The School of Life with Horses

 

She went on vacation with her boyfriend following High School Graduation, it was a scuba diving accident. I had just sent her a box of college supplies and a graduation present - the best I could afford. And she sent me a message on Facebook, last night telling me how much fun she was having, by the time I read it this morning she was gone.....


Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you though you think you already know
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm
You’ve had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born

Beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again. Go on take on this whole world but to me you know you will always be
My little girl

When you were in trouble that crooked little smile would melt my heart of stone
Now look at you I’ve turned around and you’ve almost grown
Sometimes your asleep I whisper I love you in the moonlight at your door
As I walk away I hear you say “daddy love you more”

Beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again. Go on take on this whole world but to me you know you will always be
My little girl

Someday some boy will come and ask me for your hand
But I won’t say yes to him unless I know
He’s the half that makes you whole
He has a poets soul
And the heart of a mans man
I know he’ll say that he’s in love, but between you and me
He won’t be good enough

Beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again. Go on take on this whole world but to me you know you will always be
My little girl

 

Friday, June 26, 2009

We are packing up to head out to the River for the 4th. I have taken 2 days off work and combined it with the 3rd - which we have off for a 5-day mini vacation. At my work if you don't use it, you loose it, so I am going to use it all by the first of August - when my vacation resets itself.

I am so excited to head out to the River for some camping and fun in the sun - the weather is supposed to be outstanding for once (or at least that is what they are saying now) and the dogs are about ready to crawl out of their skin they are so bored - it will be fun for everyone.

Hubby has decided to go back to school and is enrolled for Fall Quarter. This means we will be on a tight budget for a lot longer than I had originally thought. And it adds to our expenses as his unemployment will only pay for "part" of the tuition costs. But that's ok, because it means we will be better off in the long run, or at least I hope. I can see a future where maybe I wouldn't have to work, where maybe I could focus on my writing.....at least I think I can.....

School is not easy and it's already stressing him out with the Financial Aid apps, tests, registration and paper work - so he is ready for a break too. The river is nice cause there is no cell phone service, no TV service and no interest service so we are completely unplugged for the time we are there. In fact you can just barely get a radio station - so we do cheat a little bit and steal my hubby's friends' satellite radio. He works fires in the summer so he has satellite everything. We did too till this Spring when it was included in our budget cuts. Some of which have gone ok some are sorely missed....

I really miss my expensive Redkin shampoo and conditioner - I asked my hair gal which "cheap" shampoo was the best and she actually said Mane and Tail - would be it. So I am using that now. Heck I already have tons of it. I won't need to buy any till next year. It's ok....but it's really isn't as nice....sigh....

I haven't bought myself a latte since February....and it sure is tempting sometimes....

We've cut both our satellite TV and internet packages down to the bare minimum. Hubby needs internet for school so we are keeping that....but if things get tighter the TV will have to go, which would be sad because we live too far out of town to pick up the new digital signal. So we are trying to keep that as well. We have bid farewell to our satellite radio.
I have switched coffee 2 or 3 times trying to find an inexpensive brand that I like. I have settled on some coffee beans from Costco - which I like. It's called Seattle Mountain Coffee or something like that. It's 8$ for a giant bag of it - so its a fairly good deal.

We stalk sales at the local grocery stores like crazy people, but it's paying off. We usually aren't short on food. I can name off the top of my head the best prices I have seen on most foods and at what store any given week.

We haven't been "out to dinner" since my birthday.....sigh....haven't even bought any Pizza (you'd think I would be losing weight, but alas I am not really). Sometimes when we get all the bills paid and unexpected things happen like - a freakin Vet bill or my cars needs some work things get pretty tight, but we manage - even if some bill are late.

The new Physical Therapy seem to be helping..........a little - it's only been a week and half on it so I am still hoping it will work. I haven't heard from the doc on my bone scan....yet. I think that if the bone scan shows that he can't do any injections, and the new PT doesn't help I will try to settle my claim with the insurance company and try to settle for enough money to provide myself with alternative care for my back for possibly the rest of my life. And move on. That's my plan anyways - to move on, and accept things for the way they are.

I thought I would post some pics of my animal pals - they have all been taking full advantage of the summer.

There are still no horse shows in my immediate future. Stretch has not sold, although one party remains interested. I am doing everything I can help get him sold. Except riding - which my new PT still says he'd like me not to do (wanted to give the therapy a chance to work, then I can go back to riding or so he says).

I have sold some horse items and some show clothes and that helps out financially some what. Nothing like selling an actual horse would.....sigh.....



Pat munching away at my folk's place in the small pasture. He is gaining weight and is looking nice!



Pat and Stretch, who is quickly becoming quite chunky - so he is now on limited pasture time - the boy is not real happy about it either - he can really pout.



Kaiser on his pillow inside. I just love it when they lay like that, it's so cute.



To prevent Roper from getting the "Go-Nut" (green rubber donut) Kaiser will put it in his food dish while he is eating....



Roper - pouting in the grass about the "Go-Nut".



Ah HA! Finally he has it back! What a nut case - they crack me up!



Rope sleeping like shrimp.

 

 

 Saturday, June 20, 2009

We hit the boat launch in time for me to do some last minute fishing while we were waiting our turn to load up. And I hooked this Blue Gill - they are pretty colored and taste good, but there is not much meat on these babies. They like the warmer water this lake offers.


What perfect end to a great day!

 Wednesday, June 17, 2009

 

I was familiar with Aryn Kyle as she was featured in “The Best Of American Short Stories 2007” I sometimes pick up those “Best of Books” as there can be some really good stuff in them. She wrote a short story called "Foaling Season" – which she used as a springboard for this book.

