Come Holy Spirit, Come.

Last night, I went to a Charismatic Prayer group at a new to me church in McKinney.  It was fantastic.  The Holy Spirit was so alive there.  We sang together, and prayed together.  Hands were laid on me, and God spoke to me, giving me peace, and wisdom.  So many things blossomed from this hour and a half - friendships, a sense of peace and belonging, and most importantly, peace. 

Please vote for me!

Hey everyone!  I entered a writing contest on Horseloverz.com.  Please follow the link and vote thumbs up for my story! 
http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/113913/voteable_entries/39465574

The Secret of the Stable

Some people believe that when the wise men arrived to give gifts to our Savior, Jesus Christ, on Epiphany, they were the first to bow down to Him.  But this is not so.  There is a secret that not many people know, a secret about the night when the Christ child was born.  The night He was born, a magical thing happened in the stables far away.

On the Eve of the very first Christmas, the night was very cold, and the stars were very bright.  Mary and Joseph, weary from miles and miles of travel, searched for an inn where they could lay down their weary heads for the night.  But Mary soon realized that she was to give birth to Jesus on that very night. 

As she felt the pangs of labor creep up on her, Joseph frantically knocked on the doors of all the houses and all the Inns.  But there was no room for them.  Joseph, his eyes sad, began to lead Mary away from the houses, worried that his son would be born in the cold.  

As they walked away from the very last house, candles dimly lighting the windows, a very old man opened the door and called to Joseph.  He had seen the couple and his heart welled with pity and sorrow at their plight.  He beckoned them to follow him to a small stable behind his modest house.

Mary, in much pain, thanked God for even this small mercy, and followed Joseph to the stable.  The man led them inside, his lantern casting yellow light on the golden hay that blanketed the ground.  Joseph gently made a bed of straw for his wife, soothing her as she lay down.  As the kind man left, he said, “I am sorry you must sleep with the dirty animals,” but Joseph and Mary didn’t mind.  Joseph looked around them, saw the animals and replied, “Each of these animals is a creation of our God.  We are honored to sleep with them on this joyous night.”  The man left Mary and Joseph alone with the animals and returned to his small home.

There were many animals huddled in the stables.  The night was cold, but the heat from the animals warmed Joseph and Mary.  Sheep, Oxen, donkeys, and horses, all stood breathing quietly, watching as Mary labored to bring our Savior into this world.  One by one, the animals drew closer, anticipating the moment when the Christ child would be born unto us.  Their large eyes were soft; their kind faces seemed to be smiling.  How could they know that this child was to be King of Kings?

As the stars and moon shone brightly overhead, Mary gave birth to the Christ child.  Joseph wrapped the infant in blankets made of fleece, and laid him in a manger.   As Mary knelt in front of her child, the animals huddled around her, and at exactly midnight, each animal, one by one bowed its head and knelt in front of the Christ child. 

Mary and Joseph stared in awe as the creatures knelt and worshiped the King of Kings. The child smiled at them, playfully reaching out to pet their warm fur.  None of the animals moved, none of them uttered a beastly sound.  No bray from the donkey, no moo from the oxen, no whinny from the horse.  Instead, something much more magical happened. 

As the donkey knelt, he looked at the child and said in perfect human words, “Lord, I carried you here from Nazareth to Bethlehem, safe inside your mother’s womb.  I am proud to be your servant.  I will carry my load in all my days to come in Your honor, o Lord. And he who works me and packs loads on my back will see my devotion to please, and will think of You instead of me.  This is my gift to you.”

Then, as the sheep knelt, they spoke together, “Christ Child,  we warmed you in your first minutes of life on Earth, and we offer you our fleece, that you and your people may be warm always.  This way, whoever wears our fleece will think of He who created it, and the Glory will be Yours.  This is our gift to You.”

Next, the kneeling oxen spoke. Their huge and powerful bodies doubled and their large heads bowed down.  “My King, we offer you our strength.  Our backs will bear a burden always, and in love for you, we will work and toil for Your glory.  This way, whoever sees an oxen work, will see not us, but You instead.  This is our gift to you.”

Last, the horse knelt.  His solemn face was full of hope, his powerful body humbled in front of the child.  He leaned toward the infant and said, “Oh my Lord, I will be an instrument of many wars.  I will be the means of much travel.  I will carry your beloved people faithfully, and allow them to ride me to safety, through fields and through battle.  I give you my sure footedness, my loyalty, and my beauty, so that whoever sees me will see not a horse, but You instead.  This is my gift to you.”

As the animals gave themselves freely to Jesus, Mary and Joseph watched, knowing that someday, their son would do the same for all people on earth. 

So you see?  The first to bow down to the Christ child were the most humble of all beings.  They were the animals of the stable, not rich kings from far away.  They gave everything they had to Jesus, things that mattered more to them than any riches like gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

It is said that to this day on Christmas Eve, at exactly midnight, all the animals in their stables look up to the heavens and then bow down, kneeling for our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The animals, one by one, give themselves freely to the King of Kings, offering themselves to Him, just as you and I should do. 

HAY!

For those of you who have any inclign at all about what is going on in Texas right now, there is no hay.  And the hay that does exhist, is very very expensive.  Soo...

