Still searching for a name...

We made plans to go out to the barn again yesterday, but quickly discovered that our wimpy 2-wheel drive truck isn't able to get get down our alley yet. Just as we all settled back into the house, the phone rings and friend T offers to come get us and take us out - what luck!

As we drove out of town I could see that the area right around our house appears to have the largest snow accumulation still...which currently translates to more slush and ice as well. I am so ready for this to all go away!

The horse barn is pretty yucky at the moment; mud is everywhere. There is still a bit of snow and slush on the path out to the poop pile so we are all making individual piles in our horses' areas until we are able to move it all out. I have to admit to being a bit lazy yesterday - I left the mess in the horses' runs alone, to be cleaned up another day.

E and I tried the new name, Jake, out but decided that it isn't quite perfect either. So the great name search is still on. We visited with him for a bit, petting and just generally checking him over. He's a little cow-hocked in the back and narrow in the front. I don't know how much that will affect his movement; we still haven't been able to get him out to ride. And his hooves are in sad shape. They look like they haven't been trimmed in ages and are splitting pretty badly. We'll get our farrier out ASAP.

Personality-wise, he appears to be great. He was happy to see us but not too pushy either. The wind was howling through the barn yesterday and while this did spook him a bit (all the horses were jumpy) he didn't go crazy either. E brought Curly over to his stall, to introduce the two. They sniffed each other and said hello. The new guy squealed a bit when Curly tried to nibble on him, but nothing aggressive happened, which is good to see. If we do end up keeping this guy I sincerely hope the two will be friends.

A horse with no name...

Our name-less friend

Actually, he does have a name - Slick, sometimes called Red - but we don't really like either one. So E and I have spent the last couple of days trying to come up with an appropriate name for the big guy. Naming a horse is just about as hard as trying to name a baby!

Our first thought was Moe - as in Curly, Moe and Larry of the 3 Stooges. Of course, that means that eventually we would have to get a third horse! (I can hear hubby M groaning as he reads this!)

Not satisfied with that, however, we then moved on to Quin, named after Joaquin Miller, a 19th century American poet who also happened to be a horse thief and a Pony Express rider. Quin stuck around for a bit, but still didn't feel perfect.

Last night, as we were sitting on the couch I suddenly yelled out "Jake!" And we both liked it. So today our nameless horse is named Jake. Now if only I can find some obscure literary connection to make it perfect.....

E and.....Jake???

Friend A gave E and I the perfect Christmas present. She chauffeured us out to the barn on Christmas day so that we could spend some time with our equine friends. The snow and ice have kept us pretty much at home, so I have had to rely on others to get me anywhere that was too far to walk. We had a wonderful time, did some chores and just soaked up the peace and beauty of the horse barn.

Merry Christmas, Curly!

Snowy barn day

I couldn't stand it anymore - I just had to see Curly. So I called up Grandpa J and begged a ride out to the barn. He has a snow-worthy truck that was able to get through the snow and ice with no mishaps.

The next storm front is beginning to make its presence felt, so the snow was falling as we drove down the semi-plowed roads. This also made me hurry to do my chores once we arrived; I definitely didn't want to be stuck out there in the middle of a blizzard!

E, the snow princess

Curly was happy to see us...or maybe it was the treats that we gave him and the extra handful of hay I dropped into his feeder. I scooped as much of the accumulated poop out of his stall as I could; some of it has frozen fast to the floor and won't be moved until the temps go up a little. (It was warmer today but still only 14.)

Curly, looking good in his winter coat.

And then we moved a couple of bales of hay over to a stall in the main barn for the horse we are trying out. Yup, you read that right. We will be evaluating a new horse soon. I'm so excited! He's an 8 year old sorrel QH, about 15.3 hands, with a wide back and big ol' butt. And he was super friendly when we first saw him - maybe even too friendly! Because of the snow and ice, we haven't been able to do much more than take a quick look at him out in a pasture. His owner is hoping to move him to our facility today (hah! There's no way I'd drive a trailer in this mess!) and we will be given an opportunity to check him out more thoroughly. I'll post a pic of him once he gets settled. Soooo....in preparation for his arrival, I had to make sure there was some feed up in the stall area he'll be in. Because of the deep snow, wheelbarrows were out...but sleds work just dandy in this weather!

And it just keeps falling....

I think we are up to about 15" of snow here in town now. And it is still snowing heavily. School has been canceled for the second day and we have a house-full of little girls all playing happily.

