Plastered in New Mexico

 

(The view on the side of our house and towards our 4th garage)

We’ve been getting snow flurries over the past few days but it’s been too warm for the snow to stick. Last night it started snowing heavily and temps dropped back down into the 20’s, so we woke up to about 6” of heavy, wet snow on the ground. I actually like snow and can’t imagine living anywhere with a snowless winter. But I can live without thick, heavy, slick-ice, wet snow that plasters everything it touches.

 (Project 365 photo) 

The heavy snow coating the chicken coop’s hawk/owl netting had to be knocked off several times to keep it from weighing down the chicken wire fence and ripping the netting.

Many of you have asked if snow is typical for New Mexico. It really depends upon where you live in the Land of Enchantment. Anywhere above 7,000 ft elevation, which is where we are, is guaranteed to receive regular snowfall every winter. We can expect to have snowfalls between October and all the way into early June.

(Notice the pushpin? That’s the area we call home. We are in the Central Mountains of the Sandia and Manzano Mountain chain, about 20 minutes east of Albuquerque and an hour south of Santa Fe.)

Anywhere above 4,000 ft, which includes most of our high desert state, will receive at least a few snowfalls a year, usually only 1-6” at a time and usually melting by the next day.

The southern part of New Mexico receives much less snow and sometimes even none at all, while the northern part of our state depends upon substantial snow to fill the aquifers and to bring tourists and locals to their beautiful ski areas.

 Our mountains don’t have many deciduous tree species. The most common is the Gambel Oak, which is a rather scruffy shrub-like tree. The trees that grow up here are tough survivors, like the tall Ponderosa Pine, Pinon Pine, and the Juniper, which is the most common and is basically just an overgrown shrub that can reach heights of 20-30 feet. The heavy snow doesn’t much affect them or break their branches.

    

The plastered snow looks pretty, as long as the weather doesn’t freeze and turn the snow into a shell.

 (Project 365 photo)

The crazy thing that most people, me included, are often surprised by, are the various micro-climates in our mountains and in much of New Mexico.

Where in one area it can be snowing, just a few miles away it can be sunny and dry.

For instance, on Sunday we were in Edgewood, about 15 minutes east of our house, flying from the local airport. There was no snow, except in the shadiest gulleys.

The very next day, on Monday, I went trail riding in the snow just 15 minutes south of our house, and about 600 feet higher in elevation than here, and there was still 6-10” of snow on the ground.

(The front of our house and our peach tree)

And at our house, most of the snow was melted and creating boot sucking mud, except for in the shade of trees, where several inches of snow could still be found.

And then if we just drive 20 minutes west, through the canyon, and down into Albuquerque, the temps go up by 10-20 degrees and it’s warm enough to shed heavy coats, without a drop of snow to be seen anywhere.

New Mexico is a state where you can ski, play golf, go on a trail ride, hike and ride a bike all on the same day. It’s truly a Land of Enchantment.

(The view from our living room) 

(Project 365 photo) 

 

So, who is planning on making a trek to New Mexico this year?

  (Project 365 photo)

Be sure to plan a visit to the Laughing Orca Ranch!

A Rose by Any Other Name………………

 

Would be just as sweet as the mare I rode during the Natural Horsemanship Riding Clinic last weekend.

(My Project 365! photo)

 

This post is actually Part 3 of the Natural Horsemanship ‘series’. I just got tired of the same old title.

Rosie belongs to Colleen. She’s one of those steady-eddy type of horses. Not much rattles her and she’s very patient, quiet and calm. She’s low on the herd totem-pole, but she doesn’t seem to much care. In fact she’d prefer not to make friends with others horses, but seems to like hanging out with humans instead.

Colleen cautioned me on the first morning of the clinic that Rosie would be hard-to-catch, but I brought carrots. I also don’t walk straight up to any horses I’m not familiar with, but instead walk to the left or right of them and then pass right on by.

After I do this once or twice, and offer a carrot as I walk away from them, most horses become very curious and will walk right up to me.

Rosie and I became friends right away and I never had any issues with catching and haltering her the entire weekend.

She and I were very relaxed together and I have her to thank because of her calm, quiet nature.

 

At the beginning of the first day, we went over proper saddle fitting, bits and bridles, which I was grateful for since I hadn’t tacked up my own horse for many months. A refresher course was rather nice. Our first assignment was to ride bareback and get more familiar with our balance while moving freely with the horse. I was a little bit nervous, because this was only my second time sitting on a horse after I fell off my mare a year ago.

