Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Good news all the way around

Here is  Remington- Rem or Remmy... formerly known as TC or The Colt.

He has been gelded and his teeth pulled out. The mouth looks so much better.
I took my Dad out to see him, but he wouldn't get into the pictures..yet.  
I didn't ride him, but we lunged a bit. He was a punk about it too! 
Didn't want to go clockwise! Of course he eventually did go- but sheesh.! I'm sure hoping this was just an anomaly! 
Horse shows are in the middle of April and Jaq says he will be ready to go show.  I'm ok with that. I have a whole new pack of big girl bloomers!
He'll get new shoes next week, and I'll ride him next Tuesday. I wish I wasn't two hours away right now, I want to be with him everyday!
In the meantime, I am working with Slick. He stands perfectly still when I brush and clean his feet. He's learning to get on the bit, and round his back. I still have to take him into a larger paddock to ride, but I don't have one available- it's turned to mush with the rain we just received. 
He's just going to make someone a super nice horse- he is so sweet and loving. Two more months and I hope I'll be able to put up an ad. 


In other news...

I've been writing!
And about to set forth on a big-really big- art installation.














Thursday, January 19, 2012

He's MINE!




Remember this guy?





Skipin Out West



WELL, HE'S FINALLY MINE!

YIPPEE!!!
After a visit to the vet, we finally made the deal! 

Boy, I've never worked so hard to own a horse! 
 He was gelded the very next day. 
He's recuperating nicely back at Superior Quarter Horses.
A BIG THANK YOU 
to 
Jacqueline Burke
for your hard, hard work, and your unwavering faith that this was going to happen. 
It would never have been possible without you! 
Thanks to my GF 
Deniserita, the Unpaid Ranch Slave
for your clear headed thinking and your 
VERY valuable opinions. 
(I really do listen to you!)
And
Thanks to 
Lil Mama
for your calming demeanor when I am going haywire. It's so nice to have you 'mother' me once in awhile! 

Here I go again!




Thursday, January 12, 2012

The List

****** It seems that of you who have responded, mark Temperament and intelligence at the top of your list,  with 6 stars.
**** Second comes confirmation,personality and then good legs and feet-soundness.
***    Prettiness marked higher than breeding** and health. *
**      Intelligence,and Breeding have two stars,
*        Whether they had been saddled or bridled, whether they showed courage or jumping ability, Height or  talent only have one star.

I must say I am a little surprised. Temperament as Numero uno! 

If this list is any indication I will be able to sell Slick very easily. He has an amazing Tempermnet, he is very intelligent. ( I'm teaching him tricks!) He's pretty- at least a pretty color, and he is healthy. His conformation is a little upright, but some folks like that. PS- He's fast! He's well bred, and has been ridden, trailered, washed and clipped.
His big problem- spooking at bicycles doesn't seem to make much of a mark on this survey. Most think you can fix that. ( Yeah You!) Even though he is only 142hh, he appears bigger. An optical illusion to be sure!

Now to get him muscled up, standing straight and perfect for Halter/Showmanship and ride him so he won't spook.
Any of  you know someone who would like to buy a nice horse? I might even deliver!




Saturday, January 7, 2012

Has Spring actually Sprung?

For three weeks the weather here in the Bay Area of California has been cold. Not 'North Dakota I'm in Hell Cold'- but in the 30's. There has been little rain since the day I was stuck on the Freeway two or so months ago. While I'm not complaining now, I probably will later.  
It was nearly 70 degrees here for the last three days! Balmy and Spring like!
It was such good weather, and since there is only one horse to ride, I have no real job again and time to kill I  decided to make up jobs for myself.
Painting my Trail Poles was what I came up with.  I guess in retrospect is is also a way to keep my dream of riding a good trail horse alive.


I bought the paint and set out to the barn.









Coming around the corner to the barn, and not seeing the familiar blaze face of Desi standing there waiting for me was kind of a hard moment. Here is a picture of Desi and his new family, Tracy and Mike. They look good don't they!




I swallowed hard and put it behind me.


This is what the trail poles looked like. They didn't get any paint last year. 





I let Bob out into the arena where I was working. Lil Mama has been sick with the flu so I was helping her out , but it turns out he was going to help me! 











He started by picking up the paint brushes and the feed bag tarp- so I had to put him back in his pen.

I painted everything in a creamy off white.

Then I painted the ends Red, and the middles yellow.
I painted the short poles too, and did alternating red stripes and yellow stripes. I painted the pole braces yellow and red too. When it is all together in a pattern it will be so cheerful! And the colors will make it easier for me to mark where I need to ride across the poles. 
I let Milo out on the second day. He ignored me mostly. 
As I was taking my paints and brushes out of the arena, he was actually asleep in the warm warm sun. 
But by time I got back, he was up and nosing around the almost dry poles. 
 
Can you see why I said 'almost'? He had to see what I was up to and now his nose is covered in yellow enamel paint!
SIGH***
Linda wasn't too upset. It should wear off soon.

I went out and rode Slick today. No pictures, but I'll post some new ones soon.
Slick is losing weight, and he feels very frisky! Our ride yesterday was quite spirited! His shoulders are getting more free, and he's beginning to understand that his neck need to be lower, that he needs to be on the bit. I'm only getting a stride or two before his head is popping up like a weasel at lunch time, but he is starting to get it.
There were lots of Bicycles out today, and he only spooked at one of them. And that spook was just a straight up and down, no sideways movement. I changed his bit to a heavy slow twist, and he sees to be responding a little better. 
So every day I am getting the 1% that I strive for.