We finally got some in the other day.  Now let me remind you that it has been a tough find.  My two horses have been scrimping on food, and both of them are far too skinny for my liking, and theirs too.  So when we threw the hay over the fence, they pounced!  They gorged.  They ate and ate and ate.  I went back into the house and was doing dishes, and finally I looked outside into the pasture.  I noticed both boys laying down taking sunny naps, bellies full, sun warming their skin.  They looked so pathetic, and so sweet out there in their pasture! 

Awww to feel full!

If I had only taken a picture...

Well, the horses are all settled in to the new ranch.  They have a pretty decent place, minus running water, so hopefully I can think of something to get water to them instead of bucketing 5 gallons at a time out to the pasture.  ANYWAY...

I was out there fixing up part of the fence when I looked up and in the dim light of the evening, saw the landlord's 8 horses standing at the fence looking at me and my boys curiously.  They were so cute, all standing exactly the same, all their heads over the fence just looking.  It was like they were all saying "who are you?  what are you doing? we wanna see!"  Two little white heads, some stars on faces, a red colored gelding... they looked so dang cute! 

So I grabbed my cell and flipped it to camera mode, just as one of the mares decided she was being crowded, kicked at another mare, and broke up the perfect shot. 

Oh well. 

At least my boys are making friends :)

Back in the saddle.

Last night, I got to the barn pretty late.  It was dark, and there are no arena lights.  Crazy Texas weather, it was 80 degrees, and I was hot in a tank top.  But it didn't matter.  I pulled laredo out of the pasture and we saddled up.  He wasn't super happy about working before dinner, but his contempt was only mild.  We got to the arena and all alone, in the dark, we had a wodnerful ride. 

He is softening.  He is responding.  He bends when I remind him with a little pressure from the outside reign, and yields well.  He is a whole new horse.  When I got this horse, he was confused, angry, defensive, upset... He didn't understand the bit, or leg cues.  His fear pushed him forward, and the thought of slowing down or even stopping was terrifying to him.  Every cue meant "RUN FASTER!" and he did.  

But last night, in the dark, with William jelously whinnying from the fence, Laredo slowed down.  He put his head down.  He softened in the mouth, and listened to my heels.  He circled with a wonderful bend, and then found center, both ears back listening to me tell him "good boy, atta boy!" 

Something about the dark, about being totally alone, about not knowing if its going to be a good ride, or a bad one... there is something to be said about that.  And there is something to be said about great accomplishment and improvement, even after the road has been terrifying.  I can't imagine the peace Laredo must feel now, knowing that I am safe, that I am going to guide him, not push him, knowing that there is nothing to run from... not even fear. 

It was a good lesson.  For us both.

An exciting beginning!

It has been a very long time since I last posted on my blog, and that is simply because so many things have been changing.  I was away from my horses for 2 months because I moved to Dallas TX for a job opportunity.  Well, this last weekend, they finally arrived!!
We took them first to a little "barn" that I found on craigslist, thinking it would be sufficient for them, but when we got there, we quickly realized it would not do... at all.  There were two emaciated horses there, and they were both sick, caughing, with snot and goopy eyes.  I immediately worried about my own boys, and wormed them right away.  I also put them in the paddock and insturcted everyone not to touch them.  So sad to see someone else's horses so sick and starving, and there is nothing I can do.  I am half tempted to just go get some penicilin and give them a dose...

So I found a better barn and we are moving them today.  They will each have a cozy stall and turn out.  And as soon as we leave the first place, I will probably call the SPCA and turn in the owner of the poor horses that are starving.  It makes me so angry!  I want so badly to go in there and march out of there with both of them so I can fix them up and give them a chance at life... but I could never afford it.  How can God allow his creatures to do this to innocent animals?  Some humans are so cruel.  It's a lesson I will never fully understand.

A letter I wrote for my confirmation class...

Being the good little Catholic (dont laugh) that I am... I was a mentor for this year's high school aged kids going through confirmation classes.  I wrote them this letter and gave them each a gift after the ceremony, and today I found it again and read through it.  I think it is important to share it here...

May 12, 2011

Ok, today is the day.  What does it mean?  We have been going to classes all year, and now it’s finally time!  But seriously… confirmation?  What is going to happen?  What will tomorrow feel like?

Honestly, you will probably wake up tomorrow, and feel exactly the same.  You will go to school, eat lunch, go to your sport practice, or do homework.  But I promise, something will be different.

I have gifted each of you with a real sand dollar.  The prayer on the postcard gives you all the cool information on the symbolism of the sand dollar.  Read it.  Think about it.  Pray about it.  The story of Christ’s wounds and death are on the sand dollar.  But more important is what is inside! 

Inside each one, there are little bones that are shaped like doves.  They are there.  Trust me.  Just like the HOLY SPIRIT inside each of you.  When you were baptized, God planted his SPIRIT inside your body, just like he planted these little bones inside the sand dollar. (Amazing really).  During Confirmation, that SPIRIT is MAGNIFIED! 

Confirmation is the final step.  You are all fully Catholic. You are in communion with the Church, and also, God has set you forth as of this day to spread his SPIRIT.  Trust me, it’s in there!  Trust me, it will magnify! Just like a drop of water, it will soon flow into a river, and then the ocean – Huge and Powerful!  So the SPIRIT will grow in you, ever flowing, ever changing, ever MAGNIFYING.

