Your Questions Answered!

 

Many of you have asked me questions in the comments section, so I’ve decided to just answer all your questions in a post:

1)Jocelyn and Fern Valley wanted to know if the extra horse hanging out with Apache is Rosie:

No. Rosie is part owned by my friend Loeta and her daughter, and leased by Colleen to use as a lesson and trail horse for her riding company. So, unfortunately Rosie’s not available to borrow, buy or adopt. (Yes. I already asked. lol!)

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2)Shirley, Breathe, Flartus, and Jane, wanted to know who Bella is, why she’s here, and if we have bought her:

Bella is one of the recently adoptable horses from Walkin’ in Circles Horse Rescue. Her previous owners were boarding Bella at Walkin’ in Circles until one day they just stopped paying her board. The folks at the horse rescue tried over and over to contact them for many months to work something out, but Bella’s owners never returned calls or replied to letters or notices. So after a year, and subsequent legal proceedings, Bella became the property of Walkin’ in Circles.

Bella says, “I’m not a property. I’m a horse. Simple as that. And I want to live here with you, please?”

Colleen brought Bella here to be Apache’s pasture pal and to see if Bella is a good match for our family to adopt.

I’ve seen Bella ridden by a number of different riders out on the trails at Cedar Hill Farm, as well as up in the Carson National Forest during my recent horse camping trip, and also by a 10 yr old boy, during the June ACTHA CTR, who had never ridden a horse before. Bella took excellent care of her young rider the entire day and gave him a huge helping of self-confidence, too. 

Bella is one of those special Steady-Eddie horses, and we believe she’ll be a wonderful addition to our family, for our kids to ride as well as for Ranchman John. Bella’s got a goofy, friendly personality and gets along great with Apache, too.

So, you’ll be seeing a lot of Bella around the Laughing Orca Ranch from now on. We’re excited to be in the process of adopting Miss Bella Boo.

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3)Blue Eyed Tango asked about the brand of fly masks I have on Apache and Bella and if they are brand new:

They are both the Defender Brand. I bought them last summer for $8.00 each from Horse.com. They fit great, are simple to put on, are a fair price, and wash well, too. That’s probably why they look brand new.

I wash them every few days and when they get dirty. Both Apache and Bella seem to like wearing them, too. Bella, in fact, when she sees me with the fly masks will try to put hers on by herself, by sticking her head and nose into the mask. I think the girls must realize the benefits of wearing a fly mask, because they seem much calmer and less annoyed by flies on their face when they’ve got them on. And I sure like not seeing all those nasty flies gathered in and around their poor eyes.

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4)Kate asked why our flies seem to like hanging out in the barn, instead of outside:

My thought is that they like the protection from our summer breezes and the moisture that’s available inside the barn. It’s so dry here that even the manure dries out and returns back to the earth within a few days. I don’t think we have enough flies to provide adequate food for fly predators. I’m grateful that we don’t have very many biting flies, but even one or two biting pests can be painfully annoying.

 

By the way, what color would you say Bella is?

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5) Dunappy asked if I was planning to ride in the August Santa Fe ACTHA CTR:

I’m working on those plans right now. We’re hoping to get a group of us together from the horse rescue and head up there. If Apache is sound and feeling good, I’ll be there for sure. Are you making plans to go, too?

By the way, what color/pattern would you consider Apache?

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6)Sandy liked my blog music and asked how I put music on here:

I used a playlist, which is easy to pick out music for and then copy and paste the html to add to your blog as a ‘gadget’. Scroll down to the bottom of my blog and find the playlist, just click on it to visit the website and go from there. Sandy also asked if the first music was by ABBA. No, that’s Enya. She also asked about the second song. Yes, that’s from Dances with Wolves, by Enya, too. I’m glad you enjoyed my music selections, Sandy.