I am totally itching to go out to the barn today, but icy roads are keeping me home. I desperately want to visit with Curly! Our barn manager sent a quick note earlier, reassuring me that he was doing fine. He has icicles hanging from his mane and tail and appears to be enjoying himself. She plans to move Curly and his pasture buddy Andy into stalls today, however. Too many invisible pot-holes out in the fields for them to be completely safe. I feel better knowing that he'll have shelter for the next few days as well.

It's still snowing...

Our snow-covered palace...

It began snowing sometime early yesterday morning and continued for almost the whole day. By evening, there was at least 3 inches on the ground, maybe more. And then another inch or two fell last night! The skies have been clear most of today, but I just saw a few flakes beginning to come down again.

Six inches on the ground - and more in the forecast!

The kids have had a fantastic time sledding and throwing snowballs. This sort of snow accumulation is pretty unusual for us and it's nice for them to experience a winter wonderland like this. I love seeing them laugh and play until they're rosy cheeked and shivering. It's like watching a Norman Rockwell painting come to life.

Living on a side street in town has one big disadvantage during weather like this - the snow plows almost never come our way. Our vehicles aren't very snow-and-ice-worthy so consequently, I've been stuck at home (not that that's much of a hardship!). Our barn owner has called a couple of times, though, to reassure me that Curly is doing well. He had gotten damp earlier in the day so she even went out to check on him in the middle of the night to be sure that he had dried out and wasn't too cold. How's that for great service! She said that he was so cozy warm in his blanket that she just wanted to crawl up under it and snuggle in.

The never-ending lameness story...

Last night was to be a 4-H ride night for Curly and E. We arrived at the barn early, knowing that he would most likely be covered in mud - and we weren't disappointed in the least! His right side was so caked with the stuff that it was nearly impossible to see his shaggy winter coat.

After a vigorous brushing, most of the dirt had been removed and it was time to attend to his hooves. As I began the hoof-picking routine (front feet first, then move to the back), I noticed that he didn't want to put much weight on his right hind. Sighing, I checked the hoof but found no problems with it. Working my way up his leg, I discovered that his fetlock was slightly swollen. Our best guess is that he slipped in the pasture and strained the joint a bit. That would account for the excessive mud on that side as well.

At that point, it was obvious that there would be no riding for E and Curly. We spent the next 20 minutes or so untangling a couple of monster dreads from his mane and then put our guy back in his pasture. E was disappointed that she didn't get to ride Curly, but a friend graciously gave E a turn on her horse towards the end of the 4-H ride.

We need a second horse to ride! For a brief moment this weekend, I thought we might have found the perfect prospect - an 11 year old Rocky Mountain horse in my price range....but the animal had been sold a few hours before I called. Very frustrating. Lately, I've had my heart set on getting a Rocky Mountain horse. Their smooth gait and calm temperament are very appealing. Unfortunately, they are not all that common in our area - and tend to be a bit pricey as well. I'll just have to keep looking....

Long, busy week

We spent a week in California over Thanksgiving....and the moment we got back last Sunday, E and I drove out to the barn to look in on Curly. Really. We drove home from Portland (that's where we flew in and out of), walked into the house to say a quick hello to the kitty and to get the truck keys, and then headed back out to go to the barn.

All seems to be going well in his horsey world. He got to go out on a trail ride with the 4-H club on the day after Thanksgiving. Other than that one excursion, Curly has had the past two weeks off.

In fact, we were not able to go out at all this past week - not even to clean. It's been a schedule full of doctor appointments, holiday concerts and other volunteer commitments. Finally, this afternoon, I was able to sneak away for an hour to check on my boy and clean his pasture up. (I had to run out by myself as both girls are sick and in bed. Poor things!)

He was a happy, muddy mess and really didn't want me fussing over him. :-)

Oh, and his hoof appears to be doing fine.

It's a long way from his heart...

That's the old saying that ran through my head yesterday as I watched blood run across the bottom of Curly's hoof. And I'm glad I had heard it before or I might have panicked when I saw the red stuff come up as I was picking his back right.

I got a call from my friend T during the early afternoon - she was on her way to a local trail and wanted to meet me there. She would even bring both horses and everything, I just had to show up at the appointed hour! Well of course I couldn't pass up an offer like that!