When I read "Foaling Season" I remember thinking that it was good – she was good. A little rough, but good. I thought that it was a tad over dramatic and fairly dark as the foaling season is usually an exciting and beautiful time at almost any farm. But I remember liking the story and thinking with some more practice she'd have it down and would out there with a bestseller.

Imagine my surprise and excitement when I saw that “bestseller” sitting on the book table at Costco a year and half later. But alas, my book budget is now about non-existent so I left Costco without the book. So a little while later when I won the book drawing it was one of the first books that sprang to my mind.

I have to say that it is as good of a read as I had hoped. The story is great, it just ropes you in and doesn’t let you go. The horse details, while good, were still a little over dramatic and erred on the dark side of things – but it went along with the main characters mood at that time so you have to take it all in context with the whole book.

She involved horses a great deal in the book and yet the book is not “about horses” it’s about a girl and her family who happen to be in the horse business. You do not have to be a “horse person” to enjoy this book at all. But I believe it is a true treat if you are a horse person doubly so if you have any experience in the show world.

It was nice and refreshing to read a book that actually had “horse showing” in it and did not give it the Disney or Saddle Club treatment. That did not treat horse showing as a thing for the rich only or as a tool to mend a broken heart, or save a horse, or whatever some starry-eyed authors have dreamed up in the past.

I grew to really like the characters in the book – they are portrayed not as good or bad, but as human. Capable of both good and evil. If you are looking for that good horse read for the summer, this is it right here, go online and pick it up if you haven’t already read it.


Just as I finished “The God of Animals” I was equally surprised to find another amazon box in the mail – but I tore it open before I took any pictures of it…. And found another book from Oregon Sunshine – called “Nights of Rain and Stars” which I have only just started to read… but I am sure I will enjoy it. It was a bonus book! THANK YOU! As I have mentioned, my meager book budget isn't allowing for new book purchases so a bonus book means I will have something to read this summer.



These two books are great reads for a younger audience (I'd say from 8 - 15 or so). As an adult I was impressed with her scene descriptions in both books – painting a living picture in your mind of the character’s setting.

The first one (Wild Horses) is the beginning of the Half Moon Ranch series so there is some explanation of the main character’s family in there that is missing the other one – so if you want to know more you can go back and read the first one. It centers around two friends who are leading a trail ride but one becomes stuck in a canyon with some wild horses – one of the horses is injured. Of course he is a stallion and of course the girl helps him gaining his trust in the process. It’s like the Black Stallion for girls. The book is a good read and although some things in the book are unrealistic such the dealings with the Wild Stallion – they are things we all wished we could do when we were younger and that’s what makes it a good book. You know if it took her years to tame a Wild Stallion it wouldn't be nearly as exciting.

The second book “Rodeo Rocky” is slightly different but again deals with a Wild Stallion – this book touches more on ranch life through the main character again the girl Kristie Scott. The details are great and the read moves along quickly, and there are no moments where you are bored. Again there is some questionable horse training – but again I think it’s what we’d all like to be able to do when we were younger so, and it is a fictional book after all, so it didn’t bother me that bad. And like I said before if it took years instead of weeks to tame and train a Wild Stallion - the may not be as interesting.

It’s about the lead character, Kristie Scott, who attends a local Rodeo and basically rescues a Wild Stallion by buying it and bringing it back to the ranch to train up to use in their “Dude String” and the adventures she has in the process.

I really enjoyed both of these books and am sending them to my friend Cheyenne (14) for a review. I will let you know what she thought about them too. I know several of my horsey friends who have a hard time finding “good horse books” for their kids to read and I have no problem recommending these. There is no underlying political message that is trying to be conveyed here – it just good stories about kids and horses. The kind they can go reenact outside while they play “horses” – the kind that makes them actually like reading.


I would also like to add a good note for this book "Some Horses by Thomas McGuane". Although it centers around Cutting and Reining and Cow Horses a lot – it was a good read. It is a collection of essays about Tom’s journey through the equine world, the different horses he’s had and what they mean to him and what horses mean to humans in general.

There is no mystery – but in a way it is a love story. Again Great Summer reading take it to the beach or lake with you. Tom has a way with words that make his writing seem almost like poetry at times – for all of you out there in Blogger world who are writers – I highly recommend reading this little book. I found myself highlighting whole sections of his writing.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Ok I’m really tired today and crabby – cause I am tired I am sure.

Theheat up here lately has been amazing. It’s been in the high 80’s forthe past 3 weeks. That is really unseasonable for the weather up here.

Usually our Eastern Washington weather is like this:
(You see, isn’t Eastern Washington Cool!? Not. Go tell everyone you know not to move here unless they have a show shovel fetish.)

• Early to Late October (depends) = Winter – freezing temps, some snow, rain.
• November = Winter – more snow, Thanksgiving looks more like Christmas.
• December = Winter – more show, feet of snow – now winter is getting serious.
• January = Winter – lots and lots and lots of freakin snow + prolonged subzero temps
• February = Winter – less snow, snow stops accumulating, subzero temp taper off
• March = Winter – less snow, still freezing temps, but it gets above freezing sometimes, snow melt begins.
• April = Early spring, snow is still present but melting, snow and rain showers frequent, temperatures still freezing at night.
• May = Spring, lots of rain and still some snow showers, but lots of rain.Temps eventually stop freezing at night, frequent low land flooding from snow melt and rain (don't live by running water).
  