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7)Finally, Jane, Shirley, Clairz, and Flartus knew just the right thing to say to me to make me smile while noticing how healthy and beautiful Apache is looking these days:

And there’s a good reason for that I believe. Besides the normal exercise she gets climbing up and down the steep hills in her paddocks, along with the riding we’ve been doing, she’s been on a healthy, nurturing diet since she came to live here. Besides being fed straight grass hay three times a day, she also receives a cup and a half of specially formulated grain twice a day when she’s working, and once a day when she’s not.

For anyone who may be interested, the custom-blended grain mixture was scientifically formulated through Ranchway Feed by and for the horses at Walkin n Circles Horse Rescue, and in fact is called Rescue Mix. As far as I know it’s only available at one local feed store here in our mountains, called The Hitch N’ Post.

Here are the ingredients in the order listed :

Alfalfa Pellet

Corn, Crushed

Milo, Rolled

Oats, Rolled

Barley, Rolled

Flaxseed

Wheat Bran

Beet Pulp Shreds

There is no added sugar or molasses and it’s not a sweet feed. The protein is 13%, fiber is 15%, and fat is 5%. Because of all the dry ingredients and the beet pulp shreds, I have to add water to the mixture to create a mash. It does wonders to bring rescued horses back to good health and to also maintain weight for senior and higher metabolism/high maintenance equines, too.

Apache loves it and I do believe it’s made a huge difference in the quality, texture and appearance of her coat/mane/tail, as well as the vibrancy of her eyes, the quality of her hooves, and the development and strength of her muscles.

When I first bought Apache I was worried about her coat because it felt strangely dry, rough and wiry. Now, her coat is soft, silky and lays smooth. I just love to stroke her all over now.

This is a photo of Apache right after we picked her up from her previous home on Feb 19 and brought her over to my friend Colleen’s ranch.

And this is a photo of Apache taken a few weeks ago, while I was reaching in my horn bag for a horse cookie.

 

She does look pretty good, eh? Thanks for noticing and commenting on her appearance, my blog friends. It makes me feel great knowing that my Apache girl is doing well under my care.

Oh! And in answer to all of you who asked how Apache is doing after her injury two weeks ago while riding in the Carson National Forest, by all accounts she’s doing much better. I’ve watched her trot, canter and even gallop with a little joyful buck, without any lameness, but sometimes when she walks, she still seems just a little off, so I want to give her a little more time to heal and regain her strength before I ride her again. Better safe than sorry when it comes to horse injuries.    

    

Wordless Wednesday ~ Equines in Disguise

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Then and Now

 

 

Feeling Better

 

This post isn’t really about me, but yes, I’m feeling better, too. The knee is still swollen and weak and I’m still wearing my brace, but I can walk short distances without my crutch now. Thanks for all the well wishes. You all are awesome!

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So today, Apache had her vet visit and floating appointment. Everything went well and she did great. Even when she knew something was up, she was easily calmed. She’s such a good girl.

Ranchman John drove me up to the barn, but after the vet arrived, we remembered we had no electricity up there due to a gopher chewing the lines, so we had to head back down to the house for the vet visit because the Power Float requires an electric outlet.

I had forgotten that several chickens, two roosters and a hen had gotten out when I went in to feed them this morning. I was able to get the hen back into the coop, but the roosters were enjoying their freedom too much and I didn’t think it was a big deal for them to be out so I left them to their own devices.

But the coop is beside the house, so we had to deal with flapping, squawking roosters blasting out of the bushes, at least until the Power Float turned on, because the sound scared the roosters away.

Apache was so good and only startled in place anyway. Even with all the wind smacking the plastic feed bags that I zip-tied to the chicken coop wire to protect the chickens from some of the wind, Apache didn’t get her panties in a bunch. She was a very good girl with all the new sights, smells and sounds.

And she was very patient, too. Her Float took more than 30 minutes because her mouth was such a mess. In comparison, Baby Doll’s dental floats never took longer than 10 mins because they were just simple maintenance. Poor Apache she had just about everything going on with her ouchie teeth.