You may not feel it today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now.  Let it grow!  Believe that those little doves are inside you, and let them take flight!

I am so proud of you!  I know that each of you will grow to live lives with purpose, and love, and SPIRIT. 

Let God in, and don’t shut him out.  Let the little doves fly inside you, and don’t cage them.  Be who God made you to be, and Enjoy your journey!

I am a bad ass....

... I hit a pop can from over 100 yards with the 270.  Then end.

A fourth of July to die for...

...another year has gone.  Funny how I mark years not by the Christmas season, New Year, or even the beginning of the school year.  Nope... The year starts and ends with the 4th of July.  So much happened over the fourth of July weekend.  I took Friday through Tuesday off work, and the sun came out to play.  Of course my holiday revolved around 2 things:  Horses, and Rodeo.

Friday was a standard drill team practice, nothing too special.  Horses did great, the team did awesome, and everyone got along. Saturday we headed out to the Rodeo in St Paul.  Sunday was a bit more challenging as something very unexpected happened.

My boss and her kids came out to ride my paint gelding (such a good babysitter).  I got to the barn early to feed so he wouldn't be pushy with the six year old.  But as I walked out to his pasture, I noticed his buddy, my thoroughbred was not acting himself.  Will is normally the bully (see previous posts) ramming his big head into me, nickering / screaming for food.  Not on Sunday morning.  He looked at me with his eyes droopy, looked at the hay, and then lay down in a pile of his own poop.

Now, I have had that horse for almost a year, and let me tell you - HE DOES NOT LAY DOWN.  So I immediately knew something was wrong.  I grabbed a halter and rope, and made my way over to a very tired, very sick thoroughbred.  By the time I got him on his feet he was shaking, sweating and generally not happy.  The kids had arrived by then, and wanted to know everything there was to know about why my horse was sick, and when would he be better so they could ride the paint.

I called the vet, suspecting colic after I noticed Will kicking and biting his sides.  I finally got a vet to come out and check on him, and we both became worried when his temperature spiked at almost 104.  We had to sedate him to do a rectal exam, which came out fine.  The blood sample was on its way to the clinic by the time the vet told me he suspected Rhino.  Great.  Rhino.  Just what I frikin needed.  I put the horse in his stall to chill out, and took a deep breath.  There was nothing I could do but wait for the blood test to come back.

It came back all clear.  So what was wrong with my horse?  The kids rode, and I got ready for the parades the following day (Monday the 4th).  Larry got a bath, and he got a tune up right before bed time.  I checked on Will, took his temp and gave him the electrolytes and probiotics the vet gave me.

And then the next day Will lost his whinny.

I had no choice but to go to the parades and the rodeo on Monday.  Larry was all ready to go, the team was counting on me, and I had to just get er done.  So I put some apple juice in Will's water and prayed to god he would drink something while I was gone.

When I came home, he was covered in little pock mark like bites... hives maybe?  And he still had no whinny.  The vet gave me some more bute and we wondered if he might have some sort of Laryngitis or something... so we hoped the Bute would take away the sore throat.  It worked, and within 2 days, my boy charged me at the fence again...

Naughty boy.  Gotta love him. I'll go into detail a little later about our wild Rodeo weekend :)

Just because you are big and mean...

... Doesn't mean Im AFRAID OF YOU!

And it all started on Friday.  There we were in the arena... and we were riding pretty good.  My big boy wasn't listening to the outside aids, in fact he was flat out ignoring them.  So Im all "Sure, Ill just switch the whip and hold it on the outside shoulder..." So I did, and I flicked his shoulder to remind him he couldn't run through the circle...

and he got mad.

and madder.

and even more mad.

I was letting him have his face to sort of start over, and then I gathered the reigns up again and asked for collegtion and shoulder, and WHAM!

He rears up.  I sat the first two, no problem, but the third was more of a rear / twist thing, so in my mind Im thinking "Holy crap Im going down, make sure you fall on the good leg, not the bad leg,,, oh God not the bad leg!  So I release the face, so we won't flip, and shift my weight so I slide off to the side (the good leg side) and Biff right onto my hip. 

He just stood there like a triumphant idiot so I got up, grabbed my whip, got back in the saddle and schooled him again.  He must have known he did something naughty, because after I got back on, he was a lamb. 

Short lived, let me tell you.

This morning I went out to feed, and it had started to rain, so I got out his little rain sheet.  (Mr. Sensitive doesn't like to be cold).  He put his head through the hole, and I got all but one buckle done, and he came at me.  I mean, nostrils flaring, ears twitching, head swingin, rearing up and strikin the air at me.  I took a step back to keep my face in one piece, and then I let him have it.  I was jumpin up and down, screaming and charged him fists flying...  he came back down on all fours and looked calm, so I walked up to him and reached for the buckle, and he came around and bit my finger!

Slap.  Square in the face.

I was done messing around.  I got a big whip.  A really big whip.  and no sooner had I entered the paddock with that whip, he changed his tune.  Back to being a lamb.  I wonder how short lived this time will be??

Collection and Canter!

