Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Award and Contest

I want to thank TBA for nominating me for the Sunshine award!  It is for people who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.  The nominee must thank the person who nominated them, answer the ten questions, and nominate 10 blogs.

The Owls Approve is running a contest for a new company with some products I am really interested in.  There is the brightening shampoo (Mojito anyone?), the tea tree shampoo (I love tea tree oil), and the de-tangler (my sensitive hands are always on the lookout for products that work great and don't burn my skin).  Hope I win so I can keep away the winter scrunge.
Already getting muddy

Ok onto the questions.
1. Mares or geldings?  Either one, I've really loved some mares and I've really loved some geldings.
2. English or Western?  English is where my main goals lie, but a major bucket list item is learning to rope.
3. Younger or older horses?  I prefer the fulfillment of bringing a young one along, but you can't beat lessons on a schoolmaster!
4. Have you trained a horse from ground zero?  Yes, several.  That said, if it is trying to be crazy rank (like smashing a round pen) I'm not opposed to a good cowboy for the first month or two.
5. Do you prefer riding or ground work?  Love to ride, but I do like to establish manners, control, and finesse before I ever get on.
6. Do you board your horse or keep him/her at home?  I've done both and both are great.  Feeding your horses in PJ's can be both wonderful and embarrassing (story for another time).
7. Do you use all natural things or commercial stuff (the products you use)?  What ever works?  I try to keep to more natural ingredients, unless it is August, then I'm all agent orange those flies, die die die!
8. All tacked up or bareback?  I ride too many crazies for much bareback, tack please!
9. Equestrian role model?  Oh goodness who to choose?  I'm going to go with my long time trainer and dad #2 Ernie.  I've never really seen him angry with a horse, lay down the law, yes, but angry, no.
10. What is your one main goal while in the horse world?  I used to say the Olympics, but politics be crazy.  So, I'm going to go with competing at the **** level!  Go eventing!

Blogs to nominate:
Fourmaresnomoney: Hasn't updated much, but she brings me sunshine all the time
FBX: keeping being a mom awesome!
On a Steel Horse: Horse hiatus, but amazing English adventures
The California College Student: Not currently horsey but still sunny

I know some of you were already nominated, no worries, just thanks to you for sharing your sunshine:)  And to those that aren't doing horses currently, again thanks for the smiles, and if you want change the questions and pass the love on past the horse world go ahead:)

Zelda passing out kitten sunshine!


Playing dress up...and awkwardness:)

So this was the most fun filled horsey weekend in a seriously long time!  It all started with the trail ride I talked about last time and just got better and better from there.  This will probably be a picture heavy post again, but who doesn't love pictures!?
Diva finally seems to be untangling her legs and actually jumping the jumps instead of just going through them.  On Saturday Alyssa came with and took some pictures and then we went out the the 100 acres and she rode Bridger while I took pictures.  It was nice to see him with someone else aboard and other than the same mounting issues he is giving me (glad it isn't just me) he was great.
 Then on Sunday we had the most awesome dress up day with Sprinklerbandit and Alyssa and our buddy Ross with a camera.  We had warm sunshine and smiles all around.  Also there is an amazing contest involving the blue open front boots seen in some of the pictures below, over here.  The boots were fabulous!  Alyssa is part of the OTTB club too, but hers has been fighting a mystery lameness so the cutest QH ever came to play, her name is Vegas.
Squeee so cute!
What a good boy, how cute are they?
Check out the hind end engagement!

Again with the hind end

She looks great, but wtf am I doing?

Wow!

Enjoying a canter, and a cute fly bonnet
I'm not even a fan of teal and I loved these boots!

Love her!

He captured a sneeze cloud from her, kinda cool

The three amigas!
Then it was girly craft and cooking day/evening with sprinklerbandit and we made creamy tomato and tortellini soup, garlic bacon brussel sprouts, and brownie cookie bars, so yummy.
mmmm
We decided our fly bonnets needed bling and I have a huge bead collection (used to make jewelry) and wallah:
Navy and pink
Future FEI horse in the making! 
The fun even continued into today with more jumping.
Me trying to not jump ahead

Biggest jump for Diva so far!
Then I was lucky enough to ride C-rage over his first cantering jump:)
He is getting to have such cute knees!
Note here about the tendency to jump ahead on the greenies.  While not classic or great jumping form (and yes I try to nip it in the bud, and it nearly disappears when I am on a more trained horse) I much prefer it to getting left behind and catching the horse in the mouth and on the back.  Too much jumping ahead can lead to rails down, but too much left behind can lead to a horse that shuts down.  Ok off the soap box.  And one more picture because we all need a good laugh!
Bridger throwing in a grand spook, goofy horse went right back to work in a split second.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

A photo shoot and a trail ride

I have so many pictures I want to share.  So here goes:
Fall colors

Warming up long and low

Stepping fancy

Cantering like a boss

So pretty!
Yes, so Bridger continues to do well.  I am finally enjoying him, and he seems to be buying into the idea of work.

Then this happened:
Diva went on a trail ride!
Looking west and north

Looking east, the tallest peak is actually a ski hill!

She doesn't kick we were just playing dress up

Post trail ride bliss

The group, yes we all wore pink on purpose

Diva just chillaxin'
She. Was. So. Freaking. Amazing!  Head down, loose reins, not a spook in her.  I had a sore face from smiling so much!