But Rosie was very patient with me and stood calmly while I prepared to mount, with Christine lending a hand. Christine is a friend from the horse rescue and was an assistant during the clinic.

 

Rosie is shorter than Baby Doll, but I was still glad that I remembered to bring along my 3-step mounting block. All the other riders in the clinic were also glad to have it for mounting their horses bareback, too. After a few minutes I was finally up. Christine was very nice to be there to lend a hand and to give me words of encouragement. It felt great to be back up on a horse again. (Don’t mind how fat I look, I had on many layers: a long-sleeve shirt, a turtle-necked fleece shirt, a hooded fleece jacket and my insulated denim jacket. It was freezing cold first thing in the morning, even in the arena.)

Sitting on Rosie’s broad back is like relaxing on a sofa. Very comfy! Wheeeeee!

Christine led me around for a little while until I felt comfortable to ride bareback on my own.

 

One of the things I used to love to do with Baby Doll was ride her bareback in the arena, round pen, and around our paddocks and house. But getting back up bareback again isn’t exactly like riding a bicycle, and Rosie was very patient and calmly paid attention while I figured out how everything worked once again.

 

 

But it didn’t take very long for me to feel comfortable and for Rosie and I to begin communicating with one another.

  

I really like Rosie’s height and build. She is easier to mount and dismount, is stocky, strong and very comfortable. And the ground is much closer than it is than when I rode Baby Doll. Do you think Rosie is a good size for me? Or is she too small?

   

After a morning spent riding bareback, it was time for lunch. We put the horses back into their stalls and runs. After lunch we were to halter up our horses and lead them back to the arena for saddling and more riding.

To be continued………….

Hee hee hee! And you thought I’d make you wait for more.

I got Rosie all tacked up and the instructors went over some basics on indirect and direct reining.

Then it was time to mount.

The first two times I had some help with just holding Rosie, but the next two times I was able to do it all on my own. I could live without this unattractive butt shot for sure, but I love how quiet and relaxed Rosie was.

The first time I dismounted from the saddle, I got sort of stuck in my mind and just froze up. With the weakness in my left knee, it doesn’t bend as freely and as far and can sometimes buckle if I put all my weight on it, so I kept picturing these scenarios in my head and couldn’t decide which side to dismount. I’d have probably been there all day if it weren’t for my friend, Renee coming over to walk me through it and give me some encouragement. (Thanks Renee!) This is Renee and her beautiful gaited mare, Casey.

We rode for about an hour in the arena, practicing indirect and direct reining, emergency stops, emergency dismounts, riding over and around obstacles, and just becoming familiar with our horses. The next day, Sunday, we did more riding in the arena. And after lunch, we tacked all the horses up again, and those of us who felt comfortable and ready went out for a short trail ride around the property.

I know the clinic weekend was only my second time being back on a horse in over year after my injuries, but between the practice in the arena and the trust I had in my patient, calm horse, Rosie, I felt confidant enough to head out on the trail.

Those pictures are in this Wordless Wednesday ~ Back in the Saddle post.  

That photo above was the only photo taken of me in the saddle unfortunately. The photographer wasn’t able to drive back out to Cedar Hill Farm on Sunday.

I’ll be sure to take more photos tomorrow as I head out on the trails, on Rosie again, tomorrow (Monday).

Natural Horsemanship Clinic ~ Part Two

 

Colleen, a friend from the horse rescue where I volunteer, as well as the clinic’s instructor, offered to let me ride one of her horses last weekend, while she would ride and work with my mare. I wanted to see how my horse would do with someone else as we getting some objective opinions on judging her temperament, and getting some feedback on whether or not Baby Doll and I are the right fit for each other.

I had told Colleen that Baby Doll is an alpha mare and tends to be stubborn, opinionated and headstrong. My mare and I have had a number of arguments over the past 2 years, focused on me asking her to do something and her telling me, ‘No, she’d rather not, thank you very much’.

At the beginning of every trail ride, Baby Doll would have to throw a little temper tantrum with a few crow hops, some head tossing, and what I affectionately call ‘The Drunken Sailor’ routine.

We’d go down the road or trail and she would weave back towards the direction of home. I would push her back onto the trail with my leg, and we’d go back and forth like a Drunken Sailor for the first 10-15 minutes of each ride.

Sometimes when she wanted to head back to the barn, and I didn’t,  she’d try to walk backwards the entire way there. When I’d argue with her and attempt to turn her back, she’d commence spinning in circles back to the barn. (click on that link to revisit that experience again)

Yes, she was barn sour. But we began working on that over a year ago, before my fall and injuries. And we were making progress. I’d bring her back to the barn and make her work, and then we’d head back out again, doing that several times, until she never knew what to expect. She was doing better, but we still had our arguments every time we headed out for a ride.