After a month of no walking let alone riding, and then two of solid ground driving and collection on the lines, my thoroughbred had a marvelous breakthrough.  For those of you that have been reading (if anyone does) you will remember the bucks and insecurity my boy had when asked to canter.  Even on a lunge line or long lines, his canter looked  more like a rocking horse with cow kicks than a canter.  So we went to the crupper.  It started helping, and he loosened his rear end.  His topline grew, and it no longer looks like a tent. 

Last night, I drove him to warm up and got his head nice and collected.  He was bending nicely at the poll and yielding at the girth.  Then we went to saddle up in our new jumping saddle which fits him like a glove (he doesnt even flinch when I tighten the cinch).  A friend helped me on one end of the lunge line, and I asked for a yielded walk to both sides.  He yielded nicely, forgetting at times, but always responding to cues.  Then we tried the trot.  Again, he yeilded beautifully, even tracking out ward for a bigger circle.  He didn't bawlk like was the norm a few months ago.  Finally, i knew he was ready. 

I asked for a canter.  The first try, he got the correct lead, but felt unsure and stumbled down to his trot.  I rewarded his effort and we went back to a trot / walk circle.  The second time, he slipped right into a wonderful canter.  We did circle after circle of a beautiful collected canter.  All that Long Line Driving paid off!!!!!

Switched directions and he had no problem.  It was wonderful.  So our confidence was high, and we decided to ride free of the long line.  My friend stepped away and my TB and I trotted out and hit the rail.  I asked for the cantor again, and we were off!  It was amazing!  Such a wonderful treat after so much groundwork... must be because I'm a perfectionist!

Riderless Horse

I found this article online and just had to share it...

Article on the Memorial Day Celebration that goes with the photo above:"Our smalll equestrian unit, known affectionately as "Paso Fiesta", had already been participating in local parades for several years. We had entered the Palatka Memorial Day parade the previous year donned with patriotic attire. We decided the following year, 2006, we wanted to do something special. Something that really paid tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Country.We were hesitant to go through with the idea that came to mind and so we set it aside. We were going to use our tried and true patriotic red, white, and blue theme. Then one day while gathered for lunch the subject came up again. Why not go thru with it. Who cared if it was ethical, or went against regulation or not. It was the least we could do to show the veterans and their families we have not forgotten about them.Weeks were spent gathering up the props needed… an authentic Army saber, actual Cavalry spurs used by one of the riders ancestors, black riding boots, all black English tack with the proper bit, rigging, and a hand made saddle pad with the US insignia. The beautiful black Paso Fino stallion, Fantasma de Dominar, would play the starring role. Lastly, MSG Donald Rollison, a friend of one of the riders, would be in full dress uniform volunteering to lead the "riderless horse".Fantasma (aka "Phantom") was bathed and clipped and looking his best. This was to be the most important role of his life. He’d been everything from a trail mount, endurance competitor, team penning horse, show horse, and breeding stallion. He knew something was different that morning that we all arrived at the muster site. His normally quiet demeanor was exceptionally solid and serious. The rest of the horses in our group were also quiet and reserved.Though the rest of our group were dressed in our usual white attire accented with sequined red, silver, and blue vests, sequined bowties, white top hats, sequined saddle pads, and red, silver, and blue ribbons in the horses’ manes and tails, Phantom was the focal point. We took our time getting him ready as everything had to be just right. Don too was making sure every accessory to his uniform was in its proper place.It was time to get in line and wait, wait, wait. It was getting hot. We were getting anxious. We didn’t know how the crowd was going to react to our presentation. A few people that were near where we were lined up came to pet the horses and have their pictures taken next to them. Even the Mayor of Palatka came to stand by Don and Phantom as well as a few soldiers from one of the local military units.It was time to march. Don and Phantom leading the way. Ahead the crowd was loud. The Shriners were revving the engines to their go carts, fire trucks blasting their horns and sirens, hot rod cars gunning the motors to their big V8 engines. The noise was almost deafening. We gave ourselves plenty of distance from the commotion that was going on ahead of us. Not only to save the horses from the fumes and noise, but also to ensure that our presentation had the full visual effect we were hoping for. We were not disappointed.A wave of silence spread out before us as we approached. Hushed whispers could be heard on either side of the street. Parents and Grandparents could be heard murmuring to their children and Grandchildren the significance of the "riderless horse". Spouses and mothers of fallen family members wept at the sight they saw before them. One ragged veteran in particular caught our attention. He struggled to rise from his power chair, his wife steadying him as he rose. His hand lifted to his brow in a proud salute as tears trickled down his checks from behind his dark shades. He was fighting hard to retain his composure. We nodded in acknowledgement and quietly passed.
We knew we had done the right thing.And so it has been every year since. Phantom proudly leads the way and we still get choked up as we watch the reactions of the crowd. Veterans stand at attention and salute. Family members wave and thank us as we pass. All too often the true meaning of this day is forgotten amongst the hype and commercialism. This is our way of getting back to what it’s all about. Remembering our troops, our fallen soldiers, our heroes."

Thats a DIRTY pony!

So...

Laredo the tri color Tobiano paint came out to my barn yesterday afternoon!  He was so dirty you couldn't tell he was tri-colored!

I got off work and headed out to the barn.  I got my TB first, and got him all settled in his stall.  He was all soggy and wet, and glad to be inside.  Dummy would NOT eat his hay outside!  Its like he is annorexic horse or somehting. 