It is my habit to pick hooves first thing....and thank goodness I did. During that last vet visit a couple of weeks ago the veterinarian had dug out a spot on Curly's hoof, thinking that it might lead to an infectious spot. That little hole has been tender ever since, but nothing has come out of it - until yesterday. I barely touched it with the hoof pick and blood started running. A good thing, really, because this may mean that whatever has been causing his on-again-off-again lameness might finally be released. (crossing my fingers now!)

The bad thing, though, was that I couldn't ride him out on the trail. So we loaded the horses back up and went back to the barn. Now here's a nice thing about being friends with someone who has a number of horses - I still got to go for a ride yesterday, just on a borrowed horse! It was my first ride on Chance. (I'll admit that I was nervous riding a new animal, but after a few pointers from A, I figured out how to communicate with Chance and we managed the ride just fine. I won't say I was relaxed during the trip, but I did enjoy it and even was able to anticipate what his actions would be by the end of our ride.)

So T, A and I saddled up and rode around the fields at the horse barn. I had been told that there were places to ride around our boarding barn but I never knew where. Well, now I do and E and I will have to take a little trip down those paths one day soon - she'll love it!

After the ride, I cleaned Curly's hoof, doused it with Betadine and then sealed it up with Kopertox. We leave for a week long trip today, so the barn manager will keep an eye on him, but we both think that he's going to be fine.

Reconditioning

E had her first riding lesson in months yesterday but about 20 minutes into it we decided that Curly was just too pooped to continue. The boy is way out of shape! Prior to the lesson, E had spent approximately 15 minutes in the round pen with him, doing some ground work and making sure he was ready to attend to her. And then he had about a 30 minute break...but he still just wasn't feeling up to doing much more than a walk after that first 20 of the actual lesson.

It's very obvious that he's had a relaxing past 6 months of doing nothing but being pretty while he healed from his various injuries! And he hadn't been in top shape when we gave him the time off to begin with.

Reconditioning is a top priority now.

Good thing the trail ride on Friday will be done at a sedate walk. :-)

But I want to ride....

It's been crazy-busy at our house lately (no surprise there!) so we haven't had much opportunity to take advantage of Curly's new-found soundness. Just had time to go out to the barn and clean, check on the big guy, give him a rub and a pat and then hop back in the truck to head to the next commitment. I'm tired.....

Anyway, one of our 4-H friends has a little sister (also in the 4-H group) whose horse has contracted pigeon fever. This has been kind of hard for them because both girls want to ride (duh!) but being one horse down, only one can. So last night as they were heading off to their lesson - with one horse and two riders - I offered the use of Curly. As soon as they left I was grumping that I wanted to ride my horse!

Plus, we are going on a family trip over the holiday, and during our vacation the club will be doing a toy drive/trail ride. Our little friend will get to use Curly for that as well....I'm pretty jealous.

But I'm sure Curly is going to enjoy the new activity.

A good ride...

We're back in the saddle again! Yippeee!


The 4-H club planned to ride through our local corn maze yesterday, but due to rain had to change the location to an indoor arena. Both E and I have been crossing our fingers that Curly would be sound enough to participate.

When we arrived to the barnyard, it was pouring rain. Curly was waiting happily at the gate for E. And he got even more excited when she put his halter on and lead him out of the small pasture - he definitely knew that something was up!

E and her trainer worked him for 30 minutes or so on the long lead line before she got up in the saddle. Wanted to make sure all his bucks were out of him. And then she had a wonderful, relaxed ride for the next hour and a half. I even rode him for 20 minutes, weaving in and out of poles. (This was exciting because I was able to direct him through the poles using only leg cues - a first for me!)

Both E and I have fallen in love with our horse all over again. :-)

Rainy Nights

Last night was Curly's second night in the pasture. No big deal, really....except that we had a huge rainstorm come through around 8:00 p.m. with thunder and lightening.

Being the mom-type that I am, I immediately began to worry about our big guy, wondering if he was wet and shivering in the storm. But then I reminded myself that he has a nice thick fur coat and besides, it wasn't that cold outside (about 40 degrees). I had a hard time resisting my urge to rush out to the barn and check up on him, though....

When we got out to see him today he seemed quite content - and dry. :-) The pasture he's in had a little more mud than yesterday, but still much less than his old run.

And the barn manager assured me that she will put his blanket on him if she thinks it's too cold for the boys in the fields.

So now I'll be able to sleep at night.....

