Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What the boys are doing without me....meaning Brian, Paco and Thunder

So, yesterday evening I get this phone call from Brian and he is very excited about his night, which of course gets me excited because I want to know what was going on!

Not only did he get to work with both boys, he worked with them together, as in at the same time! They lunged, they went over the logs, they trekked around the yard and trailers, and they trailer loaded! He got some video and did tell me that this part of the video is the pretty part - and that all of it was not this pretty! Ha ha! He was working on lunging both of them together and they would get confused and lead lines would get tangled, but they tried hard to understand what Brian was asking and they all worked it out. Brian said he was so proud of both of them.

I never quit being amazed at these wonderful mustangs and what they will do with a little patience and understanding....I love them all so much and wish the best for them, and hope they will have the wonderful life they deserve.

Brian had Madison shoot this short video then Brian put it together last night for me to post. I want to compliment Madison on what a good job she did. It is very steady and I thought he had it on a tripod.
When I watched it this morning I could not stop grinning!!!!!! Brian is obviously very proud and excited, and he should be! I am proud of all of them! :-D



And here are both boys in the trailer looking quite proud of themselves - as they should! Paco is sporting a little bit of mud. :-)



Great job you guys!!!!

Until later....Karen and Tripp

Friday, May 7, 2010

Thunder finds the benefit of trailer loading...


Have you all ever started a new job, things went great for a couple days then you come in and have a brain cramp day and no matter what you do, you just can't remember what to do?  Thunder was going thru that.  He trailer loaded himself more times than I can count, but when it came to following me in or driving in, he had a problem.  We were getting real good at the two front feet load, but his back feet would get stuck.  I could coax him in, but I wanted him to just hop up there without any worries.

We finally did it!  I got word that I was leaving town for work and I really wanted to get him all the way in several times before I left so that Brian would have an easier job when it came to practice time.  We practiced our driving over logs then we would head to the trailer.  We just walked up to it a couple times, then walked away and worked again.  When we got back to the trailer he got both front feet up there, then I offered him a bite of grass.  HUH?  GRASS?????  I had to laugh because he stretched himself out about as far as he could to get that bite!  Once those back feet got unstuck, he was great.  He came in a couple of times, then we went for another walk, worked on other things, then went back.  Now I was going to try to drive him in by himself....he is getting better at the driving part, so I had confidence that he would go right in - and he did!  We did it several times and he realized that the trailer was a good place. 

Wait, is there hay in there?????  Yep!  Then I fed him his antibiotic grain in there.  Life is good in the trailer!



HEY YOU ALL!!!!  LOOK AT ME!!!!!  I AM TALLER!!!



I was so proud of him, and watching him think it thru once he got it made me smile.  I really love watching their expressions when they start to understand something, and then you watch the expressions that show how proud of themselves they are.  These are a couple of pictures I still had on my camera before I left.   

I was sent to Tennessee to work, and did not have much notice.  I have been real busy at work, and at night I could not get the laptop to connect to the Internet.  I got some help and wa-la!  Internet!  Tonite I am getting caught up on e-mails and blog postings.  I have been here a few days, and while I am gone Brian is picking up where I left off.  He has been doctoring Thunders nose, and working with both of them each night, even if it is for a few minutes.  Trailer loading is the #1 thing they do, then he changes it up with other things depending on how much time he has.  I talked to Brian tonite and he is beaming!!!  Both of these guys have been loading like champs and tonite was the best!  Brian had quite a bit of time to spend with them, so he told me about the 'obstacle course' he took both of them thru around the yard.  I think that Brian is going to find out he knows a lot more than he think he knows....he isn't forcing it, he takes his time, if something isn't working out the way it should, he is finding a gentle way to ask a different way....he is doing great in my opinion.  I love you baby!

Hope everyone is doing well!
Until later...Karen and Tripp who remembers coming home after the 2008 EMM....he remembers I had to leave for work then too.  He misses me.  :-)

Flash and his kids.....now this is what horse love is all about!!!

Hello everyone, we are members of the Flash Posse!  Just letting you all know that we love Flash and he is a great addition to the group!  Not only for us, but our kids.   


I was going to let Flash tell his story, but he is speechless.....look at this picture!  He has a little girl who loves him and he loves her hugs!  He just didn't know what to say because he is all choked up!  Now this is what loving a horse is all about!  And check out the smile on that little boy!  Yep, Flash is a picture of the way all horses should be treated!  :-)


Yee haw!  These two are getting ready to go on a trail ride!  They each have on their cowboy/cowgirl boots...what more do they need? 


This cowboy don't need no stinkin' saddle!  :-)



This cowgirl don't need no stinkin' saddle....she just chooses to have one.  :-)


When I saw these pictures, I was speechless just like Flash!  I was filled with so much happiness at the happiness that Flash has found, and I wish that all horses, ponies, donks, mules, etc., could be so lucky.  This is what they deserve!  I am mentally giving hugs to all equines out there!

Thank you Michelle for loving Flash and giving him his own kids to take care of.  He looks great! 

Until later....Karen and Tripp who misses me (I am out of town right now)

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Wyoming comes back home....Thunder tries to trailer load....and just good days....



(This post will be told by Wyoming - he is very excited to be home!)

