First Snow of The Season

We woke up yesterday morning with a layer of snow everywhere! :)  It has been a really amazing autumn this year - it usually starts snowing in October!  Right now it is 6 degrees out - I think it will get up to 18 today with a wind chill of -20 degrees - sounds like lots of fun huh?

Working the Horses

Mom finally got out and worked Quatahn last week!  Being an Arabian he is terrified of plastic bags for some reason - so that is what they worked on.  He actually did pretty good - after awhile he was letting her rub him all over with that scary bag :)

Look at mom's cool new chaps!  She's stylin' now!

Horse love :)

Here is her Queen of England pose :)

She's so coordinated! lol

Cheyenne

Here I'm sacking Apache out with a synthetic saddle - she had a little set back with the whole bucking thing and didn't want the saddle on anymore.  So, I had to swing that saddle for about 2 hours before she finally let me put it on her - now she's over it, I'm back to using my own saddle! :)  I'm learning new things every day.  God is so good to me, to let me have this experience!

Update on Apache

I have been working the colt (Apache) from my saddle horse (Cheyenne) - working on disengaging hind, front and leading.  She's been doing great with that - Chey is even doing better than I thought with that, too.  Then today I put the saddle on Apache for the second time.  We had them in the pasture and right about the time I tightened the cinch she took off bucking - and man was there a lot of space for it, and I couldn't discipline her for it either.  She can buck hard too - then she slipped and rolled over on the saddle (I'm hoping the saddle isn't broken).  She finally stopped and I caught her and took the saddle off and took her right to the round pen.  I desensitized her to the coils, rubbed her all over with the saddle pad, put the rope around her belly where the cinch would go and then saddled her again.  She bucked once and I chased her with the rope so she stopped.  After that I drove her both directions in the round pen all three gaits - walk, trot, lope - without bucking, and got her hooked on.  Then I worked her from Cheyenne.  She didn't buck even one more time - so we will see how she starts out tomorrow :)  Lesson learned - do not saddle a colt out in a pasture :) lol

Saddling up

Desensitizing to coils

Ponying Apache

Working on leading

Working Apache from Cheyenne

"There is no mysticism, no magic, or only one method in the realm of good horsemanship.... It's knowing that everything you think you know about horses may change with the very next horse" - Author Unknown

Filly in Training!

I got a 2 year old filly last week!  Her name is Apache - she was only barely halter broke, and could load into the trailer when I got her.  I've had her 5 days and she has learned sending around, disengaging the hindquarters, backing, leading, moving front and hind away from pressure, hooking on, vertical and horizontal flexion, and has done most of that with the saddle too.  When I first put the saddle on her there was a little rodeo but she settled down right away.  She seems to be overall very calm and smart.  I can't wait to put the first ride on her! :)  I hope to do that this next week.

Day 5 she showed a little bracing with leading forward and would walk incredibly slow.  So, I had Mom walk about 20 feet behind with the flag and every time she'd brace Mom would lift the flag off the ground and wave it until she moved.  The next day when I was out there she was so soft with backing and leading forward, and she'd keep up with me - it was amazing!  I wanted to get that brace out of there before I rode her - so now I can move along with that!

Day 1

Palominos get lighter in the winter for some reason - she will be a darker golden color in the summer.

Day 4

Cheyenne is jealous of all the attention I've been giving Apache :)  She's not the baby anymore

Amazing horse for sale!

Last Thursday Tikvah came over and helped me put this video together of Cheyenne.  I have been working with Chey for about a year and am going to move up to a unstarted 2 year old.  Chey works off of leg pressure now, you can turn, stop and back her without reins (unless she is super worked up) :).  I've been roping off her too.  She had never been roped off before and did it like a pro the first time!  You can swing up on her from the side or run and jump from the back - you can also stand on her back and swing a rope! :)  She loves to go go go!  Has a very fast walk - and is a nice solid trail horse.  Here are some photos of her!

Me and Cheyenne

Tikvah and Chey

Tikvah swinging her rope

Walks over tarps

you can put that tarp all over her with no reaction

Riding backwards! :)

Tikvah

Me and Chey