Apache had:

                               Ramps

   

 

                              Waves

                            Trans Ridges

                           Enamel Points

                   

                          Caudal (rear) Hooks

                          Rostral (frontal) Hooks

My vet, who is also a licensed Performance Equine Dentist invited me to reach in and feel all these abnormalities and I was surprised at how sharp and uncomfortable they felt to my hand……I could not even imagine having all that discomfort in my mouth for years, like poor Apache had to endure.

I could feel the rear hook, and it was very sharp, but it was the frontal hook that I could see as well as touch, and I was floored. That frontal hook had even caused a small ulcer in her mouth, which had toughened up with scar tissue.

Check out that frontal hook jutting down in the upper right side of this picture!

 

My vet told me that monstrosity could have easily caused Apache to rear when her previous owner bitted her in the single-jointed Tom Thumb and used force on her mouth to get her to cooperate. I think I would have reared to the moon to get away from that kind of pain myself.

Apache doesn’t have canine or wolf teeth, but this diagram shows the pressure that would have pushed against her sensitive teeth and that frontal hook by a harsh bit and rider.

 

Here’s a diagram of the frontal hook. Can you imagine what a metal bit hitting that might feel like?

 

And then try to imagine what Apache must have felt like when her previous owner ignored her display of pain and just slapped a tie-down on her instead and still rode her in the same bit in the same harsh way, except now using a crop, too.

I swear….I just don’t get people sometimes. I really truly don’t.

This is the only ‘After’ photo that turned out because my camera refused to focus. But it shows the points smoothed out and that horrible frontal hook significantly diminished.

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I’m really looking forward to trying the Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle on her. I can only imagine how much she will appreciate it. She’ll probably be confused at first because of what she’s been used to for so long, but I think she deserves a break. She’s already shown me that she will move off seat and legs alone, and the more Jax and I rode her the less she needed any kicking to make her move forward. Our last ride, just a squeeze and she went. Maybe it’s too soon to think about, but I hope she appreciates all these new changes and becomes a true willing partner for me and my family. She has such a big heart and deserves a good life.

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So after the teeth floating, my vet pulled a Coggins for me to not only check Apache’s health, but to prepare for the upcoming ACTHA CTC Trail Ride I am registered to ride in with Apache (!!!!whooohooo!!!!!!).

The vet seemed surprised when I presented him with a fresh sample of Apache’s poo so he could do a fecal exam. This way he can tell me, what type, if any, worms or pests might be infecting her system. Once I know what she might have, I can deal with the specific pests without creating resistance from blindly deworming. I’m also interested in using diatomaceous earth as a natural dewormer, as several other horse owners I know have had great success with it. (Thanks Dan & Betty!)

After turning poor Apache into an equine pin-cushion giving her all of her vaccinations: rhino virus, strangles, influenza, rabies, West Nile, Tetanus, and Encephalomyelitis, my vet presented me with the bill for his services and I had my own pin cushion moment…………with my bank account now $436.61 lighter. (eeek!)

But it’s all worth it if Apache feels 100% better.

Horse Kisses or Trouble?

 

As you all know, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time throughout the day just hanging out with Apache so we can get to know each other better. I’m really enjoying this time with her and I think she is, too.

Apache likes to be near me and is more of a ‘touchy-feely’, in-your-pocket horse than what I’m used to. She will follow me around at liberty, lean her forehead against me gently, softly nuzzle my face with her muzzle, blow and breathe gently into my face as I breathe, place her head in my hands, seek me out to scratch her nose cheeks and muzzle and give her smooches………and she will lick me.

Here is a video of her licking me.

The licking part is what concerns me. She will try to lick my face, hands, pants, jacket, hair, everything. She mostly just licks the air, though.

When looking up reasons why horse lick people and what to do, I discovered a Message Board Thread discussing this issue, but there were no definitive answers.

One thought was that a horse must be licking to get the sweat for the salt it is lacking in it’s diet. Apache has a loose salt and mineral mix available to her, so I don’t think she’s licking because of a lack of salt or minerals. Plus she’s not trying to lick just my skin. She’s licking my pants, hat, hair and jacket, too.