Crossing my fingers

Curly has been given a new spot to call home at the horse barn. Our barn manager has moved him into his very own 1/4 acre pasture - which means less mud and surprisingly fewer rocks as well. There is no shelter there, but one end of the area is next to a barn and has a few trees. These should provide some relief from wind and light rains. It's a pretty nice spot and I'm sincerely hoping the new environment will help us mitigate any future hoof problems. Curly is definitely enjoying the added space.

At the moment, he has this pasture to himself, but other horses may be turned out with him on occasion. I think this will also be great for our guy.

So I'm crossing my fingers that the healthier environment and freedom the small pasture provides will be enough to keep him sound through the winter.

Wish list

After tonight's visit to the barn, my wish list now includes a nice dry, rock-free pasture for my horse to live in.

Mud season has arrived and "Lake Curly" is occupying a large portion of our guy's run.

Sound?

I've been visiting Curly every other day, to clean both his stall and his hoof. We've become quite skilled at the whole Epsom salt solution in the soaking boot thing. The hardest part is getting him clean enough to soak the hoof - mud season is beginning around here and he's a mess.

Anyway, during last night's visit Curly walked normally all around his dry lot and seemed very much his old self. I think we may be through this latest bout of lameness. And an abscess never did appear on that right front hoof.

E was invited on three separate trail rides last weekend. They were all given to her as birthday presents - a wonderful present, I'd say! She will go on the first one this Saturday...and she may even get to ride Curly rather than borrowing a friend's horse. I might get to go too, riding my old friend Q.

Keeping my fingers crossed that Curly stays healthy.

And behind door number 3...

...we have yet another abscess!

I went to clean yesterday and discovered that Curly was barely moving - again! I immediately called the vet and made an appointment for this afternoon. Poor Curly was in so much pain when I took him out to the trailer - the short walk actually made him sweat.

When we arrived at the vet office, the doctor agreed that the abscess on the left front hoof is healing up as it should and that my course of soaking/Betadine was the right thing to do. The vet then tested his right front hoof but could not locate any weak spot where an abscess was likely to come through. He's still pretty sure that is what is causing this newest bout of lameness, though. I am expecting to see another oozing wound like the last one, at the heel bulb. As far as I'm concerned, that's an okay place for this thing to erupt.

We are doing another round of Bute to help Curly with his pain and if the abscess doesn't surface by Friday, I'll take him back to the vet to reassess the situation.

So what's causing all these hoof and abscess problems? Well, Curly has always been a bit tender-footed. And there are bunches of stones out at the barn - it used to be a river bottom. Perhaps those things combined are doing this. Or perhaps it's just rotten luck.

Will shoeing the horse be the solution? I wonder....

Another Abscess

I've been home sick with a flu bug, so I wasn't able to go out to the barn yesterday. When E went out on Friday with her grandpa J, Curly was not moving at all. Today, however, he was getting around pretty well. When E cleaned out his hooves, she discovered a small puss-filled wound on the fleshy part of his left front heel.

Uncleaned abscess, on the left side at the hairline.

So it appears that what we thought was a pulled muscle was actually an abscess that hadn't come through yet. Now that it is draining, Curly is in much less pain. I put an Epsom salt poultice on the spot for 30 minutes or so to draw out any remaining infection and then flushed out the wound with some Betadine. We'll repeat this process over the next several days.

Vet wrap bandage holding poultice in place

This abscess is soooooo much easier to care for than last winter's. It's in a better spot, not as large and just plan easier to keep clean. He'll be ready to ride again in no time at all!

I suppose I should retract my earlier insult and state that my horse may not be such an idiot after all. :-)

And follow up the retraction by saying that he was actually quite patient during all my ministrations today. What a good boy.

My idiot horse

Don't get me wrong - I really do love the guy - but sometimes he is just such an idiot! He has finally gotten through all his previous lameness problems (shoulder inflamation, tender hoof/frog) and yesterday was to be E's first lesson on him since June. This was kinda important because she's become really afraid to ride him and we all know that the only reason he's been so naughty with her is lack of use.

Anyway, we get out to the barn to clean on Thursday and guess who's barely walking??? The big dork had been playing with some of his horse buddies, racing around and bucking, and it appears he has pulled a muscle on his left front leg.

We are using Bute to help him with his pain and hope that this has resolved itself by Monday. If not, I'll take him into the vet to have the leg looked at.

