Git er done

School is done for the semester, woot woot!  The show with the Halflingers went quite well, in fact I garnered the Open Training reserve champion ribbon!  They were super for their first show ever, the start of warm ups was just a bit exciting, but they quickly composed themselves and went to work.  Best of all, their owners were thrilled with the weekend.

Austin's very square halt

Down center line

Big trot for a little horse!

Star showing off his uphill canter

Start of the stretchy circle

I am going to enter a contest for Horse Illustrated to write a 1500 word horse short story that will be published in the magazine and would win an Amazon gift card. FUN!

There is an Event Derby this weekend, I'm not competing, but I'm going to try to make it out and watch the jumping this afternoon.  Gunnar has been jumping nicely at home, but he still unravels at shows, so we are thinking of trying a dressage show as he has pretty nice flat work as well.

From the event last August

Here are a couple pics from earlier this spring, he was being very bold and a total blast!

Ready for the Eq ring;)

Ready for x-country anyone?

Well that is my random post of the day, I really am trying to get back to regular writing.  Oh one more note: I am finally riding Aero again, pictures soon!

Coming up for air

Not much time as finals are next week and next weekend is the Idaho Dressage Festival (which I'm riding two horses at).  Whew, leaving the house by 5am and getting home around 9pm has not been conducive to getting this blog written on, sorry guys.  After finals are over I will have more time and plan to return to sharing about my escapades.  My husband is home, FINALLY!!!! It has been great great great!  I'm going to share some pics here as a time saving way to catch up with you.

We have been having some big rolling thunder storms, and the leaves are unfurling from the grape vines

Sadie (the back biter) and I go for a gallop

Star, one of two Halflingers I will take to the show

Idaho TB assoc award for 3yo filly of the year, Eugene was training her at golden gate.  Note: she just won here at Les Bois yesterday!

whispers *totally me*

Bridger is back from the cowboy, still rude, but willing to learn

Sprinklerbandits came over for a ride and Mojito and Suzie thought it would be a good time to race!

Ok that's all for now, but I promise more sooner than later.  Racing has started and we have already ran two seconds and won one!!!!

Flying by

I am blown away at how time just keeps speeding by.  I've resorted to posting from my phone today because by the time I sit at my computer in the evening I fall asleep!  Life has been good, I have some great new client horses to ride and have even gotten rides in on my own horses!  The track is good too, just tiring.  Hopefully Eugene will be home with in the next few weeks (I know I know i keep saying this, but maybe soon it will be true).  The weather has been absolutely glorious for the last week, I'm getting spoiled, but no worries it calls for rain today.  I am actually thankful for that because things are painfully dry, never a good thing for the first week in April.  My back is super sore from a two year old filly trying to rip the flesh off my shoulder, it is healing up thank goodness. Well I'm off and running, horses, school, more horses, sleep.

An escape

I am house sitting for a ranch that is a ways out of town.  It is incredible.  I look forward to the week or so I get to spend out here each year.  There is a wild tranquility about the place that makes for a distinct feeling of removal from town.  It is as though a scale from the mundane hardness of society falls away with each rise and fall of the landscape on the drive out.  It is a place for dreaming, a place for exploring, a place for gentle sunrises and smiling skies.  The house is nestled into the side of massive foothill and looks out over hundreds of acres of sage and grass, the landscape is dotted with the occasional horse, cow, deer, and coyote (these are more heard than seen).  Here with the cleaner air and sweeping vistas there is room for your soul to roam and steep in the scents of fresh dirt after rain and sweet searing sage.

From last fall in the smoke from the worst fires I've seen in a long time.

Smoke does make for a nice sunrise

Can just imagine a heard of cattle and their cowboys

Love Love Love this shot, I wish it was from a real camera and not just my phone.

Face to the sun

Oh glorious glorious weather!  Mild mornings and warm afternoons make for a happy girl.  Things are going good down at the track, but I'm moving through chores so fast (and it is dark for so long) that I have yet to get any pictures.  I love the morning routine of grain, grooming, tacking, stalls and hay.  Thank goodness Alyssa has been coming down and helping or 'the ship would be underwater.'  I feel very productive having 7 horses totally done by 9am.

Diva is almost all shedded out, it is like she couldn't stand being 'wintery' for another day.  Fits her name.

Pat cat loves Diva

Being a princess is hard work

Reports are that Bridger has patience issues but a good brain, and Sadie likes to bite. Yup. My thoughts exactly.

In other news, Charlie is still cute!

"Curl your tail like this Pat cat"

Trying out McDreamy eyes

Sorry for the concise verb-age here, it is way past my early rising bedtime.

Setting the alarm

Wind.  That's what was up today.  I worked the last two days at the big spring sale at Flynn's Saddle Shop (my side job), it has been a couple of great days for business and it is always fun to catch up with friends.  Bigger news than the sale: 1. Bridger and Sadie finally left with the cowboy today. 2. Horses arrive at the track tonight so chores in the morning.  You may be wondering what this signifies?  No more sleeping until 6 am, nope I will be staring 4:30 am in the face sooner than later.  John and I are taking it easy to start with (6:45 am start at the barn tomorrow).
Here are a few shots of what fun things come with early mornings (thanks to Alyssa, Carrie, and my mom for great shots all from 2012).

Three red heads

Rail birds

Need a shoe?

Zoom Zoom (John in the white helmet)

Me and Tanner's Event, wheeeee!

Well I had better head to bed...early morning (don't forget daylight savings)!

Deeper than I planned

Just a quickie today as I have a test later and several things to accomplish between now and then!  I'm excited to say that Bridger is off to the cowboy sometime this week as is little Sadie.  The colts are ready to head into the track and John and I will start training up here while we wait for Eugene's undetermined arrival home.  I am in love with the coming of spring, each day seems like small gift waiting to be unwrapped.  Even with the wind that keeps pummeling me in the face, I'm looking forward to things to come.  I took this picture getting hay on Sunday, I was struck by the beauty that those in the city don't get to see everyday.  Yes I know they get other beauty, but it isn't this sort.  The windmill, the wild Owyhees, the tractors, the sheds, yes even the muddy tracks, it pulls at my heartstrings.  This is the backbone of where we live, the people who work the land, raise the animals, get up early and go to bed late.

This is a land full of promise, even with all the strife and uproar in politics, the grass still grows.  Soon we will be seeing the green buds of leaves on the trees, and the crocus and hyacinth will push their way up out of the ground.  So, while the wind roars and the rain pours I will have a smile on my face.  The rumblings of a new season of growth and change make the soles of my boots tremble with excitement.