Several people on that thread said that licking has nothing to do with being affectionate, but another person said “Well - I sure never saw a horse lick anybody they didn't like.”  And yet another person said that licking always leads to biting. 

Apache typically only tries to lick me when she is very relaxed and sleepy. And she is always quite gentle with her licking, so far, and she seems very cautious about it. For instance, if I tell her to stop and firmly say ‘No!’, and point my finger at her, she will stop and back up and have a worried look in her eyes. And then she will slowly come forward again, licking the air and tentatively reaching her tongue towards me again.

Another video of Apache trying to lick me.

If I give her a firm poke on her face, she will finally give up and completely stop licking me.

Because she has nipped my arm once already, last week when I was at Colleen’s taking her for a walk, I am concerned that the licking could turn into biting. I know that last week’s nip didn’t begin with licking, though, and was more a nip to let me know she didn’t think we should walk as far as we were heading.

But even though this licking seems to be more affectionate than aggressive, I don’t want it to lead into pushy or dominate behavior either. But I also don’t want to put up a wall in our relationship if her licking really is just innocent affection. She’s not tried to lick anyone else, like Ranchman John or Jenna, but they haven’t spent as much time with Apache as I have either.

So, should I ‘nip’ (pun intended) the licking in the bud?

 

Here are a some links to You Tube videos showing horses that lick their humans.

Horse licks girl

Horse licks lady's face

Horse kisses and nuzzling

Affectionate Horse and Girl

Horse licks Pig

 

Do you have, or have had, a horse that licks you, too?

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Oh! And before I forget, Apache is officially completely mine now. As of today, she has been paid for and her old tack (loaned from her previous owner, but never used) has been returned.

 

That old halter was muddy because she wore it 24/7 out in the pasture she was kept in. Apparently she was difficult to catch. So far, I’ve not had that problem here with her. She comes to the gate when she sees us and when we call her name. And I don’t believe in keeping a horse haltered when loose in a pasture and not supervised. She might get hooked on tree branches or t-posts and could get hurt.

Her owner warned me again today to always keep a tie-down on Apache because of the one time she reared with her. Colleen, nor I, ever used it on Apache during our rides, and Apache never once showed us any inclination that she might rear. We also used a different bit, the kind with the ‘dog bone’ or what English riders call a French-link bit. Apache has been nothing but soft and willing wearing that bit, and she also has shown me that she can be neck-reined and will also be directed using my legs and seat alone. So, I don’t have any plans to use a tie-down on her, just because of one incident with her previous owner. I would also like to see how Apache does wearing Baby Doll’s Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle. Oh. And Apache has an appointment to get her teeth floated next week, so I do believe that will also make a huge difference in her comfort level, too.

(Photo from last week, but not previously posted. I just liked this moment of calm and relaxation between Apache and I. I also like how that splash of white on her shoulder resembles a heart on a string.)

 

So, it’s official now. A new beginning for both Apache and for me.

She’s Home and She has a New Name!

 

Sorry for teasing everyone in my last post with the ‘cliffhanger’. But yes, Apache, the horse formerly known as ‘Sugar’,  has passed every test and she’s now home….....at the Laughing Orca Ranch!!!!! Whooohooo!

I know that I’ve been very guarded and cautious this time around. But I almost caved completely when Jenna fell in love and felt safe with Apache. Apache takes such gentle care of my kids and she scored big there. In hindsight, I should have had my kids ride Baby Doll before I bought her, too.

I still love and miss Baby Doll. She was like my first love as my first horse. But I feel sort of  like I wasted 2 years of my life…….and went through way too much pain and suffering with her.  I think it’s best if I just rack it up as a learning experience and realize that if I hadn't went through what I did with Baby Doll, and had bought Apache as my first horse instead, I might not have appreciated a horse as special as Apache.

