Jewels "In the beginning"...

This mare is a handful when she's tied. I'm not sure why a person wouldn't teach a horse to stand patiently. Maybe they lacked the time or experience.

Jewels

The man we purchased her from almost a year ago was elderly, and hadn't done anything with her, but feed her. Told us he bought her from a guy that rode up to his house bare back about a year and a half before we purchased her. He hadn't left anything out about her personality, habits, and warned me,"this is a cowboys horse" she's not for a beginner.

Okay, so, that didn't detour me from buying her. I let him know I had a clear understanding of his opinion, but I'll take her regardless of your warning. I think the man thought me crazy, but I needed a challenge in my life. When I went to pick  her up, the first thing she did was run from us. No problem! We hemmed her up in a corner and I put the halter on. Now its time to take her home. The man told us " she won't hop in a two horse straight load". Okay, I thought to myself, "now you tell me". No problem, "so I replied". My grand daughter was holding her near the back of the trailer and I took a lunge line out of the saddle compartment. I was going to have to coax her in with a rope around her hocks. To my surprise and everyone else standing around there, I opened the trailer door and she bumped us out of the way and hopped right in! Nice...

Sunday morning coming down...

  Well, we started out the morning feeling better. Ron fed the horses and dogs early as usual. While out in the paddock area, he hollered at me to come out side.   There were 2 loose horses on the road. One of them was a stud horse! The other was a cute little roan gelding stopping to eat grass in the neighbors yard across the way.  Ron meandered towards them carrying a feed bucket to lure them into a enclosed area around the front of our barn. Neither of then were interested in complying.  Both started trotting off the opposite direction, most likely headed back where they came from. The man they belonged to started this way with a bucket of feed trying to catch the wandering duo. The horses kept making there way home until the owner finally corralled them in another neighbors yard down the way. The roan was a real cute mount, about 13 and a half hands tall. The other was a chestnut standing about 15 hands tall. Not a bad looking horse, but definitely not stallion material. I'm always amazed why folks keep or use a stallion that wouldn't pass on beneficial traits or good conformation to their offspring. Okay, so, lets not meddle into the life of someone else.

We got Mouse back...

Can't say I'm sorry to get him back. I had regrets letting him go. He's such a nice horse, with a temperament you just don't find every day. Mouse is as easy going as they come. Nothing bothers him. The unfortunate thing about him is, he has a early stage of navicular. The right front more so than the left. We are going to take him and have lateral views done on Thursday morning, to see his progress. I had been hesitant getting him x-rays before, but now I'm on a mission to do what it takes to save this horse. We have had many discussions with the farrier and our Equine vet and they both seem to think it's just a matter of time before we get him rolling along. Though without x-rays, they won't know how to set him up to succeed. He was shod 3 weeks ago today, and since he's been gone for 2 weeks, I can already see a great improvement from the previous visit, which means, I now have the hope I need to qualify this horse for future greatness. He's the perfect child mount. Someones child will be lucky to have him in the future. Here's to you, Mouse! My happy go lucky equine friend.

 

Another Saturday morning...

And, I'm in the house on the computer. Still having this excruciating pain in my right leg. Nerve damage is almost always harder to recoup from than sprains or strains. Having been to several Doctors about this, telling me one thing after another, wanting to pump me full of nerve blockers and pain pills. ACK! I finally decided to rebel against western medicine and do what I thinks right for me. Firstly, I got off the pills. Cleaned up my diet, and I've been working out for about 2 1/2  months. Sounds great doesn't it? Well, not exactly. I'm reasonably exhausted from work, tired from the lack of real sleep and depressed because I can't seem to get a good handle on my physical condition. My diet has changed dramatically, the exercise I do daily has left me feeling better than this time last year. One step at a time...Okay, so now it's time to go outside and get started on equine related stuff.

Jewels

It's been a long time since I've written in my blog. Don't know how it got away from me, but I'm going to try and keep up with it better now. There's so much to do in a day. I have a new horse now, and it's been almost a year since I bought her. An APHA registered mare, 9 years old last month. She's 14.1 hands tall, with a heart as big as Texas. Even with the weight I carry, she can pack me around all day and seemingly never tires. I named her Jewels. It sort of fits her personality.

When I first got her, she was spooky and unsocial, having been in a pasture with horses that picked on her, she became quite skittish to handle. It took me a few months to get her to settle in enough I could catch her without a problem. We spent many days in the round pen, teaching her to send and come to me. Now she's the first one out of the pasture to greet me. I began riding her consistently about 3 months ago. She's a bit to fast on her feet yet, but I've been working on the stop and go to slow her pace down. She's coming along quite nicely now.

God loves all his creatures...

Makayla and Happy...

You got to love kids and dogs.

O' Christmas Tree...

I never thought I'd have a white Christmas tree, with purple and pink decorations. Though I thought I'd never have a little girl, either. he he! My Granddaughter certainly has an interesting look on life.