Riding Lessons and PacMan....

Should I start with lessons or PacMan?  I think I will start with PacMan.  He belongs to our hay guy and I love this dog!  He is solid muscle and BIG!

I think he likes me too.  :-)

I have decided to take a few riding lessons.  I signed up for a package of four lessons to get me started.  I have been riding for years and don't know if I have good habits, bad habits, or both.  I am riding English so I have to learn to ride with rein contact.  I also have to work on looking up, lifting my belly button and my posting needs work!  A LOT of work!  :-)

Sharon was adjusting my stirrups.  I am riding Sparkle, a 17 yr old Arabian and she is a doll!  I love my mustangs, but I will always be partial to Arabians.
 

I am trying to pay attention to Sharon.....

We did some walk and trot, I worked on my arms sticking close to my body, hands in the right position, legs placed in the right spot to make posting easier.  It is the whole package, and when I got it right I knew it because Sparkle was able to do her job easier.  It felt great!  Can't wait for this weeks lesson!

One of the things I enjoy most, even at home, is grooming and loving on my horse.  It is time to take Sparkle back to groom.

Sharon is a foster parent for the local Humane Society and this past week she had puppies!  Two got adopted and that left three of them.  They are Beagle Bassett mix, and CUTE!

This past weekend Brian took his boy up to his parents so I went a long for the ride.  I got to visit Tiger, one of my TIP horses from last year.  He is doing so good.  He was all lovey dovey and is still a sweetheart.

From left to right:  Tiger, Abby, Ginger and Fancy.

Brian's parents bought Abby from a sale with a foal, Mocha, by her side and she was bred back (Ginger, the sorrel).  Mocha got sick and crossed the Rainbow Bridge, so Brian's Dad made a sign and built a round pen for Brian's Mom in Mocha's memory.

On our way back we had to stop to give Godzilla a hug.  Okay, not Brian...he did not feel he needed to give him a hug, but I did!  Then the people from the fireworks store came out so we felt like we had to buy something.  We got firecrackers to work with the horses.  

There were pop up storms all over the place which made for awesome sunsets....

This time of year we are running non-stop like most people.  I love the long days and wish they were even long.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Until later...Karen and Tripp

Sonic Boom is Rockin' and a Rollin'!

BUT before I start, I have to take a poll.  What do you all think this is???  I gave you a hint.  :-)  Hee hee!!!!

Okay, I will tell you, it was so hot and humid the other night we were soaked!  Brian sat on the steps and left his mark!  HA HA HA!!!!!!

Now, on to my Rock Star!!!!
Boomer really doesn't mind the ropes.  He has ran around the pen dragging them, I have lunged him with the rope under his tail and did not get more than a couple of light kicks then he fell into a nice canter, and while he is moving I will flip the rope over and around him.  Life is good in the rope world.

The night before we worked with the ropes, fly spray, and the saddle pad.  He snorted and zigged and zagged a bit, but we got there.  I even led him around so he could 'chase' it and he did not care about that...he just did not want it touching him.  Isn't he cute?  I mean handsome! 
He is very very handsome!!!

Tonite I had to beat the storms coming in, so I did what I could....I opened the pad up so it would hang longer. 

He thinks if he keeps his eyes closed it will go away...

Whew!!!  It is dead now!!!!  The beauty of this is it fell off a lot because he does not have a back that will hold a saddle or pad on, and when it hit the ground he didn't bat an eye!  Part of it could be the flies...they were horrible right before the rain.  Flies are much more annoying than a soft pad.

"Hmmmm, what is she doing to me now?  Blue....it does not smell like blue.....something smells fishy around here!"

"You want me to what?????  No really.....are you kidding me???"

"I thought if I acted like it was no big deal, she would take it away....if I scratch just right, it will fall off!!!"

"Whew, I survived this one!  The girl is weird!!  Why on earth would she put this contraption on me then take me for a walk thru both pens?  Yep, she is just plain weird!!!  Hmmmm, smells like....ME!"

The past two nights we had a dry barn lot, which means we were due for some storms which we got tonite.  The skies right now are beautiful!!! 

Boomer is a challenge.  Remember how Paco would look away from me - as far as he was concerned he did not need me.  Boomer is there....his life was just fine without my intervention.  Most of the time he will sniff something only once then walk away - no interest.  When I introduce something he tolerates it once I get it to touch him.  I got to thinking that I am going to use his toleration to introduce as much as I can as quick as I can.  So tonite was making the pad bigger, flipping it all over the place, then putting my light weight English saddle on him.  This boy has NO withers!  Even the pad doesn't stay on by itself!  He is going to be a breast collar type of guy. 