There are two horses that we may consider this next week. One, Serrano, is an older TB/QH cross who's never done any arena work but is supposedly wonderful out on the trails. My concern with him, however, is that he might find the arena riding we often do way too boring. The second horse, Lottie, is an older mare who has done 4-H, trail riding, lesson horse - well, just about anything we would consider doing, really. She's little - about 14.3 hands - and fat, but cute. Both horses are sound and appear to be great beginner horses. Our friend who is helping us find these animals agrees that E deserves an animal that will be easy. She's had to work hard for a long time already and it's only fair that she have some easy fun now!

I'll keep you updated....

Conquering fear

We spent a few hours out at the barn yesterday, cleaning & doctoring and just generally enjoying the beautiful fall day. E took Curly into the round pen for a long while to exercise him and to make sure he was attending to her.

I wanted her to ride him - which she eventually did - but she was very frightened. All she could think about was her last ride and getting bucked. After much talking and encouragement, E managed to get up in the saddle and go around the arena at a slow pace for 30 minutes. She was scared the whole time.

But she didn't want to get off, either, because she felt like she should be working him. Only she didn't feel confident enough to actually work him. The ride ended in tears.

E will begin lessons again to help her get over these new-found fears. She says she still really wants to ride, only that she doesn't trust Curly. Understandable, really.

But she still loves him.

I have begun to ask around for a horse to lease. We need to find something that will work for her....soon.

House call

The vet came out to the barn this morning to take care of many of the horses living there. One of our old friends, Whiskey, was put to sleep, another has pigeon fever and there are a few others with various lameness issues. Curly's hoof problems really have turned out to be pretty minor when placed in that company!

We all agreed that the frog sloughed off due to thrush. The amount that has come off is not usual (all the way down to tender regions of his hoof) but it will grow back. Curly is already moving around almost normally and the vet gave E. the go ahead to begin riding again. He also gave me a bottle of Coppertex to put on daily for the next 4 days or so. The stuff stains terribly and smells, but it will protect that tender region as he toughens up a bit.

I am now beginning to research various boots to use while riding the trails. The general consensus is that Curly will never have wonderful, hard hooves and riding out on anything other than a nice soft arena will require some sort of hoof protection.

Dr. Mom

After doing some research, I am wondering if perhaps Curly just had a bad case of thrush that infected his frog, causing it to fall off. Part of his run stays wet a lot of the year and he has also developed a nasty habit of pooping in his stall and then standing in the mess - both things that encourage poor hoof health. We have been battling what I thought was a minor case of thrush recently. My second guess is that there is still a bit of infection left in the hoof from that nasty abscess last year.

So we are now going out to the barn on a daily basis to clean Curly's back hoof, rinsing it with either bleach water or an idodine solution and mucking out his stall. I am hoping that by keeping everything as clean as possible we can take care of any infection that may be lurking in that hoof.

Curly was a little worried looking when he saw us walk up yesterday with the blue bucket and some towels. I'm sure he remembers the not-so-pleasant doctoring from last fall/winter! Hopefully this go-round will be less traumatic.

I'm calling the vet today to get his take on it all as well.

Recurring problems

Life with Curly has not been so smooth the past couple of weeks. He has not been ridden since Sept. 30 since it appears he is still having lameness issues with his rear right hoof. (And when E did ride him, he tried his darnedest to buck her off! We all came out of our chairs when he started hopping around...)

E and I are pretty religious about picking out his hooves every time we touch him. And eight times out of ten, we find a pebble or stick stuck in the yuck. Yesterday during this routine the barn manager was chatting with us. She noticed that he pulled his hoof away when I started working on that back one, so she asked to take a look. She was able to pull away pretty much his whole frog - it was all detached, just sorta hanging there. And then he was really tender-footed! He wouldn't do more than tip-toe on it.

The barn manager took Curly into the round pen after this - he was having some issues with ignoring us and being very disrespectful (He continually refused to do as asked, ignored personal space and was constantly turning away from us - not good!). He was able to get around on the lame foot, and would put weight on it eventually, but it was definitely tender.

I had been taught that the frog is supposed to slough off sometimes - maybe not as extremely as Curly's did yesterday, but still shed some. But his reaction to our ministrations makes me think there is more going on. Perhaps another abscess? Some other (hopefully not permanent!) problem? The vet will be coming out to the barn this week for another horse, so the barn manager will ask him to take a look at Curly as well.