Anyway



Then I got Laredo and took him inside.  I lunged him for a few minutes, and honestly Iwas not impressed.  He behaved bad, but I then had to remember he has been out to pasture for a year.  In the end, he did some very interesting trotting, with his tail up like an arabian, all stretched out like some sort of walking horse.  Pretty funny!



Then, It was time to wash him off, with lots (a whole bottle) of soap.  The black was pouring down his body in waves.  I wanted to check him for cuts, rot and anything else I should know about before I ride him, buy him, or give him back.  I found a few cuts, and some bite marks, but nothing bad. 

After my friend and I worked on lathering him up for almost an hour, we were done and he was sparkly clean!  All beatuiful and tri-colored! He has spots I didn't know exhisted!

What a weekend!

It all started when a friend came out to the barn to help me with my TB.  She rode for a bit and then I jumped on him (naughty i know..) brace and all.  We did great... for about three cirles, then I asked him to lope.  He did.  check.  Then He stopped, so i  urged him on ane he went straight up.  Now normally, I would just lean iN, squeeze hard and ride it out... NOPE!  That dang brace kept my from using my left thigh to squeeze in, so instead, after a failed attempt, I just slid right off his back onto my bum.  I rolled and covered my face, anticipating the kick... but it never came  That stupid horse just stood there with his ears back waiting for me.  So I got up, dusted off, remounted and rode him again.  I win.  I always win. 

Then we went out and rode my friends horses.  Then we roped.  Then we went out and looked at (and rode) a big gorgous paint QH gelding I am looking at buyin.  He rocked my socks.  I really want him. 

Anyway, the sun was in and out, the hail came and went, but it was a good weekend. (Minus the butt bounce)

Chicks, Horses, and Sunshine!

My little chicks are growing up.  Every morning I feed them and fill their little water trough and they run up to me and peck at the food and fluff their yellow feathers.  They are soo  cute!  And the best part is, our Jack Russel Terrier stays home now, running in circles around the coop barking.  I won't ever have to worry about him running away again! 

I am also going to be leasing a horse for a few months to do some western stuff, ride in clinics, do some drill team stuff and generally enjoy the spring and summer.  He is dead broke so I can ride him, and not worry abut my knee. 

My thoroughbred is doing FANTASTIC.  He is doing wonders on the long lines.  He tucks his head into a beautiful arch and is learning to propel forward from the rear, instead of pull the rear behind himself.  He is loping better, not throwing his head and body all over, and learning to round himself.  I can't wait to ride him, and feel the difference in the saddle.

Speaking of saddles...

I need a new one.  Anyone have an old jumping saddle they don't need???

A dominance thing...

So, there I was walking out to the paddock, having fed and watered the other horses, getting ready to wrap it up and go shower for work... when WHAM!
The Thethoroughbred sprinted at me, no her CHARGED at me, head flying, mud splattering, hair in all directions, coming straight at me.  So I dropped the bucket, stood up as tall as I could, flung the lead rope around in the air and screamed at him.  He dugg in, slid up to me, threw his head, bobbed his body and snorted.  I kicked at him, jumped up and down, yelled...
So he spun and kicked back.  So I ran towards him yelling, throwing the rope at him, pushing him away.  So he turned and reared up at me.

Ok, let me put this in perspective.  He is 17 hands, at the whithers.  At the head, when he is excited, he is prbably easily 2 feet taller still.  When he REARS... good gravey he is a monster!  I was looking up at him, his hooves pawing the air, I could see the veins popping in his arm pits.  So what do I do?  I scream, "Im not afraid of you, you bully!" And I take the lead rope and whack him on the belly.

He flew off the handle.  He slammed down to the mud, charged again, caught me off guard and I had to step backwards... I stepped but my boot didnt, so I was knee deep in crap and mud.  So I grabbed the bucket and threw it at him, forgot the boot and screamed at him flinging the lead rope, kicking, flailing anything I could do.  So he took off running... straight for the gate.

I forgot to mention that my dog was waiting paiteintly for me at the gate, and when he saw that monstor of a horse coming at him, he tried to high tail it out of there.  So I yelled at him, "Ivan, stay.  Flush 'em out!"  So Ivan crouched down and started to growl, which put the breaks on the dumb horse. 

Finally, the horse realized I was the boss, and I wasn't going to back down, so he stopped running, stopped charging, and just stood there.  For good measure, I ran at him and chased him to the other end of the paddock.  When he was all calm, I let him come to me, and that was that. 

I win, you big jerk.

Sweet Sweet Success!

April 10th 2011 was a very succesfull Trail Clinic and Raffle.  We have decided it will be the FIRST ANNUAL Benefit clinic, so gear up for next year!  Everyone walked away with awsome raffle prizes, and we had a total of 9 rider and horse teams, which was perfect for the first clinic.  We all got our feet wet! Our clinician was awsome...  He dd two sessions and did a fantastic job.  I hope you all enjoy a few of the photos taken yesterday!  Oh I almost forgot... we raised a grand total of $436!!!

Please get in the trailer!