Yippee!


Tomorrow is Annex auction day! Stay tuned for cool stuff I'll be posting all day on FB!
See something you like and go to www.michaans.com to bid.

And still no new horse. Long story. Share later.

Ride your ponies and kiss their noses!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

A Perfect Horse

Is there a perfect horse?
I'm scanning the online ads again. TC may or may not be coming home with me, so in the meantime I'm beefing up my search. As I read the ads, I have a set of questions in my head. A lot of owners, me included put a lot of thought and information into their ads. Their horses will do almost anything...but....insert bad quality here. 
After going through it with Desi for nearly a year, a year I will hardly forget- I've come to the conclusion that buying a horse in this years market is unlike any other horse market....ever.
Here's why...
Growing up we (the collective we) all had horses. We paid little for them and rode the snot out of them, then bought another. We asked if they were broke- that meant ' has he had a saddle and bridle on him?'. That is it. That is all.
Then we all learned to listen to horses, to whisper to them and to play games with them. We came to expect that every horse was worth a million dollars and was perfect. And if it wasn't- well we could go to any number of clinics to make them perfect- to fix our flaws as owners and riders. It's always the owners fault.
Now the market is flat as a pancake- unless you have a high dollar horse- $10,000.00 and up-and then there is just a slight swell in the market. Horses, through no fault of their own are being sold. And people who feel sorry for the horses, or always wanted to have one and now they are cheap, or die hard idiots like me that just can't breath unless they have a horse in the paddock waiting on them, are looking for mounts. And they want the perfect horses they have been promised.
uh oh!
Perfect practice makes perfect.      But what if you haven't practiced?     What if your horse isn't perfect?
What IF your horse is nearly perfect?
What if he's horrible! What then?
In one ad today , and I paraphrase "...this is the greatest horse, but he only has 15% vision in his eyes because of.....but he don't let that upset him, he just carries on bravely!"

eegads....He's cute but blind ain't perfect.

Or this one " He's got one foot shorter than 'tother, but with correction shoes he should go sound,"
Again. Not. Perfect.

My TC has a mouth issue. Not perfect.
I rode him and as I was trying to get him to lope he bucked pretty good -  not perfect.  As I was checking his legs in back, he kicked me- not perfect!
BUT I am not as picky as most everyone else. My question is still " Has he had on a saddle and bridle, has he been ridden much?" For TC I am also asking if his mouth issue is going to be a real problem or just an annoyance.
My particular line in the sand is feet and legs. If they aren't good- I don't go any further. If his conformation isn't balanced, I don't go any further. If he has a really bad attitude, I don't go any further. TC is balanced, he's quiet legged, his personality is great- he just needs to be gelded soon! I can cure a kicker if that is his issue.
So- what is your line in the sand? Where will you draw the line? What can you live with?
What is the perfect horse?
As I am next planning to find Slick a good home, I would like your input. High headed -ness, quick legs, a winning personality, trail miles, show points, beautiful coat, does tricks, easy to handle, not afraid of dogs... give me a list of your most important traits to find in a horse, and the most important ones to stay away from.



Keith and his perfect horse
Regan and her perfect pony


Four perfect horses with five riders

The perfect size horse


Not so perfect- has a fit doing his ears

Perfect mare- would do anything you asked of her

Not perfect- but I loved him anyway

working on being perfect- but for whom?

TC- He looks perfect here

And he looks perfect here

see his little crooked smile? Not perfect, but cute!

Krissy's perfect horse


I'll make up a list and post it here.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Pots and pans and big sticks

Happy New Year!
If I'm not the very first to blog on this New Day I'm pretty darn close. As I sit here I am hearing gunshots, firecrackers,M80's and of course the original noisemaker- Pots and pans and big sticks. Or maybe they are wooden spoons.
As a kid I would wait up with my very own Momma to ring in the New Year. It was such a struggle to stay awake for the midnight hour- but when ( and if) we did Mom would get her Revere ware pot, a big wooden spoon and we would go on to the front porch and bang away like fiends. We'd hoot and holler and laugh. Then it was a quick egg nog toast and off to bed we'd go. Little wonder I still hear that familiar sound over the other larger noise.
It seems like this year- this NEW year of 2012 - is being heralded a little more fervently than 2011. And why not.
First off- it is a even numbered year! Always a crowd favorite.
Secondly - it can hardly be worse than the last year. Though I suffered no long term illness or trauma I know plenty of people that have. I don't consider my yo-yo like financial status anything to compare to that.
And B- We are all gonna be dead this time next year- but there will be no next year. The Mayan's predicted it you know. How wrong could they be?
It is starting off on a good note anyway. For those of you that are keeping track, I sold Desi today.
Yep.
The last person on the last day of the last year. Prophetic? We'll see.
The woman and her boyfriend who came and took Desi home with them seem like a lovely couple. She's a Natural Horse trainer, he's a gentle but firm intermediate rider. Desi really liked him! They brought their trailer so I guess they meant business all along.   I wasn't actually prepared emotionally to sell him today, but that is usually when things happen don't they? When you least expect it? It was probably- no it WAS- better this way. NO time to get nutted up about it. I loaded him in the trailer and petted his nose. After they disappeared out of the driveway I allowed myself a small mournful sob. But not to worry- I am looking forward to the future and the new Showing Year. I am going up to see TC again on Monday and if it is meant to be- it will be.
So Lock and Load friends! Happy New Year out there!