And I do believe that everyone is happy that Apache has found a new home here with my family. My friend, Colleen was very patient with me, but I'm sure she wanted to hit me over the head and tell me to just hurry up and buy this mare. In fact, she said that if I didn't, then she would! 

I didn’t want to say too much earlier because I was still in negotiations with the owner and trying to set up a meeting time/place. The owner has a very busy schedule but it looks like we’ll finally be meeting up on Friday and then Apache will officially be mine!

 

I’ve had Apache vet checked, had her treated by the chiro, and Colleen’s farrier trimmed her feet last Thursday. But she still needs her teeth floated, her shots done, and a coggins pulled. The owner said she never had Apache seen by a vet and just focused on her feet because they were so long. She is asking $1000 for her, so I offered $900, which is what I sold Baby Doll for. But the owner countered back that she'll accept $950. Oh well, I'll take it! It’s crazy to think about, but for the money I originally paid for Baby Doll, I could have bought THREE and a Half  'Apache' horses!

 

Maybe it’s too soon to tell yet, but I have a feeling that Apache is going to be one of those 'worth her weight in gold' type of horses anyway.

As for the new name, the moment I met Apache, that's the name that was in my head. It's as if she put it there. I never gave it any thought at all. Apache has never really been 'Sugar' anyway. Her owner said she thought that's what the previous owners called her, but she didn’t really use a name for her at all.

What do you all think of animals ‘giving’ you their names?  Or that a name just seems to be a good fit and an animal seems to like it and approve of the name. Apache already comes to me when I call out to her " 'Patchy Girl"!

It’s a good thing I was able to ride both Saturday and Sunday so I could finally decide if Apache would be a good match for me, because Sunday night it started to snow and left behind about 2-3” on the ground. Poor Apache. What a sad welcome that was. The snow isn’t so bad, but the winds have been horrible, and the only shelter I have for her right now is one large tree to stand beneath and a large grove of trees that serves as a useful windbreak.

Our llamas, goats and sheep are in the other stall in the barn, and Apache is still unsure about them. I wouldn’t force her to spend the night in the barn next to creatures that seem so foreign to her when she already has so many new sights and smells in her environment to get used to now.

That being said, Apache is much less spooked about the llamas than Baby Doll was when she first arrived at the Laughing Orca Ranch. And in fact, it took Baby Doll several months before she would even get within 40 feet of them.   Apache, on the other hand just eyes them with suspicion, especially Catlinite, the male guard llama, because he has a very rude habit of staring very aggressively at new creatures. He did the same thing with Val’s horses, when we first brought him home. He would even charge at them from across the fenceline. After a while, Val’s horses figured out his bluff and would charge right back at him, and with his bubble burst, he finally gave up pretending to be Mr. Llama Drama Tough Guy.

But now Mr. Rudeness Drama Llama is at it again with Apache. So to give Apache some self-confidence, I haltered her and led her up to the food and water the first day after she arrived, because she was just too worried about the llamas to leave the end of the paddock closest to Val’s horses and barn.

Plus I wanted to be sure she was drinking, eating, peeing and pooping, and I stood up there with her while she ate, and did her business. And every once in a while I’d turn around and catch Catlinite staring, and yell at him to knock it off. He’d go back into the barn or turn his head, but he’d come back. The fuzzy bugger!

Yesterday (Tuesday), Apache didn’t need me to halter her because she came up to the gate when she saw me, but I still stood out in the paddock while she ate. It was much warmer, too. So, I sat out on a stump and she hung out with me, letting me pet and scratch her until she became very sleepy. And the next thing I knew, she moved away from me about 8 feet and plopped down and promptly fell asleep!!!!

Maybe some of you are used to a horse just laying down at your feet and going to sleep, but I’m not. Baby Doll was very secretive of her naptimes, and if she even saw me looking at her in the paddock, from down at the house, when she was on the ground, she’d pop right back up and give me the ‘evil eye’.  In the two years I owned her, and the countless hours I spent  just hanging out with her, she never once laid down or even rolled within 50 feet of me. Thank goodness for camera zoom. I took this one very stealthily from the house. She still caught me, though. She was up the very next second.

