesting side note - most of the Infinitive breedings the year of the fire didn't take and the mares that were pregnant had problems only one healthy Infinitive colt was born, making Patrick is one of a handful of the last Infinitive babies. Maybe it was the smoke or stress but no one is sure but most mares aborted their babies and/or absorbed, and there was one still born the following spring year.

The Girl and Life

inclined2ride — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:43:00 GMT

Why Patrick is Special Part 3

The girl spent 2 weeks around the colt before she gave it a name – as it turns out his spunky nature reminded her of a big sorrel horse that belonged to a boy who did competed in 4-H with her, the boy also competed on the hunter/jumper circuit – the horse’s name was Patrick. So she named the colt Patrick, it seemed to fit. The girl chose “Bigger Than Infinity” for the colt’s registered name, since he was such a huge colt and since she wanted to give the stallion some credit.

The colt surprised everyone by growing and growing and growing as time passed - it became obvious that he wasn’t going to shed out grey either. He had a good mom that looked after him, didn’t let him get away with much, and taught him her gentle way about life.

The mare’s owner and girl decided not to rebreed the grey mare on her foal heat and to follow up with a breeding the next season. And so then weaning time came around the girl decided to deliver the mare back to her old owner as part of weaning her from the baby which was almost 6 months old at this time – more than ready to be weaned. She could then get a head start on the upcoming breeding season.

Breeding Time
The girl groomed the mare up and loaded her into the trailer. The mare sighed as if relieved that weaning time had finally come and offered no longing calls to the colt. She had done this many times and it was no big deal to her. When the girl arrived at the barn she filled the owner in on the mare’s wormings and vaccinations. The girl immersed her self in small talk so as to not get sad. She tied the mare up to the owner’s trailers and said her good bye while stroking her long forelock, then left for the 2 hour drive home. Feeling sad but looking forward to seeing the mare again in a year.

The Unexpected
A month or so passed and the girl was immersed with working with her colt, who was still growing like a freak, when she received a call at work. The mare’s owner called and left a message for the girl to call back. The girl was concerned as the mare’s owner sounded upset. The girl called back right away when the line was answered at the other end the girl said “Hi there, just returning your call – tell me Gracie is okay…” the answer on the other end was a sobbing “I can’t…I’m so sorry” a long silence followed. The mare’s owner told the girl the mare had coliced the night before, and been rushed to surgery. When she had been opened up the vet had found that the mare’s lower intestines were dead. The mare’s owner’s made the decision to euthanize the mare. Gracie was gone. Poor, poor Gracie...

The girl hung up on the mare’s owner unable to continue speaking, an image of her Gracie in a vet’s operating room, opened up, passing away without anyone to hold her that she trusted was overwhelming her. She sprinted to the bathroom where she called the barn’s owner Debbie and broke down. Debbie held the girl together, told the girl to take a few minutes to cry then “cowgirl up” clean up, finish work, then come out to the barn after work.

Time Heals All Things
The girl finished work that day, but it was a sad time for the girl. She found refuge with her horses and the lovely colt. She knew he did not understand when she told him that his mother would not be coming back, but she felt that it was the right thing to do. The colt was one of the few things that lifted her spirits during that time.

As time went on the pain of Graces memory became less for the girl and the colt continued to grow and show great promise as a show horse. As time passed the colt also added a white mane and tail to his color pallet. The girl thought that perhaps her endless whining about her current show gelding's boring solid sorrel color caused God to grant her all the chrome one could want on Patrick, if not the gray color. The girl hoped the colt would turn out to be a very good mover because there was no way he was going to be missed in the show ring.

Time For School
Soon the girl had done all she could with the colt, she with the help of her mother had taught him to lead, and to have his feet handled. The girl also taught him to move around at a walk-trot and lope and reverse in a round pen. She taught him stop and come to the center of the round pen to meet her, and the girl sacked him out with almost anything she could grab. She had used the lead rope to get him used to the feeling of a girth and gotten him used to being tied up.

Happy with the talent that he was showing and his size the girl made the decision to so the then frisky colt to the trainer the winter when he turned 2.

To be concluded next time....

My baby is going to Police Horse school

KCS — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:30:00 GMT

My littlest angel is now 3 and ready for the first Police Horse training this Saturday. CJ, my lil' solid paint buckskin, who was born and raised in my arms is now ready for Mounted kindergarten where he will experience formation, crowd senarios and the ever big, bad, scary sensory training. Let's just hope I stay in the saddle!

Weekend heaven!!!

Pretty Palomino — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:01:00 GMT

I dug out my saddle and my gear and went for a ride. Mind you,it wasn't very long,but it was a ride!!! It was so wonderful, it made up for the fact that I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the couch in pain. AAAHH!!!! Horses... Chocolate...Aspirins.... a woman's best friend!!!!

More Choices

horse_angel730 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:31:00 GMT

Okay, a few days ago I went to look at this horse and I just wanted to tell someone (meaning a horseperson) about it and my friends aren't really into horses so I figured this would be a good way to get the word out. The horse's name was Kawani ( which I thought was kinda weird but can''t judge a horse by it's name) and she was a 9yo Buckskin QH mare. The ad said she was broke but when I went to look at her you could get on her but it was kinda hard. First, the horse had a gaited bit in, second the saddle was crooked. The horse seemed jittery from the start and the girl who owned her said my riding instuctor( who has been invited to ridein the World Championships and is training a Two time World Champion horse) wasn't trying to break her which just isn't Lindsey's(my riding instructor) personality. Anyway, I'm sad to say I have marked Angel off my list. In her place is a 9yo Bay QH mare. The horse is broke for an intermediate rider which is what Lindsey considers me and is owned and rode by a 14 year old girl which is pretty close to my age. ANother one I m looking at is a 8yo White QH mare, broken for begginer to intermediate riders and named Impress Me Jacksteels (not sure what her barnname is.) Thanks for letting me rattle on and on and on.