He still won't take an alfalfa cube treat from my hand but he knows when I put it in his feed pan.  I am happy with our progress.  Okay, sometimes I get impatient because I really want to take him for a walk outside of his pens.  :-)  But I fight it....
Oh, I noticed one rear hoof chipping tonite.  Argh!  That is going to drive me crazy!  We are not even close to doing feet.  He has not even been here two weeks....and chipping already?  Oh well, it could be worse.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who says I can handle his back feet...what is the big deal?  ;-) 

The innocent little girl who loves her horse no matter what....

Hmmmm, I am trying to figure out how to add a link with this new and improved format.  Let's see if this works.

I thought this story was soooooo heartwarming!  This little girl is who a lot of us were, and probably still are.  I think about the people who won't buy or keep a horse because he/she has an 'ugly head' then they spout off everything statistically wrong with them and why they would be so hard to train.  WHAT?  I am sorry for those people....they are missing out.  Horses are not just the body, but they are the soul.  Even people who have had the best instructors, have had horses all their lives, who have competed at high levels in different disciplines just don't get it!

The little girl in this story, Maddie, is one of my hero's! 


http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/six-year-old-girl-refuses-to-put-down-ugly-duckling-foal/


Enjoy!

Karen and Tripp who loves me even tho I am not 'perfect'...

Good-Bye Snoop....we will miss you....

I adopted Snoop several years ago from a lady at work. She was looking for a good home for a Husky/Chow cross so I asked about him hoping he had a purple tongue or blue eyes. He did not have either one so I told her that really was not what I was looking for. Okay, I was not looking for anything in particular...I just had an idea in my head what a Husky/Chow cross should look like and a reddish dog with brown eyes was not it. She calls me about a week later asking me if I had changed my mind. I told her I had not and she says "Oh okay, I guess he will have to stay at the vet...." and I said "WHAT???? WHY IS HE AT THE VET????" He was being boarded there because her son, who got the dog as a pup the year before was going to college and he could not take him, and she could not keep him in her trailer. I asked for directions! :-)
I ended up meeting the golden eyed Snoop who was shedding!  He shed all over the car on the way home...hair flying everywhere while the windows were down!  It was hilarious!

Snoop was one of the sweetest dogs I ever met...very loving.  He was always ready to give doggy kisses if asked.  :-)  He would also just hang out with you when you were out in the yard.  I loved sitting on the steps because he would sit by us and lean over against us.  He was a luv-bug.

It was a pretty day and we were hanging out on the round hay bales.

Snoop met Batman...wow, Batman has grown a lot too!  Time goes by so quickly...maybe this is why I don't notice anybody aging...

Our shadows on the round bales...

Snoop was built more like a Dingo than a Husky/Chow cross.  He had thin hair and was lean and wirey with big splayed out toes.  Yep, back up on the round bales!  :-)

Snoop and Tripp meet.  The dogs are used to the horses but Snoop is still cautious.  That might be from being chased by the donkeys.  Hee hee!

All relaxed now...they are friends.

Misty was another rescue, and they became best friends.  Snoop taught Misty how to be a real dog.  Misty was afraid of people, she did not wag her tail, she always looked on alert and she looked lost.....after hanging out with Snoop she started watching everything that was going on, and the first time we saw her wag her tail we were soooooo happy!   
This picture of them was taken a couple weeks ago.  Snoop was already running out of energy...his body was feeling old and he needed lots of naps.  I am worried about Misty...her and Snoop used to play a lot.  Now it is her and Nakita, our other Husky.  Nakita is too dumb to know that Misty doesn't like her.  Misty just tolerates Nakita.  Ha ha!  We will just have to wait and see how it goes...

Good-bye Snoop....you are already missed.

I will be forever grateful that he was able to grow old here at home, without any pain, and he got to pass over the Rainbow Bridge here at home where he belongs. 

The hardest part of pet partnerships is the good-bye....it sure does hurt. 

Thanks for reading about Snoop the Dog.  :-)

Until later...Karen and Tripp

Video - Hutchinson, KS Correctional Facility - Mustang B-Ball! Woo hoo!

The Correctional Facility in Hutchinson, KS has a Wild Horse program. The inmates work with ungentled mustangs, train them under saddle, then the horses are put up for adoption. We went to their Open House on June 4th and 5th and had a great time! I was so impressed with the work these guys did. Many of the guys have never been around horses before....I talked to one guy who has only been riding for a couple of months!