All of this started conversations about if we can afford to keep a horse who is not ride-able....E was pretty upset by the end of the afternoon. Understandable, really.

Walking in the rain

E's ankle is bothering her tremendously (again) so I had a solo trip out to the barn this evening.

It was rather nice, actually. I mostly did chores, mucking out Curly's stall and run and generally tidying up our area. Since I had to walk back and forth between barns, I decided to take Curly on the short walk to break up his day a little. He was so excited when he saw me pick up his halter that he rushed over to me immediately and dropped his head to have the halter tied on. In the middle of our walk, a rain storm blew in. It was fun to feel the rain come down while we rushed into the dry aisle of the main barn.

I just love this fall weather.

Workin' again...

Yesterday, E took her first ride on Curly since last July. She was ecstatic when I told her they could travel around the arena at a slow walk for 20 minutes or so. She didn't waste time saddling up, choosing to ride bareback instead. Both horse and rider were so happy to be working together again!

E made quite the funny picture once the ride was done. Riding bareback had left large dirt stains on her backside, plus so much horse hair she was actually able to curry it off. The fact that she wore mis-matched boots yesterday just made her seem all the sillier:

The post-cleaning version of E's outfit...

Why the mis-matched boots, you ask? Her ankle has been acting up again, necessitating the use of an ankle brace. When wearing the brace, she needs my (larger) left boot. Funny looking, but effective!

I also think she just likes to be weird sometimes. :-)

Should I?

Last night was 4-H ride night. Curly is still having lameness issues, so E had to ride Chance. A few small jumps were set up in the arena for the girls to practice with; E has decided that she really likes jumping. This does not help my blood pressure.

While we were there, I saw a couple of horse-for-sale flyers posted on the tack room door. Times are tight, feed is expensive, and we're all beginning to see more and more animals up for sale. The two from last night are priced to sell (only $500!) due to divorce. A friend (our barn manager) knows the owner and the animals and says that they are good, sound horses. So should I go look at them????

There are two things holding me back at the moment. Number one is the lack of available feed. Good hay is scarce around here at the moment. I was given a couple of new leads for hay suppliers last night, though. :-) The second thing holding me back is E's back and forth on what she wants to do with horses. The last couple of times she's ridden, she's really enjoyed the arena stuff and jumping. The two horses listed at our barn happen to have ridden only trails up to this point in their lives. My hunch is that they'd go nuts riding around in circles in an arena.

But....there will be more good animals coming up for sale in the next little bit - and I'm sure that some will also be priced to sell like these two are! So, I guess I just talked myself out of looking at these two particular animals...but left the door open for future purchases!

Fruitcakin'

All of the horses out at the barn were jazzed up by the blowing wind and cooler weather yesterday. You could hear thundering hoof beats all over the pastures and we watched as they bucked and ran everywhere. It was fun to see...but of course Curly appears to have taken it a bit too far and now has a sore leg (right rear). We think he must have slipped in a muddy spot while fruitcakin' around. Will he ever be sound again????

(Side note: "Fruitcakin'' has become a favorite word....I heard the barn manager say it yesterday and it just made me smile. So descriptive and silly! I love the imagery it creates in my mind.)

E spent some time picking Curly's hooves (found two stones), putting linament on his leg and just generally loving on her horse.


R, on the other hand, found a warm spot in the barn and curled up in the hay to play.


By the time we left, she had finger-crocheted an incredibly long yarn chain.

I love the horse barn....

Barn Therapy

E had a terrible day at school earlier this week. Lots of tears and general hormonal upset. After talking it all out I asked if she wanted to go out to the barn. She wasn't too sure but agreed to go anyway.

We spent an hour or two cleaning and riding and loving on the horses. When E got in the car to go home she said "Mom, that was just what I needed." All was right in her world again.

So we have a new deal - whenever she feels like the day has been too much and her emotions are out of control, all she has to do is ask to go to the barn. I promised to find a way to get her there, no matter what.

If only all our problems could be so easily taken care of.....

English, anyone?

Taking Chance for a spin.

E. had an opportunity to ride a different horse out at the horse barn yesterday. Chance is a beautiful Morgan with a pretty little gait. E's never ridden a gaited horse before, so she wasn't sure what she should expect. After trotting around the arena a few times she decided that posting, and English style riding in general, has a purpose after all! Bouncing along in her big ol' Western pleasure saddle wasn't all that comfortable. But she did enjoy Chance's floaty canter. She also really liked the fact that he actually responds to her leg cues, unlike Curly - whose first response to any request is a big "No!"