So all morning, I tried to get the dumb horse in the dumb trailer.  He would not.  And then he tried this new rearing stunt.  So finally after two hours, I got him up to the trailer door, so we stopped and took a break.  A few hours later, a friend of mine came to the barn and loaded his horse in and out wiht my stupid horse watching.  Then it was our turn.  Straight to the door, head in, and then stop. 
grrrrrr
so we put the mare in the trailer, shut her in, and THEN tried to load my horse.  still nothing.  And then the action started.   The mare peed all over the trailer wall, and was most certainly in heat.  My horse was flipping his lips inside out sniffing at her, craning his neck... she got nervous and started to rock in the trailer, so i had to get my horse out of the way...
and then...
we got the mare away from my horse, cuz he still thinks he is a stallion.  I got a bucket of grain, and with a little coaxing (and some lovely smelling mare pee) i got him to put one hoof in the trailer.  VICTORY!
at least for today!  jeesh!

Spring is finally here!

Ok, so I went shopping the other day (don't laugh) and spent too much money at Victoria Secret.  Before you go off and wonder about what the heck I bought, I'll just clear the air and say I bought some t-shirts and some sparkly eye liner.  Yes, glitter.  I know, I know, glitter.  But seriously, this stuff is awsome!  So there I was all day yesterday sporting my glitter, feeling hot (yeah, hot) when I realized, "Dang, I feel good!  Winter must be OVER!"

AND IT IS!

The birds are out!  The horses are naked!  The mud is going away, and I am walking around with no pain!  Aw man life is good! 

I am also arranging to bring another horse out to ride while I'm recvering.  I can't ride my thoroughbred, he is too green, and if he throws me (which he hasn't but he has sure tried!)  It could be the end of my recovery and I'd be at square one again.  So I have a horse lined up to be on loan, so to say.  A twenty something gelding who has been there and done that so much that he would just let me sit on him, get square, build muscle, and get stronger.  $100 a month to pasture him, plus food (and there in lies the issue).  Dang job that pays crap!  If I can scrounge up the cash, Im going to do it.  We shall see.  I also just got a bill from the hospital which made me want to choke on my orange juice, so it might just be wishfull thinking.

On the Lunge Line

I can't ride, and I can't run. So what does that leave? A lunge line, a crupper, and a Pessoa system. YAY! Sorry horsey... time to get your butt kicked, and build some serous muscle! The good news is, I'm way smarter than everyone thinks, so I don't have to buy a $300 pessoa system to work topline. Instead, I'll rig one up with some soft rope and a cinch cover. I have a crupper on loan, and I just bought a sircinlge for $5 at the Canby tack sale. So bring it!


On the bad side, I can't run, so if my horsey decides to flip out and misbehave, I'm gunna just have to drop the lines - which will teach him to misbehave and be rewarded. So here goes nothing. Any one want to come ride my horse to keep him in shape for me??

Life is good when you can walk...

Finally I am able to go to the barn and do chores by myself!  Will is doing super now that he is getting some more attention.  He came up a little lame today, so I think it's time to put on some corrective shoes.  He was a super sweet baby this morning, playing with a jolly ball and giving hugs.  It feels good to feel human and walk on two legs!

Getting there....

Last night I went to feed my horse, and I could not help but ditch my crutches and lunge him for a while.  He was so excited he was dancing in circles on the line with a beautiful extended trot, his nostrils flaring.  He was so excited to get attention.  And it felt wonderful.  I just stood in the center and he did his thing around me.  No pulling, no kicking, no bucking.  It was almost as if he knew I was fragil, and I was risking something important to let him run and work.  He was so gentle, and afte I was done lunging him, he came to me and put his head in my chest and breathed deep.  Then he let me brush him and pick his feet and all the while he was quiet and content.  What a good boy.  And it made me feel alive again.

A fabulous and beautiful poem:

Sorry everyone, it's in Spanish and the translation doesn't do it justice.  It is an adaptation of  “First They came” by Pastor Martin Niemoller. It is depressing, but it is fantastic, and it proves how I feel about social justice, and brave people standing up for what is right.

Una adaptación de “First They came” de Pastor Martin Niemoller

Primero vinieron por los judíos,

Los llevaron a destruir.  

Me gritan, me suplican que los ayude,

Pero yo me quedo callado.

Luego vinieron por los cristianos,

Los llevaron a destruir.

Me gritan, me suplican que los ayude,

Pero yo me quedo callado.

Entonces vinieron por los fetos,

Los llevaron a destruir.

Me gritan, me suplican sin palabras,

Pero yo me quedo callado.

Por fin vinieron por me,

Me llevaron a destruir.

Les grito, les suplico que me ayuden,

Pero no hay nadie quien me puede oír.

********************************

First they came for the Jews,
they took them to destroy them.
They scream and beg me to help them,
but I stay queit.

Then, they came for the Christians,
they took them to destroy them.
They scream and beg me to help them,
but I stay quiet.

Next they came for the unborn,
they took them to destroy them.
They scream and beg me without words,
but I stay quiet.

Finally they came for me.
They took me to destroy me.
I scream and beg someone to help me,
but there is no one left to hear me.

Sad face

I miss my horse.  I miss the barn.  I miss the outside.  I miss walking.  I miss my knee before the accident.  Sad day.