• June = Spring, lots of rain and colder temperatures, lots and lots of rain.
• July = Summer, one day (usually after the 4th) the temp will just go from 60 degrees to 90 degrees and stays that way. Hot. Little to no rain.
• August = Summer, Hot, temps in the 100’s for pro-longed periods of time (unless I’m getting married outdoors then it will cool off) Hot, Hot, Hot, little to no rain.
• September = Late Summer or Fall – depends. Some years September is just as hot as August, other years it starts freezing at night around Labor Day weekend. Little to no rain.

(and don’t tell me it’s a great place to live if you like snow skiing, causeI snow ski and I can tell you it’s not fun to ski down a mountain when you can’t see 4 inches in front of your face because it’s snowing sodang hard – and that’s what it’s like up here – great snow, yes, but crappy skiing conditions in general)

Encase you weren’t counting that’s 6 months of winter – the other 3 seasons have to battle it out for the other 6 months. Everyone describes our EasternWashington Summers as being long and hot. Actually they are hot – but not really long. It just seems like it because for 2 or 3 months we have day after day after day of beautiful HOT cloudless summer weatherand we will most of the time go the whole season without any rain. As a side note we also have an interesting fire season, before winter hits.

Anywaythis year because we had like 2 days of Spring and then “Insta-Summer”. I have been doing all my outdoor chores late in the evening when it’s cooler which puts me in bed late. Plus I am trying to get all the stuffdone we usually do in the Spring in a short period of time to keep up with the weather change - hence why I am tired.

Our TV was acting up last night so I didn’t get to watch it. Sounds baby-ish Iknow, but I only get to watch one or two shows a week and Mantracker isone that I watch (The Science Channel Lisa over at Not Quite Home on The Range turned me on to this show)so I missed it. ((pout)) I tried the usually stuff to get the receiverto work and nothing was working so I shut it off. Of course when hubby got home it magically worked with the wave of the remote – electronics ALWAYS behave better in the presence of testosterone.

Hubby went ground squirrel shooting – and left me with all the chores which I did, after I was finished cleaning up the mess he’d made of the kitchen that day…sigh…that didn’t improve my mood either. I would give that behavior a pass normally, but he isn’t working – so there is no reason why hecan’t clean-up after himself.

I got an email on Stretch theother day – the potential home sounded wonderful, a 12-year old girlwould be riding him - the lady sounded really interested. I answered all of her questions honestly. I don’t know how else to do it. I had great responses to all of her questions except for the “how does he clip one”. My answer was, he clips fine – you can do everything trouble free but you need to twitch him to clip his ears. (This is fairly common in the show world).There is no hassle you just apply the “one man twitch” clip him up and you’re done, he even lowers his head for you. He doesn’t pitch a fit or anything & I never tie when I clip, and Stretch holds perfectly still once the twitch is on.

Oh sure if he’s bored he’ll mess with me while clipping his feet. He’ll pick his foot up and set down and pick it up and set it down. Doesn’t dance around or anything, just entertains himself, I know he’s laughing at me when he does it.

WellI didn’t her back from her and I just can’t see how you can rule ahorse out because you have to twitch him to clip his ears. I see people lying about that all the time – my last really cool show gelding was bought under the assumption that you could clip him anywhere….well asit turns out anywhere but his ears. I almost feel like he’s not getting sold because I don’t lie. Don’t people understand that you’re gonna end up with a better horse that has a better chance of working out when you have a seller who is honest?..sigh….

So yeah I am just freakin rotten today. God forbid I get into it with anyone today, cause it won't be purty.

I was gonna write about the book Oregon Sunshine got me for winning her book giveaway drawing….but I feel too crabby so I will work on it for tomorrow…plus I am pretty sure I just lost a check from the paper I write for that needed to go in the bank today -AHHHH!!!

 Tuesday, June 2, 2009

First before I start this post Iwould like say that it is not a “negative” post on AQHA. This ridingfault is common through out the world of stock horses, so APHA, and ApHC judges, exhibitors, and trainers are just as guilty. Also I want to mention that this is my opinion based on showing in the breed circuit for 11 years, showing horses for 24 years and owning and riding horses for a lifetime. I am not a trainer, nor a judge – I have been schooled in English/Dressage style and Western Riding, but I am not an expert so I am going to show you what’s going on from an amateur exhibitors point of view.

On that note - I was once spunky and a "know-it-all" when I was younger, but as I have grown-up I have realized how little I really know. And now these kids come online and preach EQUINE like they are God’s gift to the Horse Show Industry really get on my darn nerves. I have no problem listening to everyone’s opinion on this subject – but it’s just that, an opinion, unless you have proof that you practice what you preach and it works. This usually equates to wins in major show pens using your training and riding techniques - and NO “….but the judges don’t know how to see true collection therefore they are judging it wrong!” is not an excuse for lack your of show ring accomplishments.

Also I know there are exceptions to this post – not all Western Pleasure horses are over-canted I see several nice movers that are slow, collected and balanced movers that track correctly at each show –sometimes they win and sometimes they don’t. The reason why I am posting this is that there are far more horses doing this now than ever before– and I want people to know what being over-canted is and is not.

(deep breath and big sigh) – Moving On….

I am often asked what being “over-canted” is. Being over-canted most frequently happens at the lope it is when a horse is moving down alongthe rail of the arena with it’s hip pushed to the inside, this is often accompanied with the front end bunched up or also pushed toward the inside so that the horse often looks like a crab slowly but laboriously hop-loping down the rail.

This "way of going" started out as people used their outside leg to slight push their horse’s hips in. This seemed to encourage the horse to take a bigger step behind  (with it’s “second lope step” or what I call the “balance leg”). It’s the hind leg you see reach deep up underneath all well collected movers. And even if the horse wasn’t actually stepping any deeper (which was often the case when this first started) because they’ve changed the track of the hind end of the horse it "appeared" to be loping deeper behind.The problem is that you can’t achieve true collection simply by pushing a horses “hip over”...........so like in most cases, people copied what they saw winning in the show pen without truly understanding it and ran with it.