After spending some time riding this new guy E. has decided that taking some English riding lessons might be fun. Our barn manager has offered Chance for our use while Curly heals, so this is a definite possibility. And who knows, maybe a gaited horse is in her future!

Land Lust

When we first moved to our town, I was overjoyed to finally own a home. And the place we purchased was especially nice, having many beautiful gardens and an absolutely magnificent maple tree in the backyard. The lot wasn't big, but it was all that I needed and wanted. And the fact that my husband can walk to work in 10 minutes is a huge bonus, too.

Over the past nine years my husband and I have overseen some pretty big remodeling projects to make the house fit our lifestyle better. And I'd like to think the changes we've made have improved the quality of our old house.

Then I discovered my love of horses. And guess what - my perfect house doesn't seem so perfect anymore.

I want land, lots of land. Okay, maybe not that much, but definitely more than my current .16 acres. I check the real estate ads obsessively now, looking for the perfect lot to build my dream barn, um, I mean house, on. My ideal place is still close to hubby's work - preferably within bicycling distance - and at least 3 acres. I've even picked out some house plans that I think I'd like to build. (I've researched sustainable building and alternative energy sources for home heating for many years -- so wanting to build a house such as the one in the link is nothing new.) Unfortunately, the land around here is not inexpensive anymore. I found my perfect lot - to the tune of $325,000! I'd like to spend that much on the land and the house. Then I'd still be able to possibly build my dream barn....

Complicating the whole issue is the fact that hubby M doesn't want to move. That 10 minute walk to work is extremely important to him, plus he just plain likes our house.

I'm constantly torn by my desire to own our own acreage where we keep our horses, a couple of goats and the random chicken. But our current setup works okay. Sure, I have to drive 20 minutes to go see the horse, but by boarding I gain the freedom to travel and I also benefit from the social aspects of being at a barn with lots of people around.

If only I could find a lot to build my strawbale house that was next door to a place to board the horse, all within walking distance of work.....

Upset tummy or....

In between herdsmanship duty assignments at the county fair last week we made quick trips out to the horse barn to check in on Curly. He was terribly lonely out there while everyone else was playing at the fair grounds! He became a regular "pocket pony," following us everywhere we went.

On Monday, however, he wasn't so lively and just stayed in his stall the whole time we were there. Plus he had eaten only half of his breakfast. This is very unusual for our boy - he's typically a big vacuum, sucking up every last bit of hay he can get his lips on. So many things could be wrong and we hated to see him so not his normal self. Being concerned, E. had grandma drive her out to the barn again on Tuesday.

Then we found out what had happened...and it wasn't tummy trouble. Or at least not honest tummy trouble! Curly had been let out to graze in one of the smaller areas near the hay barns...and the stinker broke into the storage areas and ate 1/3 of a bale of hay! No wonder he didn't eat his breakfast!

It's County Fair time!

E's 4-H club has been in high-gear, getting ready for the upcoming fair. Yesterday we spent the afternoon cleaning and decorating the stalls that will be used by our group. Hard work, but fun too. Our club is made up of relatively young members, so we have decided to not kill ourselves trying to win the herdsmanship competition. The kids will work hard to keep their animals healthy and happy, but hopefully we won't have any of the falling apart that occurred last year.

Here's some pictures of yesterday's fun:

Cleaning the stalls before we bring in our animals...

The kids cleaned them inside and out...what a big job!

Finishing up our education display board..."Know Your Alpha Bits"

Fixing the club sign....

We are all looking forward to a good fair experience. I think E might be a little sad that she's not showing Curly...but only a little!

Muddy Frogwater Adventure...

Yesterday E and the other members of her 4-H club rode in their first parade together at the Muddy Frogwater Festival. It was a great event for young first-time paraders since it is not heavily attended and thus has fewer "spooky" things along the route. This proved especially helpful in E's situation because her horse, Q, decided to become a handful, forcing her to dismount and give him over to an adult to try to lead to the end of the parade. We were a little surprised at Q's desire to buck and spook given that he has been ridden in many parades throughout his life...but I guess that just proves that you can never get lax while on the back of a horse 'cause you don't know when they might decide to take a nutty.