So, I was really kicking myself for forgetting my camera on Tuesday, but I was afraid to move for fear of ruining the moment, so I just sat on my little stump, in the sunshine and chilly wind,  for 20 minutes while Apache stretched out and slept. Toward the end of her nap, Jenna came up from the house to see what I was up to, and I thought for sure that Apache would jump right up, but Jenna quietly walked down to us and stood by me and watched as Apache looked at us sleepily, and then flopped onto her side instead. I felt so privileged that Apache would trust us enough to let her guard down, close her eyes and allow us to be with her during one of a horse’s most vulnerable moments.

I remembered to bring my camera with me today (Wednesday), though, hoping that Apache would feel relaxed enough to let me be her guard while she slept……and she did, but she fell asleep on her feet instead. I sat out there on my stump for a good 20 minutes until my feet, nose and thighs were frozen and numb, keeping a watchful eye for Apache while she slept. You can also see Val’s sweet filly Yallah sleeping behind Apache, too.

When she did finally awake, Apache walked over to me for a nuzzle and a cheek scratch, and then walked a few feet away….plopped down and rolled……and rolled….and rolled. Check out the video! I was ready. haha!

(There’s really no sound in this video, except the wind and me laughing, but if you want to, you can turn off the music, by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking the double-lined round button on my Play List)

 

So, if you’ve noticed that I’ve not been by to visit many of you, please don’t take it personal……..this is the reason why. Between my normal daily activities/chores and homeschooling schedule, I’ve been spending every spare moment sneaking up to the barn, to freeze my extremities, and bond with my new horse, Apache.

Trail Class and…….I’m in Love

 

 

When I arrived at Cedar Hill Farms this morning, I joined the group in the groom’s quarters for an informational meeting.

This is the view from the Groom’s Quarter’s Bathroom. Colleen really likes ‘Sugar’ and gave her access to two large runs.

 

Afterwards we all went outside to halter our horses and take them over to the arena. I noticed that ‘Sugar’ doesn’t move away from me now when I come towards her. She doesn’t look at me warily or with trepidation. She looks at me with calmness and curiosity. I was wondering how she’d do in the indoor arena because of the odd creakings and groanings the building has. We walked right in and I walked her all around the arena a couple times. The first time around she eyed everything very closely and did seem a little nervous, but she wasn’t jumpy, just very alert. ‘Sugar’ does very well with encouragement, touch, and with me keeping her attention on me.

There were a mix of different riders in the class. Including Colleen, there were 8 of us riding today. Most were like me, coming back to riding after injuries or trying to work through fear and self-confidence issues. One rider was coming back to riding after a hiatus of 10 years. Her 33 year old gelding just passed away last month and she hadn’t ridden any other horse but him for over 20 years. So she had some trust and self-confidence issues to work through.

We spent the first hour riding bareback inside the arena. It was my first time riding bareback on ‘Sugar’ and I didn’t know how she would do with me. So I had Colleen walk around with us for the first few minutes and then after realizing how carefully ‘Sugar’ was carrying me, I rode bareback on my own. I was very pleased with our bareback ride together.

Afterwards, we saddled up our horses and we rode in the arena for another hour. Then right before lunch we rode out of the arena for about 15 minutes, just in and around the trees. I can’t say one negative thing about ‘Sugar’ at all. She was calm, quiet, curious and even when some of the other horses were jigging and sending out high energy, she took good care of me.

(I don’t have any photos of me in the saddle because everyone was busy either riding or helping someone. I asked John, Colleen’s husband to take these arena photos for me. Thanks John!)

Then it was time for lunch, so I rode ‘Sugar’ back to the stables, unsaddled and unbridled her, walked her into her stall and pen, refilled her water and hay and gave her a hug and cheek scratches.

The day was so warm, in the upper 50’s and windless, so we all ate outside under the stable awning. It was a perfect day for a trail ride in the mountains.