Being “over-canted” is not: an attempt to slow the horses forward motion by angling the horse towards the rail. That’s what I hear people say alot and it is so not true. It was an attempt at collection gone astray….

Over-canting (that may not be a real word but I am going to use it anyway) is most easily seen when looking at a horse from behind or as the horseis traveling straight at you. When viewed from the side it’s moredifficult to spot (not impossible just more difficult).

Alot of trainers today are saying that horses no longer over-canted at the lope and that they’ve corrected the movement – watch the video and judge for yourself.

    Youtube Video - Click Here

They have corrected most of the crab lopers – but what they don’t understandis that a horse that is massively “hipped over” is also over-canted. If you think these horses look like crabs you obvisously did not see what they looked like 5-7 years ago - this is much improved (not all the way improved - but some improved).

If your horse’s hip is pushed slightly inside exhibiting true collection and balance that’s fine – but when your horse is pushed over to this extreme – not so fine. This footage was taken Spring 2009 before April at an AQHA sanctioned show. This is a Green Horse Western Pleasure Class and a Jr. Western Pleasure Class – these are all trainers except for two people.

This is not a case of horses being forced to do something they are not bred or built for - these horses are bred to the hilt to be WP horses and have the correct build and talent for it - these horses are being ridden and trained to do this on purpose because that is what's winning. Also these horses did not start out loping this way and then straighten(sp?) up they continued loping with their hips push way too far in until the next gait was called for as you can see in this video. 

I feel a Jeff Foxworthy moment coming on….

• If your horse's front and back feet on traveling on two separate tracks….. yooooouuuu may be over-canted.
• If your horse's butt is more than a foot to the inside of it’s withers….. yooooouuuu maybe over-canted.
• If your horse has to hop with it’s front end to achieve forward motion despite it’s hips being pushed 70 degrees to the inside…….. yooooouuuumay be over-canted.
• If your horse has to almost toss it’s head out in front of itself to maintain it’s gait…..yooooouuuu may be over-canted.
• If you can clearly see your horse’s entire tail…….yyyoooooouuuu may be over-canted.

Now, if you have a horse that is truly collected it can do this for a time and not hop or bob it’s head. But what is even prettier is when a horse is collected, balanced and it is tracking straight.

AQHA once modified they way they officially called shows to stop the “ultra slow lope thing” the call for a lope now includes “Lope please. Lope your horses with increased forward motion” I would like to see them call for a "Straight Tracked Lope". Do the class like usually and then make that call….HA! I know quite afew high dollar horses that would fall apart if their rider wasn’t constantly driving their hip into the inside of the arena. The ones that could hold it together, not speed up, not lose the amount of collection they had and start bobbing their heads and getting strung out in the process, should win or at least place higer.

Alright – here is the other side.

When you train a horse like that – to be hipped over they will start to do it on their own without any help from the rider whenever they lope. Stretch will even do it in the round pen with no one on him I have to consciously straighten him out sometimes. Horses are not being “forced”to do this – they have been trained humanely to do it. We’ve said to them, “lope like this” and so they do. No abuse is required to achieve this movement – it is still winning in the show pens and until it stops winning all together trainers will continue to train for it.

As a rider (especially a novice rider) it can be difficult to tell how far in you have your horse hipped over. Lots of riders sit up there and do exactly what their trainers tell them to do and put very little thought into it (I am not an exception). It takes years to learn what a nice collected slow lope feels like andto how ask your horse to do it – it takes another level of familiarity to be able to know when your horse is hipped over to far. A lot of amateur breed-show riders never own a horse long enough or ride their own horses enough to get that familiar with them.

Judges have to declare a winner – if everyone in the class is doing to it they have to award the class to someone – being over-canted is not a disqualification in the AQHA handbook. Just because you win a class does NOT mean you are good or that your horse is a good mover. It can just mean you were doing the least amount of things wrong at that time.

Still correcting this problem will require judges to place the “correctly moving horse” over the “prettiest moving horse” this is something not all judges are currently willing to do. If you have a horse loping around in the show pen that is really slow legged, pretty in the front and super deep behind, but is hipped over too far – it’s hard to not use that horse, especially when the horse is moving so pretty despite the fact that it is hipped over too far. Also people get angry when the horse they think should win a western pleasure class (the prettiest mover) doesn’t – it’s like whacking the beehive with a stick – unless all the judges do it, there is little point in taking that stand. It has to bean industry wide movement.

And that would be my suggestion for a solution. I am in the process of writing my local AQHA leaders and offering my suggestion because it would be nice improvement to the pleasure horseworld. However in reality, this is not a real big deal. It is not abusive, and it is not causing immediatedamage to horse or rider – it is just an incorrect way of trying to achieve collection. There are far more pressing issues for AQHAand APHA and ApHC to deal with, so I don’t expect this to be a high priority – and who knows, as we all grow and learn as an industry the problem may even self-correct.

I also don't believe this "way of going" is the cause of all the lameness issues we've been having with WP horses. It probably doesn't help - but there are far too many conformation faults creeping into the WP horse (because the WP breeders - like all other sport horse breeders - breed what wins, because it wins, not because it has outstanding conformation) and too many issues from horses being ridden too young to blame it all on horses being loped "over-canted".

I am, however, happy to say, at least that the horse in the video above that is the least “hipped over” won the class under one judge and placed second under the other - and repeated the placings in the second class...

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Camping and Visiting My Boys!