Baby Doll hasn’t been a very spooky horse, usually only snorting while looking at something. But when she did spook, she tended to move rather catty, usually sideways….and big.

She spooked one time when some dogs were running loose on a road behind us and she took off like a rocket and bolted. (click on that link to revisit that experience again). I was easily able to one-rein stop her, but I  began to realize that I couldn’t fully trust her. That she could be unpredictable in a big way.

I also realized that, even though she acted like she wanted to be the boss, she really wanted a confidant, strong leader. She’d test me constantly, laying her ears back flat, jumping into a trot, flinging her head, crow hopping. Anything scary, just to see how it would affect me. Would I buck up and make her mind? Or would I get scared and dismount.

(Photo of a potential buyer/leaser in May 2009)

I never did dismount and I never did let her push me around. We’d argue and argue until she finally let me win. But it got old. She was taking the joy out of riding.

I had waited all of my 40+ years to finally own my own horse. When I found Baby Doll and took riding lessons on her for a few months, before purchasing her, I thought she was the one.

But I had only ridden my mare in the arena and in the round pen at the lesson barn. I had never taken her out on a trail before bringing her home.

My dream was to have a trail horse. To combine both my love of hiking and being outdoors, with my love of horses. All of the horses I’d ridden in the past had been trail horses. They’d all been willing, hard-working, calm, just-get-on-and-ride trail horses.

I’d never experienced a horse that I had to beg, plead, coerce, push, and get tough-with just to go on a trail ride.

On the ground, Baby Doll and I just clicked. She could be sweet, patient, and funny. In the saddle, it was an entirely different ride altogether.

My neighbor friend, Val tried to work with my mare on many occasions. On one ride, she called the adventure, The Taming of The Shrew. (click on that link to revisit that experience again) It was quite a wild ride and Val didn’t back down. But I’m not as experienced a rider as she is and Baby Doll is one smart cookie and she knows it.

I’ve never been able to let my kids ride her on their own, except in the round pen. She’s not a babysitter horse at all. She will take advantage of a young, inexperienced rider and do whatever she wants

(Photo taken of a potential buyer in May 2009)

Personally, I don’t even think she likes children. She would tolerate my daughter brushing her and running around the barn and making noise, but when I used to bring Jenna to the lesson barn, I noticed that Baby Doll would lay her ears back whenever she’d see Jenna.And once, while I was working her in the round pen and my daughter ran past, Baby Doll laid her ears back and bucked in her direction.

Her behavior was pretty ironic because if it weren’t for my daughter, not only would our little ranch not have it’s current name, but we’d probably have never bought Baby Doll at all. (You can read more about this in my very first blog post)

Ok. Well I kind of got side-tracked. Back to the Natural Horsemanship Riding Clinic………….

Colleen knew about Baby Doll’s history and decided that she’d like to try a bit with more control on my mare. She called it a Natural Ring Bit, I believe. It’s completely round and encircles the entire jaw, goes through the mouth and underneath the jaw.

The only thing I could find close enough to what it look likes is This, this, this, and this. It looks similar to a Chifney Bit. Colleen said that Bob Allen, the horse/rider trainer here in New Mexico, uses them and says they work wonders in controlling a headstrong horse.

I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge of bits because I chose to use a Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle for my mare and she’s done well in it. I’ve always been told that it’s not the bit that controls a horse, it’s the rider and having a well-trained horse. A horse can ride through any bit if it really wants to.

 

Baby Doll went in a hackamore when I took lessons on her. And I’ve ridden her in a side-pull bridle with a snaffle bit. She’s not happy in a bit, though, that I do know. Her relaxed attitude changes dramatically and she gets rather wild-eyed, jiggy, and ‘rough around the edges’.

But because Baby Doll was in a new place, and in the arena with lots of riders and other horses, Colleen felt like the Ring bit would give more control. I could tell right away that Baby Doll didn’t like it. Not at all.

Colleen rode her bareback at first and Baby Doll stood still for mounting, like a good girl, but that head went up when she felt the contact of the stiff, ring bit.

Baby Doll also wasn’t very cooperative in flexing her neck or bending either.