But life goes on, right?  It's hard not to get depressed, not to miss things, not to wish I were somewhere else, with something else, doing something else.  This morning I went to the barn to try to do some chores.  I was able to pick my horse's feet, and then he was so happy to see me he just put his head into my chest and rubbed.  He can be so sweet.  I wish I could throw these crutches away, throw away this brace, and saddle up.  I wish I could wear a pretty dress and heels, and have no pain.  I wish I could run outside in the rain and jump over pot holes and find my way to the back of the fields.  I wish I could squat down to pet the dog, lift onto my toes to reach the pretty clothes in my closet, and wear cowgirl boots again.  My brace goes half way down my calf, so boots are a no go.  I wish I could do something to keep me from going crazy. 

Im pretty much living by the motto "Short term pain, Long term gain."  Hopefully that is true.

Back at the barn - On crutches

Its 9 days post op.  My knee hurts like a b...  and I went to the barn last night to see my boy.  He was real excited to see me.  At first he was afraid of my crutches and was smelling my knee for a long time.  He would smell, then look around for the big bad wolf that crippled me.  Then he got friendly and stated nibbling my watch band, grabbing it first with his lips, then with his teeth ever so lightly, and pulling back really slow... I was laughing so hard I couldn't even be mad at him!  He put his head into my chest and hugged for a long time.  Poor baby, I bet he is bored out of his mind!  Too bad it will be 6 months without ridng him!  I hope I don't snap and go stir crazy by then!  And we will have to start all over probably, with the whole kick - buck - refuse at the trot again.  *sigh*  :( 

So a Cruper teaches you how to buck eh?

The horse that only bucked like a little rocking horse, back and forth, like a little ship on the ocean, has learned how to buck for real.  I put a super cruper on him to get him to loosen up his back end, and what do I get?  I nast horse that tries to bronc me right out of the arena!  Oh yeah, he was nasty!  Cow kick, hop curl... BUCK!  Nothing like he used to do... no, I don't know where it came from!  I didn't know he had it in him!  Lucky for me, I have velcro on my butt, so I stayed right in the saddle.   And I eventually won the fight, and he finished his ride off real nice like :)  Still having the cut in problem when I go to the left.  The bad knee just cant support his girth and push him out.  :(

Getting there...

Well, on a happy note, my niece was born last night at 8:30 PM, Ireland Pauline, at 7 lbs, 3 oz.  So thank God for a quick and safe delivery!  Time to start brainwashing her to be a horse loving cowgirl!  Time to get a pony for her big sister (who is turning 2 on the 3rd of March!)  :) 

I rode last night, and had to put Will on a lunge line.  My knee was hurting bad, so he kept sucking into the circle, I couldn't hold him out with my bad leg... but he did well after a while.  He is such a butt head sometimes, pulling his head around, and won't stay in center. 

As for our big fundraiser on the 10th of April, KUPL donated some awsome stuff!  Thanks KUPL!  5 CD's, Sees chocolate gift certificate, Movie passes, stickers!  So far we have a childs rocking horse and some horsey supplies... The raffle is nowhere near ready yet, so any and all help would be really appreciated!  We still need a grand prize!  Some of the bigger stores we asked for help are letting us down, which is a total bummer.  :(  But little by little we will get there, I hope. 

17 days until my surgery, and 6 months and 17 days before recovery.  Lets see, that puts me at September1st?  Right before my birthday! 

Update Money Problems

So an update on the money problem, Silverton Hospital just whamed me with a $1450 emergency room bill that my insurance is refusing to pay out on, and the starter and clutch are going out in my 4Runner, so I can't even sell the stupid thing for deductible cash. Crappy crap. What else could frickin go wrong?

The first Lope!!

Ok everyone... after all the debbie downer stories, its time for a great one!  Tonight I was asking my boy to trot up, and thenI gave him the cantor cue and he slipped right into a wonderful balanced lope!  Throughout the night he gave me several more circles all wonderful! YAY!

Giving the big boy to... Mom?????

Ok, so in anticipation of the future lay up, I have been trying to show my mom how to go about doing the daily chorse, so she can help out... The only problem??  Im not patient enough, and she has no foundation.  The result?  Disaster.  Ok, this is going to be a rant I guess.  As much as I THANK GOD that my mom is there to help, and she loves my horse, and loves to be needed, it is going to be SOOOO hard to give over the lead rope the day of my surgery.  Here is why...

1.  THAT IS MY BABY ON THE OTHER END OF THE ROPE! (please treat him kindly.  Iron fist, velvet glove... you know?)

2.   If you get hurt mom, Im gonna feel SOO bad! (Please be careful.  that beast weighs like 1200 lbs! He does not care about your feelings.  He only cares about flight or food.  not much fight in him, but maybe some "Im in charge". So watch out!  ANTICIPATE)

3.  Seriously? Thats not safe. (No, it is not safe to get distracted, turn tight circles, stop what you are doing to pick something up or tidy up... you get the idea)

4.  How could you not have even seen that one coming?  He was projecting that for like 3 whole seconds... (I mean seriously, he was looking over there -----> and was pinning his ears, and was pulling, and being his rude self...)

So how the heck am I going to get my mom to safely take him in and out of the barn, feed him, not get shocked on hotwire, and still like it when the month is over?  Oh geez... this is a tough one.  Any ideas? lol

Money Problems

As most of you know, I have an ACL reconstruction surgery scheduled for March 1st.  There are several goods and bads that are going to come with this surgery, but mainly this is the list:

Goods:
1.  I will finally have a stable knee!