We camped way up in the Mountains behind my parents place, somewhere around 4000 ft.

Home Sweet Home.

Camping Buddies - they've missed me (I am usually at a horse show).

Thisis Chubs - Husky/Chow mix, way better suited for a cold climate - buthe enjoys camping anyways. He is Roper and Kaiser's pal. Chubs belongsto my Hubby's best friend.

Thereis a small pond up there which Roper just loved. It is creek waterthough (so it's snow run off) and it was freezing so Ropes swimmingtime was limited - Kaiser tested the water and refused to go in. Hethought Roper was nuts.

There is my Doper, warming up in the sun.

Both dogs bumming pets off of Hubby's friend.

I had to put up with this all weekend. They played and played and played and played...

Look at Roper's teeth!

And then they'd be pals again.

Their bed in the camper.

Crashed.

A Dog Video...Kaiser and Roper Playing.....

We got to do alot of fishing, mainly in a lake called Black Lake.

Lookat how nice the water is! It was a goregous weekend - in the 80'severyday. Too bad I am used to our typical Memorial Day weekends whereit snows and rains all weekend. I packed like I was headed for theNorth Pole.

Icaught plenty of fish. These were all Tiger Trout, a new hybrid troutthat are less invasive to the native Bull Trout population that theFish and Game Dept has been test planting in this lake, they grow fastand taste good so they are favorite of anglers.

This is out second batch of fish.

We cleaned them and packaged them up right at camp.

The biggest out of the bunch was a 15 incher.

While on a 4-Wheeler ride I noticed this...

It'sa tree that was broken off at the base and push over in such a way thatit is still standing up right. A snow drift did this during the winter- the tree doesn't know it's dead yet - but it is. I would imagine thenext good wind storm will blow it over.

Higher up we visited this lake - it's called Little Twins, great fishing, and just beautiful.

Is this a Muskrat pile or a Beaver home? Note: there is no Beaver Dam anywhere. I was always told it was a Muskrat nest.

Here is another one. Bigger.

Thislake is pretty - but you can't swim in it at all. Well I guess youcould but you wouldn't want to. Remember that scene in Stand By Me???

This is my Hubby and his brother.

Here is my Hubby's friend trying to fish with this mini-fishing kit he keeps in his 4-Wheeler.

There were a ton of baby frogs around.

Andhere we have the reason why you don't want to swim in the lake. It isthe single most infested lake I have ever seen with leeches.

A mountain butterfly I saw on one of our rides.

On one of my visits to the boys - here is Patrick when he spotted my truck driving up the road. Now you can see him start to lighten up with only 4 weeks in the sun.

He begrudgingly came to me.

Mymom's mare and Stretch were a little more enthusiastic as you can see.Yes I have turned him out with everyone else and he thinks he is theboss - this has not gone over well with Patrick, they are not so muchbuddies.

He's got the beggin thing for treats thing down already, and is adapting well to life turned out.

Here they all are - sorry for the crappy pic. But you can see how dark Stretch is and how light Pat is.

Patrick wishes I would put Stretch back in the Paddock. He is so cute though.

Stretch

My travel partner on my way home, curled up like a shrimp.

 

 Thursday, May 21, 2009

I swear sometimes my horse life feels like one long string of bad decisions.

When was young and stupid (allow me to be more specific - more stupid than I am now) and already into the Quarter Horse Show game I sold a really cool broke show gelding that was winning consistently with me and decided to purchase a weanling – the thought behind this error was 1) I was going to get married this coming summer and knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford to show much or find the time while planning my own wedding. Why let my gelding waste away in a pasture for a year, when someone else could be showing him. 2) You are supposed to sell when you are winning, not losing – and I was winning, I had a whole collection of points plus 2 ROMs and was destined for much bigger shows or so it seemed at that point in time. For that I would need a tougher horse, so I should sell him to purchase a better one ((sigh…)). 3) I could keep myself busy working with a yearling and hopefully get back into showing the following year with him being a 2 year-old. ((….sigh again…….))

Fate does not always protect fools and children…

So I sold Four that winter to a youth in California, who ended up never getting along with him, but they never called me about it. AND I ended up using the money for a down payment on our house and not on a new horse so with little cash left I picked out what I thought would be competitive horse as a weanling.

The weanling stayed at the breeders’ place until the snow cleared and I could come pick him up – imagine my concern when I did pick him up and he was not much taller than when I first saw him almost 5 months ago. His breeding was that of Patrick’s dad and he was out of a mare who was almost a full sister to Dollie Pine (dam of Zippo Pine Bar), so he was a double bred Zippo baby. Blood Bay – very very pretty. When the sun would hit his coat it looked all iridescent and shimmery with purples and reds, the tell tale sign of a blood bay, or so I was told. With four white feet, and a diamond type marking on his head – he was adorable…............and I later discovered he had had a very short temper.



He was named Patch after his registered name, which I hated, Patches Pine Paul ( I asked my trainer who was smoking what when they named him, as it turned out years later I learned Joe named him - HA!) – later I paid the fee and renamed him Infinitley Pine. He was a kicker and he was responsible for my 2 broken ribs. It took a lot of time and repetition to teach him to lead properly, tie-up and have his feet handled – I didn’t know a how to train a weanling, but I read and watched everything I could get my hands on and stuck with the things that worked. In the mean time I was kicked many times. Being the first baby I ever worked with I really didn’t know how difficult this horse this horse was until I did the same things with Patrick and it seemed that Patrick knew each lesson before I started them.