So after lunch, I went in and haltered ‘Sugar’, tacked her up and then we headed over to the arena. Several riders wanted some more time to ride in the safety of the arena before heading out on the trails. My friend Renee decided to let Colleen ride her very energetic Missouri Foxtrotter, while she rode Rosie. I was very glad because she has been dealing with lack of self confidence issues surrounding her horse, very similar to the same issues I dealt with when riding my Baby Doll.

She tells me that I am her inspiration, but I hope she knows that she is mine. If it weren’t for her encouraging me to get back in the saddle and giving me a goal: Riding in the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) CTRs, I would probably still be frozen in fear and feeling depressed and hopeless about getting back in the saddle. Because of Renee, and my tenacity and perseverance, I am riding again. If you want something bad enough, you just don’t give up. Of course, it helps if you have nice people who are encouraging you, too.

Yeh. I know I look goofy. She’s just such a sweet horse. I couldn’t help but give her a hug. hee hee!

So, after a few minutes riding around the arena, we all headed out onto the trails. ‘Sugar’ was calm, careful, willing, curious, and happy to be out there. I discovered that ‘Sugar’ is fine with leading, riding in the middle,  riding in the back or even on the sides. We were in all those positions today and she took it all in stride. I also discovered that she will neck rein and will follow leg yields. I can completely lay off her mouth and just use my seat and legs softly and she goes where I ask. I love that!

(Turn the music off, by scrolling down to the bottom of this page to My Playlist and clicking the circle button with double lines.)

I also love that the more I encourage her or reward her with my voice, the more she gives. She seems very pleased to hear she’s done a good job. I brought cookies with me and I had a blast leaning over as she flexed to take them from my hand, after she gave me what I asked for. She’s just a very good girl.

While out on the trail, Colleen asked if I wanted to trot and I said yes. So I gently squeezed and upped my energy and she moved seamlessly into a nice little trot. It wasn’t as smooth as Rosie’s trot, but it was nothing like Baby Doll’s jack hammer trot, so it was fun!

This is Kathryn, the lady whose 33 year old gelding recently passed away. She’s been off horses for 10 years and used to ride dressage. She rode Sadie, one of Colleen’s horses.

Kathryn had to leave early, so 4 of us, Loetta, Renee, her husband John and I decided to ride down to the Eventing Field.

Here’s Renee riding Rosie.

It’s quite a little haul down a long gravel road, so I rode ‘Sugar’ on the side of the road and we all got sorted of scattered along the road. For a while we were actually riding by ourselves, and because of the road curving, the other riders were out of our field of sight.

‘Sugar’ called out a couple times as we rode along, but she didn’t get jiggy or try to rush forward or turn around. She did everything I asked of her.

Lynette and her pretty Arabian mare Tango.

When we got down to the Eventing Field, we rode around for a while,  and I asked ‘Sugar’ to walk down into the now dry, Water Obstacle. She didn’t want to go at first, but it didn’t take much for me to encourage her to move right down inside and walk through and up the other side. We also left the group and walked up a very steep hill and down the other side, and even when we came back around and she could see the other riders in the distance, she still stayed under my control and only did as I asked. I moved her into a trot to catch up with the other riders and we both enjoyed that, too.

Loetta and her cute gaited gelding, Profie (she’s also the part owner of Rosie, along with her daughter)

We rode back up to the barn afterwards and I untacked her, brushed her down and picked out her feet and set her up with water and hay. Then I hung out with her for a few minutes petting her. After a while, I left and came back with some apple slices. I want to work with her so she will always be easy to catch. That is one thing that I liked about Baby Doll is that she was never difficult to catch and halter. I want ‘Sugar’ to know that not every time I come to see her will I be haltering her or jumping on her back. I want her to be happy to see me, and so far it does seem to be working.

 

Well, tomorrow morning I’ll be heading back down to Cedar Hill Farm to ride on the trails again. I hope all of you are having a beautiful weekend and finding time to spend with your horses.