I kind of felt sorry for her as she didn’t look very relaxed or comfortable at all. She kept getting her tongue up over the top of the ring bit, too. And she looked so crazy with her tongue lolling about and her eyes all wild

Colleen rode her for a little while in the arena, then she dismounted to help another rider and her horse. One of the other riders, Catherine, was encouraged to ride my mare bareback, and I was little worried seeing how nervous she was and how jumpy Baby Doll was acting.

Anna, another friend from the horse rescue, as well as another one of the instructors was able to lend a calming hand, which both Baby Doll and the other rider seemed to really appreciate.

                

In the end Baby Doll was ridden for about 30 minutes on Saturday and about 30 minutes on Sunday.

Colleen finally decided that my mare was too jumpy and unpredictable in that arena environment and she didn’t feel comfortable riding her while trying to help the other riders, who were having their own issues with their horses.

I felt bad, but I can’t say I was entirely surprised.

   

To be continued…………………..

 

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And my Project 365 photo.

Day 15. Polar Bear Paw (Taken at the Rio Grande Zoo)

A Little of This and a Little of That

 

By now I bet everyone has been dealt with or is starting to be affected by the recent Arctic Blast that has blown through much of the United States. It made it’s way through here this morning and afternoon filling our skies with blowing snow and single digit temps. For the first time this winter, after my gloves got wet from watering everyone in the barn, they stuck to every metal surface. The pipe railing even tried to steal the gloves off my hands. (Note: Tonight it has gotten down to 4 degrees! Brrr! I'm leaving some of my faucets dripping....just in case!)

And after being outside for an hour taking pictures, my thighs were completely numb and I had frost on my eyelashes. It took me several hours just to feel warm again, even with the space heater pointed at me while I was tucked under several quilts and a down blanket. Brrrrr!

I really miss summer. How ‘bout you?

A few days ago my twinlings had their best friend, C over to hang out for a few hours. C’s Dad dropped him off and then drove out to Moriarty to gas up his little airplane and take it up for a flight. I sometimes hear airplanes go over our house, and some are quite low, especially the military planes, but that day I heard a plane above our house that wasn’t just passing over. After a few minutes, I walked out on our loft balcony and looked up and realized that C’s Dad was circling our house and giving us a ‘wing-wave’. I thought that was pretty cool. I’m glad I grabbed my camera and managed to get a quick photo.

 

The other day, I happened to glance up in the big paddock and saw my mare napping. I’ve never been able to get close to her while she’s napping (yet), but I think my mare is so cute when she’s all curled up asleep on the ground that I can’t pass up an opportunity for a photo or two. She didn’t seem happy that I caught her sleeping. It’s as if she thought humans should never see her in such a vulnerable position, and especially not with a camera in hand.

 

 

As soon as she realized I saw her, she jumped up.

“See, what I have to put up with over here? I’m telling you. It’s an invasion of privacy!”

“Unless you’ve got carrots, apples or cookies for me, would you mind going back inside your People Barn and giving me some peace?”

And I haven’t done any recent updates on the chick trio. They are now 15 weeks old and it’s easy to tell which are roosters and which is a hen. Lucky me I ended up with my scale loaded heavier with roosters.

Good for them, they are turning out very good looking, thanks to their Dad’s good genes, so they shouldn’t be too difficult to find new homes for when the time comes.

My intention was never to have any roosters, but in the end I’m glad we ended up with Sid Vicious, the Golden-laced, bearded Polish and Mr. Cotton, the Japanese Silky. They are both coop eye candy, which is basically the only reason we keep them around.

But 4 roosters is a bit much for our 16 hens, though. It’s kind of sad, though, because the rooster chick with the Ameracauna fluffy cheeks has some gorgeous markings.

Whenever I go out to the coop, Suzie, one of our Silver-laced Wyandottes keeps an eye on me and usually follows me around. I think she just likes to have her picture taken.

The Welsumer pullets that I bought at the Poultry Swap back in August lay the most beautiful dark brown eggs and they are two of my favorite hens now. I love the way they are shaped and the coloring and patterns of their feathers, too.

I’m also glad I bought a Cuckoo Marans pullet in August, too. This gal is so pretty and lays the most unusual dark, muddy-green eggs.

She looks a lot like our barred rocks, but the bars of the barred rocks seem more bold.

Eating must be so exhausting for chickens.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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My Project 365 photo for today.

Blue Moon Sunrise over Laughing Orca Ranch.

         

Taken using my Canon PowerShot SX110 IS. Edited using Picnik. The sky was actually that bright pink, probably even brighter actually. The sun was rising up in the East in front of our house, and the Blue Moon was just beginning to sink down in the West behind our house. It took my breath away. How about you?