During the remainder of his first winter with me during a tying session I was brushing on him when he started to crowd me up against the fence – I knew I needed to put a stop this dangerous behavior quickly so I tried at first to discourage it by poking him in the ribs to get him to move over and to convince him not to do it again. When I did he slammed me up against the fence he was tied to, not thinking logically (remember this was my first) I took my hand pushed him off and whacked a few times near his rump (now think here where would Stephanie have to be standing to spank him in the ass?) – yup, about the time it occurred to me that I was in the WRONG place to be doing that I took a step back and (another no-no – don’t give them more leverage to kick you with) he unloaded both hind feet at me – almost fully extended the little *** hit me just below my left boob in the chest. He actually kinda hopped forward to put more effort into the kick.


I was lifted up into the air. When I hit the ground I couldn’t breath, not for the longest time. My eyes watered. I was mad, and because I couldn’t get up so I crawled back toward the tack room in the barn first on my stomach then on my hands and knees. I used the saddle racks and any hanging piece of tack to grab and pull myself up off the cold cement floor – I grabbed a crop. Now that I was standing and had got my breath back – I turned and marched straight out to the helpless baby tied to a railroad tie anchored in cement just beyond the tack room. I repeated my exact steps – my intent was not to repeat the accident or to beat the colt out of anger but to put a stop to the crowding behavior that very day. At exactly the same time he swung around and tried to smash me into the fence I beat the holy hell out of him for about 3 seconds before he could finish the move – he freaked and pulled back. I let him, he pulled then hopped forward then tried the exact same fence trick again. I repeated the short but brutal beating – he pulled back again – but got nowhere with it.



He stood there shaking – I kept the crop in my hand and continued brushing him as if nothing had happened. In effect I sacked him out with my hands as I brushed him until all flinching was gone. I calmly asked him over and over again to move over – which he did very quickly. It took a couple of weeks after that for him to stop being scared of moving to the left while tied – but he never tried smashing anyone up against the fence again, and was a better horse for it. When I was done and felt it was a good place to stop I turned him loose and collapsed. Dad came over to see if I was ok and I said I was fine. Since I no longer living at my parent’s place I limped back into my truck to drive home but made a stop at the ER on the way.

Two broken ribs they said – nothing to do except pain pills and ice they said….AND no horses for 4 weeks they said ( HA!). Let it heal, they said. It was one of the most lingering painful injuries I have ever had (up to that point in time – my current back injury has been lingering way longer than the ribs took to heal). When I would sneeze I would start crying it hurt so bad. If he would’ve been 2 inches higher I would’ve came home from the hospital and taken him straight to Post Falls Live Stock Auction – Thank God for underwires.



Two weeks later I put an end to the kicking all together – I had him out and was leading him around carefully out in front barn when he decided to get frisky, jump in front of me and let one fly – he nailed me just above my right knee. At first it didn’t feel any worse that getting smacked with baseball so I stayed with and spanked him for it – in response he pulled away and reared (he’d done this before too) so I took the opportunity and let him get up real high, then I zipped back behind him and with all my weight pulled him the heck off balance – it was a little icy so fell – hard. For a brief second I thought maybe I killed him, then he slowly got up, stood there and shook, he was terrified. I didn’t coddle him at all just stood there calm until he was ready to go again. We walked around a little more, each of us blowing little white puffs of warm breath into the crisp winter air, Patch behaving like a model yearling – then I put him away.

When I got home and carefully slid down my pants to inspect the damage I saw a lump the size of a baseball on my leg. During the next day the bruising was impressive slowly turning from blue to black, but what convinced me to go to the doctor was when my knee started to bruise up big time, it even swelled but it didn’t hurt and I also found a bruise on the bottom of my foot. The look on my doctor’s face when I limped into the office that time was memorable. What happened to the 4 weeks? They asked me; I shrugged – what can you say, I felt better, like I could work with my horse who obviously needs the work so I did! Only cowgirls can understand. As it turned out the blood in my leg was draining into my knee and on down my leg and pooling in the bottom of my foot (gross huh?) – but nothing was broken so they sent me home. With more ice and an upgraded pain pill prescription.



Right way or wrong way not only did I get him over the kicking and crowding and the pulling back and the rearing but I got him lunging both directions in all three gates. I also saddled him and bridled him for the first few times before sending him to the trainer’s. Although I didn’t feel real accomplished then – I look back on it now and I feel very proud of what I did.

Patch never grew, and he still always had a temper – he moved awesome but never grew bigger than 14.2 – and I just needed a bigger horse than that – so towards the end of his three year-old year I traded him for some training credit and went on to purchase one of the most rotten horses I have ever owned. Further compounding my errors in judgment. So there I was out of the show pen for two years, out of money but at least I had a horse in training that would be ready to show…….some day.

But that is a story for another day. Patch was sold to be a heeling horse - and I have heard he does quite well at it.

If I would’ve held on to that nice broke gelding I had before Patch - I could’ve been out showing the year after my wedding no problem and with the up swing in the market I could’ve sold him for almost double what I sold him for the year before. But having a house is nice too so I can’t fault myself too much selling him. I guess what hurts most is knowing how much he trusted me, how close we’d become – and the memory of loading him up in that big semi truck bound for California and the way he whinnied at me just as the truck pulled away. I think maybe if I could do it again I would keep him and just see where that would’ve lead me. I loved him and I still miss him.

Shoulda Woulda Coulda - right?

Lessons learned:

Buying babies is a BIG gamble sometimes, despite good breeding, they just don't turn out to be what you want them to be - be it tall, or a show horse or a reining horse or whatever....

Don't stand behind any horse and whack it - if a kick is coming don't back up.

Babies are cute to look at but a pain in the ass - literally!

A nice broke gelding that you can hop on and go show is worth it's weight in gold.