Bads:
1.   6 months with no riding.
2.   Terrible Pain
3.   Problems taking care of / training my horse
4.  Money matters

The 6 months no riding will be hard, but duable.  I'll be in too much pain for the first few moonths to even think about it.  The taking care of my horse is manageable... friends and family will come around.  But the money... BIG PROBLEM!  My deductible is $2,000, and then after that I pay 20%, up to a max of $2,000 more.  And that doesn't include physical therapy.  I know, your probably thinking, its only $4000, right?  FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS!  I'm pretty much freaking out because I owe on my student loans (way more than 4000) and I owe for the tires I had to by a few months back, and now this.  And to top it all off, I still have not gotten a raise.  7 months at the same office, and not even a 10 cent raise.  Cheap company.  Sooo... If anyone knows of a good fund raising idea... let me know!  I'm pretty desperate at this point, and getting ready to clean up the 4Runner to sell it and pay the up front deductible.  :(  sad day.

Great Rides!

The last few days have been very productive.  Even though my knee surgery is looming, Will and I have had some triumphant rides.  He now consistently stays at the trot, and only on occasion pins the ears and hops or bucks lol.   Last night we rode the whole arena, big figure 8's, and then went to the Big Circle, Little Circle exercise.  After that, we went back to figur 8's and did a stop and go excercise to keep him from stopping all on the forehand.  He did exellent! 

After the good rides he is so funny!  He gets all lovey dovey and docile, as if he were saying, "Didnt I do good mom?  Im such a good boy, huh?" 

Fakity Faker!

So the vet finally came out to check on the lame horse.  As I got him ready for the exam, the vet asked me to take off his boots and trot him for a bit.  No lameness was present, so I continued to trot him, then cantor him in both directions for close on to half an hour.  The answer?  The fakity faker Thoroughbred was FAKING!

Turns out he may have injured himself a few weeks ago, and has been worried that he would feel pain, when in truth, the pain was gone, or he learned that if he limped, he would get to stop working.

So I saddled him up and rode him for a solid hour.  He argued many many times, but I won every time, and by the end of the lesson, we were trotting in big figure 8's the whole length of the arena!  Win for me!

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA

This really sums it up.  All the horse is doing is yawning a big one!  And look at that kids face!!!!!  It is HILARIOUS!  That poor kid probably grew up in some big suberban house and played soccer bunch ball and only goes to the "country" for a pic-nick twice a year.  Can't you just see it!  "look mommy! A pony!  OH MY GOD!!!!!! AAAAAAAH A PONY!!!!" - as he screams and wonders when the heck he is gonna get back into the city to eat Tofu and get back on his skate board complete with helmet, wrist, knee and elbow pads.  LOVE it?  Oh yeah!  Cowgirl UP!

Somethings are better bitter...

You know when you are expecting everything to be perfect, and WHAM... it hits you and it sucks?  And its bitter, and terrible... like when your horse comes up lame, and you have to spend tons of time wondering what the heck is wrong, and soaking his hoof, and worrying... and then on top of everything he eats plastic so you are on poop patrol... you know??

Well...

I have decided that some things are just better that way.  Better bitter.  And this is why:
I went to feed my boy last night, and besides the freezing cold, and the stupd duct tape boot he has on, I was really looking forward to just seeing him and his big kind eyes.  I opened the stall door, and he swung his head around and just plopped it into my chest.  I just held on to his big head and scratched his ears and loved him up... yeah, it sucks that he is on stall rest, and he can't go outside to play, but he has gotten really very sweet... so the bitter is better, it kind of turns sweet.

My COWGIRLS!

I gave my niece a pair of cowgirl kickers- those cowgirl boot slippers that are all fuzzy and warm... Her first pair of anything remotely resembling cowboy boots.  And bright pink to go with it!
I gave them to her kind of late at night, and she was all tucked in her moms arms, trying to fall asleep, holding 4 binkeys and a blanket.  I left them with her mom, only after enthusiastically saying "Look!  Cowgirl boots!!!!"

Later in the evening, I got a voice mail from her mom.  "You will never believe what she did!  She put the slippers on and said, 'Oh my cowgirls!  YeeHaw!!!  Ride Horsey??' And ran to get her horse-on-a-stick!"

See?  I am the coolest Aunt in the WORLD!  Im the cowgirl aunt!  Bring it on world!  Im gonna make little cowgirls out of all my nieces!

Lame :( But Trailer is coming along!

A few days after christmas, my horse was working on long lines and he started limping on his left front.  So we immediatly stopped working, and I cleaned out his foot and soaked it.  No apparent Abscess though.  So we called out a farrier - still nothing (only a possible one, but we arn't sure).  So my little brave boy is going to be in stall rest for a while.  I am suspecting a sprain from running outside in mud... but it could be worse, like a navicular bone problem... we will have to wait and see, and if he doesn't get better... off to the vet we go. 

Which brings me to my second point... The TRAILER!  It is coming along!  Not long now before it will be ready to use and I'll be able to trainer my boy to the vet and not have to pay the 50$ farm call cost!