HELLO!!!!!  I am back!!!!!  And from the sounds of what my girl has been saying, I will be sticking around for a while!  Woo hoo!  Some of you know me...I was a TIP horse from last year and had an adopter.  Things just did not work out - oh don't get me wrong, she loved me and still does, but I am young and like to get out and go go go, and they were not ready for go go go yet.  So, my girl brought me back home and sent me to another place that loved my videos because I am a thinker...the place has a lot of kids who ride all the time.  My girl thought this would be the ideal place for me because I would be challenged mentally and I would get out and have some fun.  I love to go on adventures on the trails.  There are a lot of horses there too.  I will admit that I picked up a few bad habits while I was there....bolting and bucking being a couple of them.  Don't ask me why....it just happened.  Anyways, as time went on the girl who wanted me rode a 'been there done that' type of horse and decided she would buy her instead of adopt me.  Personally I am asking, what is the fun in 'been there done that?' but hey, that is just me!  (snicker snicker) 
It was a rough winter and I came back not looking so good.  My girl is not a happy camper about this for several different reasons, but she is working thru it.  I really am okay, and have told my girl that...I just need to get some good groceries and get some muscle back on my hot bod!

Here I am the day after I got back - this was a week ago.  I also picked up other bad habits - I won't back with the halter, and I tried to run my girl over at feeding time, then I tried to shove her and the bucket out of the way so I can eat.  She convinced me I didn't have to share my feed pan with anybody except the llama, and that is ONLY if I want to.  I also re-learned real quick that pushing the girl is not a good thing.  (snort snicker)


Here I am one week later, after a day of play!  My girl was not going to let us into the yard because we had some wild and crazy storms, and she didn't want the yard torn up.  But my girl came thru for us!  She really isn't the type who has to have the manicured lawn...so we got to get out and play! 
Here I am at the birdhouse pole.  There is a small patch of grass around this pole that tastes sooooo good!  The donks liked it too - but I ate a bit first.  First come first served they say...


I am not looking too bad after a week, eh?  I am happy!  Oh, check this out!  I think Batman remembers me!  We were running and playing around the yard, and kicking up mud and grass clods!  Woo hoo!  That little guy sure has grown!  He says he still wants to be a mustang when he grows up!  And by golly I think he will be!  I am proud of him!


Hmmmm, I see my girl has not changed her ways.  She has brought some other mustangs to the place.  Apparently Tiger and myself were so good she wanted to do it again.  I had to check out Thunder to make sure my girl was safe.  Yep, she is safe.  Thunder is very nice.  We were scratching each others withers this afternoon after our romp thru the yard.  He is a good scratcher!
 


Thunder is learning how to trailer load and I am trying to let him know it isn't that bad.  If he loads up nice, he will get to go to other places and take long walks!  Thunder tells me he has been in several times, but it is just weird going in after the girl, and his 'driving' skills are still in question.  He has a great mind, he will get it!  So far he is half getting it (get it?  half getting it because he is half in?  Ha ha!), but hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?  In his defense, the ground and trailer floor is wet so it is slippery.  Wait!  Is the girl giving him a bite of food?  I didn't get a bite of food when I learned to load!  Well, I guess some things do change!  Hmpf!


The girl has this thing about pictures....of course she had to get the inside shot....


This has not changed.  The girl is very patient, and she loves us.  When we do good, she always takes time to just soak it in with us....


I love forehead rubs too....HELLO!  Oh wait, this isn't about me right now.  Good boy Thunder!



Back to our day in the yard...my girl enjoyed watching all of us hang out together.  She calls it harmony.  She also uses the word 'dream' a lot, then she smiles.  Here is Batman my buddy, Tandee, Paco (I don't think he likes me) and Thunder (I know he likes me).


I think Paco is jealous of me.  Wish you could have seen it!  Thunder and I were scratching each others withers and it was awesome!  Thunder says Paco really isn't into that, he is very independent and his own horse.  After Thunder and I were done...Paco went up to Thunder and half heartedly started nibbling withers.  I am glad to see this because they are going to be living together for a long time.  Paco is a very handsome mustang if I do say so myself!  (I am secure in my gelding-hood so I  can say that)


 Paco has had the girl stand over his back before, but nothing like this! 


The neighbor dude has a lot of ducks and geese.  There are 5 goslings in this bunch and they were in the newly seeded area next to our pen.  Aren't they cute?  The neighbor dude came up this morning and got help from my girl to shag them back onto their own area.  I don't know why because the girl was just fine with them visiting. 


The weather really is not that great these days.  There has been a lot of rain, which means a lot of mud and I think we are all sick of it.  Today was sunny and beautiful but it was not windy enough to dry the mud out.  No worries...the girl let us out most of the afternoon even tho the ground was like a sponge.  Then all of a sudden we heard thunder, no, not the horse Thunder, but real thunder as in the kind that God makes when he has lightning flash everywhere!  We went from beautiful and sunny to this!



And check out this panorama shot!  It shows the light blue sky and the dark sky....woooo weeeeee....it was scary stuff for a while!


Are you confused yet?  Now check this out!  No joke, this came right after all the dark stuff!


And the dark clouds are moving away.....


We had such a wonderful day and I am glad to be back.  The llama is not as nice as he was last year but the girl keeps saying something about a trip to the vet - she also mentions that they eat llama in South America!  YIKES!  She winked at me...I know she would not eat him, but she says they really do!  She looked it up on the Internet!  (snicker snort)  I know once I get back in shape me and my girl and going to start working out again.  I am already getting some of my manners back and rubber curry scratches are way better than I remember them!  Yep, life is good again!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who let Wyoming tell part of his tale...