Thanks to sprinklerbandit for the great Bridger pictures and the pink ribbon!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Bridger's adventures continue

I love autumn!

So the day after I wrote my last post about Bridger being a good boy he decided to try his hand at refusing to let me get on (gotta love a baby).  Little did he realize, I have red hair...so, yeah, I got on.  Eventually.  The next day we cut the time in half to only about 13 minutes to get on, and the next day I got right on, but he tried to take off.  WTF.  The funny part is that once I'm on I have great rides.  Walk, trot, canter, sharp transitions, and leg yields.  Ok Ok, so not all great.  He tries to stick his head in the air in the canter and sometimes forgets how to turn (again gotta love a baby).
How do you get a horses ears forward?
Today I got on him without any antics, he was tense, but thought things through.  After I rushed off to school sprinklerbandit was nice enough to hold him while he had body work done.  Since I am putting him up for sale I thought that having all his parts in the correct location would be good.  He was out at his poll, right shoulder and left hip.  I am supposed to do some backing exercises from the ground with him so he can feel where everything is.  His back was in great shape, yeah!

Now for the real reason y'all are here, pictures!
Can't wait to see this more developed


Not thrilled with my position

Need to get my lower leg more under me

He is going to have a nice neck!
 Thanks to sprinklerbandit for the great pics!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Really mom I'm a good boy

So yesterday Eugene and I hauled Bridger into where Gunner lives (where Diva was a few weeks ago).  I was short on time so we just got him settled in and then I went back this afternoon to ride him.  Reports were he behaved himself pretty well and was just a bit worried about life.  While I rode Gunner they turned Bridger out next to Gigi (who promptly tried to teach Bridger the ways of the world and acted like a total hussy) and he just quietly grazed (and wondered what Gigi's issue was).  Gunner is rocking the dressage recently, but his warm ups have been longer and longer to work the stiffness out...so he got his adequan shot today.  Next week I'm hoping for some lubed up Gunner joints.  Then it was Bridger's turn.  I put him in the cross ties (which he has experience with from before I got him) and he stood perfectly still.  I led him into the arena and got on.  Ok, I didn't just get on we played the highly unentertaining game of turn and face the mounting block for a while, then I got on.  He was a bit tense, but after some easy walk circles that got progressively bigger we went and trotted and cantered all around the arena.  Bam.  I was really impressed with him.  A four year old in a new place, no lunging, no antics, just whatever.  That said, I'm still putting him up for sale.  My friend in Georgia said it best, "You just can't beat another OTTB."
Just chillin'
Say whaaaa?  Did you notice that guys?  Another OTTB?
Nope sorry not answering that question.
"Diabolical laugh"

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Disorganized

This week has been rather disjointed.  I blame it on last weekend, but I can't even seem to keep track of what day it is.  I've been riding, but I don't have any pictures, as nothing super exciting has gone down in horse land.  Husband did end up coming home for the week on Wednesday, yahoooo!!!!

You want to know what else is nice...?  Kittens!
Charlie looking forward to the kittens arrival

He loves his new friends

Panda and Zelda (they came already named)

Zelda has freckles

And already likes to sleep on saddles
Squee so cute!
 I can't remember if I ever mentioned Lester or Cloey here, the two best cats ever.  Seriously, Lester would sleep in my arms like a teddy bear.  Cloey was Eugene's cat and they were very close.  The two kitties were indoor outdoor cats and mostly stuck around and ate the occasional bird and mouse.  Then they both went missing on the same day.  I checked all the shelters and no luck.  Then the nice neighbor lady (whose house I often saw Lester going in and out of) told us that the grumpy neighbors had tried to trap her cats in the past, but she caught them.  That is the only thing we can think that happened and it breaks our hearts.  If I think about it too much I start to cry, but that is the joy of indoor/outdoor cats in town.  It has been about two months since they went missing and Charlie the dog was getting more and more lonely with out his kitty firend (Lester and him would wrestle for hours and then snuggle together for a nap).  A friends cat had kittens...now we have two.  Long story short, I couldn't decide which one and my big tough husband said, "get both, one might get lonely."  I love him!
Best friends (Lester and Charlie)
The new kitties will live inside full time!

Monday, October 14, 2013

exhausted!

Wow driving over 700 miles each way in less than 48 hours has me plum knackered.  Whew.  My dad drove back with me thank goodness, we just switched back and forth behind the wheel.  We both took a nap for about an hour on top of Donner pass and woke up to a snow storm with everything covered, needless to say we boogied on out of there!
brrrrr!
Fresno was fun, the track is super nice.  The tote board blew me away, it looks like splash mountain at Disneyland, complete with a waterfall!
Vine covered paddock

Twine breastplate

Waterfall and jumbotron
I wish it had been light out for more of the drive, but it ended up being over night both ways.  I did get some pictures through Oregon and Nevada though.  While I love greenery and lush landscapes there is something about the sheer size of the desert landscape that also tugs at my heartstrings.  
Rocks in southwest Idaho

Cowboy land in Oregon

Snow in Nevada

This is what I'm talking about

Incredible ranch in Idaho
Sunrise in Nevada
Just makes me want to go on a cattle drive, total bucket list item!

Eugene is headed on down to train in Phoenix, and there may be some great opportunities down there for him!  I'm sorry this is such a short post, I think I'm still recovering from all the driving.  More horse things tomorrow:)