Short plug here to answer a question about Stretch - yes he is slowly getting used to being a real horse, but he has lived in a stall his whole life and as much as we'd like to fantasize that all horses long to run in wide open spaces with grass up to their eyeballs, some are just as happy to live in their clean comfy stalls where everything happens on schedule. Deer scared Stretch, most of the noises outside made him nervous, a sudden loud noise would send him running for his life, and he was a little off his feed - but he is adapting, slowly. The other weekend he seemed much more relaxed than the first. But he still prefers his hay over pasture grass - so we're working to wean him off of the hay a little bit at a time and he still stares longingly at the barn.

 Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hi All,

I apologize for my absence as of late. I had a very busy weekend, and am getting ready for another very busy weekend. I am apologizing again ahead of time for not stopping by everyone’s blogs – if I can scratch out some time this week I will stop in. The boys are settling in at my folks place, Patrick more so than Stretch – who is very nervous at being in a new environment and at being turned out but is adapting however slowly.

I visited them this weekend – but the new footing I was hoping for was not in the round pen so I was unable to lunge either one of them. In order to ride my younger horses with my back in the way that it is – I need to lunge them first, this is not an option for me. Since the only place for me to lunge wasn’t safe – there was no lunging and therefore no riding . My parents live up in the woods basically on the side of a mountain & the only place level enough and free enough of trees to lunge is where the round pen is now – and right now there is a very thin layer of footing in it over the years the wind has blown it away – it’s important that there is LOTS of sand and dirt in there because that area is basically on top of a big slab of rock. With little footing it’s too slick to work the horses in there.

Because of financial situations this is unlikely to change anything soon. I came the realization this weekend that there would probable be no more horse showing for me for this summer – even if I get Stretch or Pat moved down with me we simply don’t have the spare cash. So I have been feeling kind of down. I was just keeping this “upbeat state of mind” thinking that some how I’d find a way to sneak in the show pen, but now with the reality of the cost of fencing, footing, and vehicle maintenance looming over my head I find that impossible to keep up. So I have been feeling rather down about it - it's just not going to happen.

When you have competed and shown for as long as I have you really start to notice all the things you did “just because you were showing.” Now without those things to do I am kinda at a loss. I can’t even do things to substitute like trail riding or planning or many of the other things that I used to do to occupy my time until I could show again.

In short - I miss my show friends, my horse trainer friends, the travel, the activity, and the excitement and it’s only been 2 weeks (and one show). I have a feeling this is going to be a LONG, LONG summer….

PS

No I didn’t stick Pat and measure him (sorry) – Stretch was being real high maintenance and needy and took up my time.

Yes – Stretch and Pat are kinda pals but compete ruthlessly for my attention – maybe at some point they will be turned out together but for now Stretch has shoes on while nobody else does so he has been separate from Pat.

And I am so very pleased with the outcome of Saturday’s race – it was just a really good race with Mine That Bird proving to the world that he wasn’t a fluke and with Rachael proving to the world that she can beat the “boys.” I was jumping up and down and hugging my mom about the end of the race.

 Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Just a quickie - my truck is running.

On Sunday evening me and hubby were both convince the problem was in the torque converter (part of your automatic transmission) and we were prepared on Monday evening to take it - pull it if needed, down to a friend's shop to have it torn apart and tested. But while I was at work Hubby had a thought and stepped outside and pulled the battery - waited 10 seconds (whenever he re-starts his computer I tell him to wait 10 seconds, although you don't really need to do that with an auto-computer he did it anyway) then hooked it back up and started my truck.

It runs perfectly. YAY!

So do I think all my problems are solved? No, but it is working for now - the other usually symptoms of a worn transmission on the verge of dying just were not there, the truck wasn't blowing a code - the fluid looked great - he just wasn't buying the torque converter theory. So for now I will take it. I need a truck that runs and that can pull my horse trailer - so until next time I think I am good - this time God said "Fine Steph, there you go! Your truck is fixed and it didn't cost you anything." To that I say a whole hearten THANK YOU!

I know there are much more worthy things to pray about but I am only human...

Very busy this week - so sorry for the short update. But I do have to mention this:

I am so freaking excited that they are running RACHEL ALEXANDRA in the Preakness!!!

Hey, does this look familiar to anyone??? It should....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNkBuJtds58&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Finclined2ride.blogspot.com%2F&feature=player_embedded


I am also praying that she makes it to the finish line safely - guess who Calvin Borel choose to ride - given the choice between the filly and colt Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird - you guessed it - he's riding the filly!

It's this weekend right? Grab a seat girls with any luck we'll see history in the making. All I have heard about this filly is whisperings of Ruffian and Secretariat - so we'll see huh?

 Monday, May 11, 2009

What A Weekend!

It went like this:

Friday I came home went right out into the field with Hubby and worked on the fence - till dark. Ate dinner fell asleep on the couch while debating about whether to try to watch a DVD - I guess not.

Saturday we woke up - went outside and worked on fence till we ran out of T-posts.....sigh....they are so much fun after all I can't wait to get some more.... I washed horsey clothes and cleaned house while hubby worked on stuff outside till it got dark - we ate dinner in a rush and hit 2 neighbor bonfires. I tried my first dose of real White Lighting - and learned that the stuff is rather stout! I swear it felt like it was 4 AM when we hit home but it was only 12:30 AM - I joked about us getting to old for this stuff, as we passed out on the couch reeking of bonfire....

Sunday I hit the road for an all day trip to collect Stretcher and still make it back in time for my Mother's Day present to my Mom.