While we were there they played Mustang Basketball/Rugby, and let me tell you, it was rough! Most people I know don't have horses that will do what these horses were doing. It took a lot of hard work for these guys to get the horses to this point.....
I love that there are very few rules.
No pulling the reins of another persons horse.
You cannot score more than once in a row.
If you get off your horse to get the ball from the ground, you have to have a hold of your horse.
The other one kinda is the same thing - lose your horse no ball for you! That is it!

I got permission from the head of the program to post the video. Thank you Dexter!

Enjoy the game!!!



Saving Horses & Changing Men

Until later....Karen and Tripp who wants to play too! :-D

Sonic Boom - His first full week with us....

Our very handsome Sonic Boom is checking out the barn.  I left the gate open so it will hit against the big door....he can't escape to the bigger area that way.  He nosed around a little bit......

Well, that was fun....can you tell?  Even tho he looks like he is bored, I am tickled he went into the dark space to explore.  He will have to deal with a stall at the EMM.












Just look at that mug!  Isn't he cute???

Boom played in the mud - both sides look just like this!  I hope it is helping him keep the horse flies off.

He even smudged a bit on his face.

Millie the cow is standing in the ring as if to say "HELLO!!!!  WHAT IS MISSING HERE???"

These lillies multiply like crazy!  I dug up a bunch a few years ago and planted them at the bottom of the back deck.  This year they are taller than we are and so pretty! 

This one has a water droplet after the rain...

The other night we had storms and it tore part of the chicken pen roof off.

This piece of tin is stuck in the post.

Bottom view of it stuck.....

Top view of it stuck.....

Brian had to cut the corner off because it would not pull out.  You can see the fresh wood where it sliced right in there!  I am so glad it did not go over the fence and get one of the critters! 

I have some pictures on my camera but I can't get them off for some reason.  I will have to mess with it when I have more time.

Boomer is doing good altho he still tries to ignore me.  Tonite he was watching me from between the corral panels and I looked at him and talked to him and his ears kind of hung flat and he stuck his nose up a little bit and turned the other direction as he slowly walked away.  He actually snubbed me!  It was probably payment for me tossing the lariat rope all over him again tonite.  Whether he likes it or not, he did great!  :-)  It is going to take me a while with him, but that is okay, because it isn't a race.  It is a competition to show what we can do with an untouched mustang in approx 100 days.  Some will come around quickly, and some are going to take a little longer.
When I stand out there and watch him I am still amazed that I am doing this, and that I am actually lucky enough to be living one of my little kid dreams.....I have mustangs!

Hope everyone is doing well.  Keep cool and drink lots of fluids.

Until later....Karen and Tripp

What a great night with Sonic Boom!

After last night, today was a breeze!  It is still hotter than Hades out there (I have heard...but do not know this to be fact) and muggy as all get out, and I am pleased to say we did not have the attitude we had last night so we did not have to work as hard.  Whew!

Tonite my goal was touching the sides of his face and hopefully his neck.  I MADE IT!!!!  I kept telling myself "Just a little bit longer...he will get it."  After about an hour of telling myself that, he did get it.  I would touch, then we would lead a few steps and change directions.  I wanted to keep his mind changing gears instead of focusing on the dreaded touch.  I was more tickled about getting to touch the brand side of his neck....that has been his major 'touch me not' and 'look at me not' zone.

You can really see the difference in his posture from the above picture of him not being sure about this, and the below picture.  After we were done and I took the rope off, I did it again and he did wonderful.

A little bit of rubbing on the poll and us walking thru the
gate.  We added on another small pen so he can live in one,
and the other one can dry out a bit between sessions. 

Look at this sweet face.....he is so sweet and innocent.....

NOT!!!!  He is mocking me again!  :-)
Okay, tonite was because of the fly spray.  We did not do so well with it tonite but it sure was smelly to him.  We got his right side but not the left.  I found a good spot to quit because I did not want to fight this big battle over something that will come with time.

This morning I found Tandee, Jester the donk, and Batman in with Boomer.  This is how the gate was, so thankfully he would not have gone any farther than the inside of the barn.  Tonite when I was done I was getting hay and he started nosing around.  He never came in, but he was curious.  You can't imagine how excited I was over him showing curiosity and being nosey.  :-D  Oh yeah, I clip the gate shut now.

I let Tandee and her posse into the yard to munch grass.  I thought this was a cute 'family' picture.

Chase the llama....he is something else. 

It really was a wonderful night!  We had rain this morning but not this afternoon, so that is a plus, and the sun is baking the ground, so that is a plus, and life is just grand.  That is a HUGE plus!

Gotta head back outside now...
Until later....Karen and Tripp