Saturday, August 16, 2008

Summer Daze

After getting 3.5 inches of rain, we are back in the heat, +30 for the next few days. It means getting out there early or late to beat the heat.
Me and Lesa went for a late ride last night after it cooled off. Ok, we tried the night riding thing. Can't say I enjoyed it very much. The last time I tried it, I was attacked by a pair of nasty owls. Being dive bombed by owls is NOT fun. Didn't have any cameras on us last night, which is a shame as we were riding in one of our prettiest hayfield's with the setting sun.

Just got Mira back from Nicole's after two weeks of canter training. I'd been working on it during the winter, but I knew that if she got some consistant training she'd do much better. Nicole did a wonderful job on her. I got her to pick up both leads easily, got down to both a halt and a walk. It was so fun. It was tempting to try out our new skill in the hay field last night, but after sinking into a few mole hills at a run walk, I desided I'd better wait for better footing.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

parade pics




Here's Rascal and myself at the Willingdon parade. Handsome boy that he is, he didn't mind the flags, floats or kids at all.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Riding, riding riding

Oh my gosh, I always seem to be apologizing for not keeping this blog updated. Hard to think that it's already the middle of August.

My daughter for two weeks arived from Ont. just in time to go to the clinic. It was so much fun to have Allysa come, she is welcome any time. We worker real hard on the three year olds, and I hoped she learned about gaiting while here. We just didn't work though. What's a trip to Alberta with out going to WEM? The kids hit the wave pool while I did some shopping. Allysa was also in her glory with all the tack shops. Would you believe you can't buy ladies black jeans in Ont? I'd never seen someone so happy over black jeans. It seemed like she just got here and then it was time for her to go home. But she was on her way to Tennessee the day she got back to pick up some new walkers, so she had to go........





Our clinic was a great success, we all had a great deal of fun and learned lots. We had some new faces in the crowd, people who had just gotten walking horses and wanted to learn more. A clinic just for walkers is certainly the place to do it!





There were nine of us for the Blackfoot ride. What a lot of walkers all in one place (and one throughbred). The only incident was the Beaver. The thing decided to slide back into the water just under poor Leroy's feet causing him to bolt forward and hit me and Squirt. Leas just about landed in my lap and we all almost went for a drink in slough on each side of us. But, we got our selves sorted out and the horses proceeded as if nothing happened. Both Leroy and Squirt are only three year olds, so we were real proud of them for getting ahold of themselves so quick.

Me and Rascal have been having a fun summer. In case any of you don't know, he's my 10 year old stallion. I hadn't ridden him in about 3 years, just was too busy with the other horses. I decided to jump on him one evening and tool around the yard a little bit. We had a great time! It was like I rode him last week. So when Lesa phoned my up and wanted to come for a ride on her three year old gelding Leroy befor the clinic I saddle up Rascal. We went around the arena, no problems with either horse, so off we went into the feilds. Both boys were soooo good. Lesa hadn't ridden Leroy since he came back from the trainers, and I really hadn't ridden Rascal in three years.

We met up with my folks moving equipment around in the field, had to tie both horses to the old truck, they acted like best buddies. Didn't care about the tractors or truck either. After that we rode some more, for about a total of three miles. It was great. That is what trail riding is supposed to be like.

I then took Rascal to the clinic for Sunday afternoon. I wasn't really going to ride him at the clinic, just afterwards. But Alyssa's horse got tuckered out so I gave her Mira and I hopped on Rascal. Some riders were a bit nervous about a stud in their midst, but Rascal was a perfect genleman and gave no problems what so ever. The next Wednesday I took him to the Willingdon arena as we were tired of getting thundered and lighteninged on. Again we had so much fun with him. Allysa got to ride him, her first time to ride a stallion. She told me later she was a bit nervous, but he was a good boy and she got over it pretty quick and had fun with him.

Our next outing was moving cattle. Rascal hadn't moved cattle in about 6 years, so I had no idea how that was going to go. The hardest part turned out trying to get him to the pasture. It was close to home, so there was no point in trailering him. He figured that going out the driveway and down our track was good enough, actually going all the way to the end wasn't in his game plan. But I persevered (and had hubby drive ahead with the truck, which he was more than happy to follow). Chasing cows was FUN!!! we had to get them past the growing barley to get to the road about 1/2 a mile of lovely, green barley that the cows would have loved to run amok in. Once we got them out of there, it was onto the road. Again, Rascal wasn't to thrilled with going away from home, but he did go with cows eventually. He was the perfect drag horse, not minding in the least going cow speed.

Today, Rascal and I rode in the Willingdon Parade! It was a bit stressfull at first as we just wern't sure how the horses were going to behave. Lesa was riding Leroy, what a honey of a horse! you just can't ask better of a three year old. He wasn't too sure about the acordian player, and sat on a car trying to avoid it, but he was so good on the parade route. Rascal didn't mind any of the scary stuff, ballons, flags, lots of music, traffic. However, coming out of the staging area, we were the first in the group of horses, was a shadow of the over head flags. He didn't know what to make of that! Then we were on our way. The amount of people was overwelming to both horses at first, but they soon got used to them and the kids running out for candy. By the time we got back, our boys were old pros and we are ready to tackle the Vilna and Two Hills parades next weekend. Maybe even next year we'll go some bigger ones like Vegreville.