I snapped a picture of this little guy - who just came in for training - he is one of Infinitive's (one of the studs that died in the fire) last babies - I think they named him Infinite Finale. So he is Patrick's half brother - by a paint mare (Andrea - just encase you are thinking fate has slighted you once again - they were trying for spots with an APHA mare who's pretty dang good a throwing color, but her last one was solid so they just got lucky this time that's all ).

Then I headed home at warp speed....








And Patrick - who's lost a little weight I see (he has a history of doing that whenever he's moved) watching the new arrival.

Roughly I was in the Truck from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (7 hours or so) - so I am completly beat by this point in time - but my Mother's Day present to Mom was that I bought her tickets to go see the new Star Trek movie tonight! You all already know I am a geek - well I am that way because my family is too. I grew up on Star Trek and Star Wars - I didn't stand a chance.

But I say that very lovingly - because I wouldn't have it any other way!

So I turn right around load up more T-Posts, park my trailer and haul ass back to my place (an hour away) in a Truck that is not clearly not running right - darn it. I grab hubby - switch to my car and head directly to the movie theater!! (Did you hear me mention food? No? Cause I hadn't had any...)....GAH!!


I meet up with my Mom - and we sit down to enjoy one of the best movies I have seen in a LONG time! Even on an empty stomach with a headache - I had the time of my life watching them bring that story back to life. We all LOVED IT!! I highly recommend it to anyone as it isn't so nerded up with ST jargon that the average non-trekkie can't understand what's going on - it's understandable, exciting, the effects are first-class - it just was a great ride. You sit down, buckle up, get a smile on your face that doesn't leave till the credit are rolling.


Mom was happy, even non-geeky Hubby was happy, everyone was happy!

I am punching this post out now that I am home with food in my stomach - running on my last reserve battery so - to - speak, eyes all glazed over with that mindless "I'm too tired to think of anything else to do than sit here and stare at my computer" look, scheduling it to publish Monday - cause I know I will be about comatose tomorrow and busy dealing with my truck, which I am really really hoping doesn't cost me too much money to fix.

Hope you all had a great weekend!!

Go watch the movie - it's the first time I was felt good about spending $9.00 to go see a movie in years.

 Thursday, May 7, 2009

Here is the moose now - headed for better grass. I just love that cheeck!

 Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Youuuu Might Be A Redneck


Hi everyone,

Yes it finally happened again. I was sound asleep last night when I heard the coyotes cackling. They startled me awake because they sounded close, really close.

I have found that with most people who grew up in the city then moved out to the country, their estimate of “how far away the coyotes were” can be a bit skewed – even some born and raised country girls can get spooked of them and misjudge the actual closeness of the howling coyotes. They howl and cackle mostly at night when everything is quiet, their voices are made to carry over long distances like wolf howls - so they sound a lot closer than they really are. Also depending on the lay of the land – you’ll get the sound bouncing off of mountains or ridges; it’s really fairly common to hear coyotes howling from miles away, MILES.



But I grew up in the woods – literally, and once familiar with an area I can tell by sound exactly how far away they are when they howl or cackle. The ones I heard last night were really close. REALLY CLOSE. I heard the dogs get up and go running towards the backside of fence. I tried twice real quick to get hubby up and at another round of cackling I jumped up out of bed grabbed my shot gun and the spot light.



I opened the slider door slowly and then purposefully set off the motion light on that back deck hoping to see them and gauge their range…I caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes just beyond out back gate (less than 30 yards from me) – next things happened very quickly. I slid a round of heavy buckshot into the barrel of my break action shotgun - I grabbed the spot light with my left hand and had the shotgun in  my right, using my thumb flipped on the spot light and brought it up as I brought the shotgun up (I’ve done this before so shooting with one hand is not new to me – but it is a little tricky) in an instant I saw not one but two full grown coyotes (up here if they are healthy they can get up to 50 lbs) at the back gate both very, very interested in my dogs. Out of the corner of my eye I saw several additional pairs of eyes around the corner of the fence to my left…

I made a decision based on the fact that rabid coyotes have been turning up in our area and also based on how close to our house this band had gotten and how interested they were in our dogs. When Roper saw me at the door he made a run for it to get inside, when Kaiser saw the gun he made a run for his dog house (he doesn’t like gun fire). In a split second I had a clear shot at the coyotes (who had NOT run off upon seeing me) and fired, out of reflex I put the spot light down and reloaded and had the spot light and gun back up as Hubby came running out of the bedroom dropping the “f” bomb several times. They were running off and almost to the woods already so just for good measure I shot once more in their direction knowing I wouldn’t hit any of them, yet hoping it would encourage them not to return.

A heavy load of buckshot can hurt! It’s been awhile since I have used any – usually I am shooting trap with trap load and that doesn’t bother me at all – but that buckshot sure can make a kick! My shoulder still hurts. The nice thing about buckshot is that you can’t really miss with it – so I got one, but didn’t really rejoice in it, I mean it’s not like I was out hunting for them or anything (Hubby was very pleased and has not quit bragging since last night - strange though how he doesn't mention the fact that he slept through most of it). I just wanted to protect my dogs and discourage them from coming back - it was a male, don’t know if that matters to anyone else but I felt better knowing it wasn’t a female with pups. However, like Mikey has said, once you have listened to them tear apart one of your dogs and basically start eating him/her alive you feel a lot less sorry about grabbing a gun and thinning out the population.

No pictures though, I thought that may be a bit much, and since they were acting as a band and not alone and appeared otherwise healthy I am guessing they were not diseased but I have put in a call to Fish and Game just to see if they’d like examine it anyways. I have hunting license (big and small game) and coyotes are considered a nuisance animal up here anyways (this means almost anyone with a license can shoot them at any time of the day or year) so I was well within the law.