In spite of Q's naughtiness, the club did quite well and won a first place award for equestrian groups. Here's some pics of the event:

The pre-parade lineup...E is third from the right.

I made a frog on a lily pad for each girl riding in the parade.

Starting out on the parade route...

I have the most important job of all...official pooper-scooper extraordinaire!

After the parade, the club was invited to the Queen's Luncheon being hosted by the Pioneer Posse Court. And then they were off to a car wash fundraiser...what a busy day!

Doctor's orders...

So we had good news and bad news from the vet today. The good news is that Curly's hooves, often the source of his problems, appear to be in good shape and are not the cause of his current lameness. The bad news is that there is some inflammation in both of his shoulders which is causing him to short-stride in both front legs and putting him in constant pain. Another side for the good news, however, is that this is a fixable/manageable problem. On the negative side, though, is that healing could take months - even a year.

Consequently, Curly will receive several steroid shots over the next week and then is to be placed on "bed rest" until all is well. I'm sure he won't mind the lack of exercise too much as he is essentially a lazy animal. :-) (Our friend A, and owner of Q, has given E permission to ride Q until Curly is deemed road-worthy once again, by the way. "But I thought you guys were already leasing Q?" you ask...ironically, our lease had just ended, so we are/were down to one animal again.)

E was sad to learn that her horse is not feeling so great. She has missed riding him - although not as much as I had thought she would...I wonder, is her horse-loving phase coming to an end??? Banish the thought! Actually, I think she is just very disillusioned with the show ring and is trying to find some other outlet for her horse riding desire.

Which brings me to the next bit of information I gathered today. While asking around I learned of a riding group that meets to do orienteering on horseback. It's a very family-friendly bunch, and they would be happy to welcome some new members. When I approached E about trying out this new activity she was ecstatic. Now I just have to find a horse I can ride....

Curly's still limping...

Poor E! (Wait, maybe I should be saying poor Curly! Does seem a bit insensitive to ignore his physical pain in favor of E's disappointment.) Anyway, Curly is still injured so E had to miss out on a club trail ride Saturday.

We hauled in 2 tons of hay this past week. Only three more to go! Hubby M and I are getting quite skilled at loading and unloading those heavy bales. Hay prices are going up and I'm worried that our supplier will sell out soon, so we will bring in the rest of the bales before the end of the month. Unfortunately, there is only enough room out at the barn to store four tons, so one ton will have to be sheltered on our carport at the house. Wonder what the neighbors will think when they see 22 bales stacked to the eaves???

Happy Birthday Curly?

A friend from Australia sent Curly birthday greetings today. That would make Curly the grand ol' age of 13, I believe.

I did a quick Google search to figure out why this particular date was selected for a horse's "official" birth date...and learned the following. August 1st is actually the official birthday for thoroughbreds living in the Southern hemisphere. January 1st is the official date for those in the Northern regions.

Soooo....given that we live in the Northern hemisphere, January 1st would seem more appropriate. But since Curly is an appaloosa, not a thoroughbred, we've decided to make life even easier and just celebrate it on E's birthday at the end of October. :-)

Happy to be home...

There was a happy surprise waiting for us when we arrived home day before yesterday. E.'s 4-H friends had made a couple of signs welcoming her back (and admonishing her to never leave again!). Her best friend (not in 4-H) wasn't about to be outdone by these other friends, so she liberally decorated the dining room/kitchen with additional "welcome home" signs. We felt very missed and loved when we opened the back door.

We had our first visit out to the barn this morning after the long European adventure. Both E. and I were so excited to get out to visit our boy Curly. I felt like a giddy child as we drove up the driveway and saw our friend, the barn manager, out in the arena.

While we were away one of the other kids out at the barn helped care and exercise Curly. As an additional surprise (she is also in the 4-H club), she spit-shined him the evening before our arrival and braided his mane and tail so he would look beautiful when we first saw him. Of course, we would have thought he looked beautiful even if he was covered in mud - but it was nice to see him all shiny and clean!

Unfortunately, Curly strained a ligament in one of his front legs while we were away and is healing at the moment. E. tried to ride for a short while, but he told her in no uncertain terms that he was not ready - he tried to buck her off 3 times in just 5 minutes. We gave him a bit of bute since he was beginning to limp again and released him back into his run.

Because of Curly's injury, E. will not be able to compete in our county fair this year. I think she is (not so) secretly relieved. She has yet to have a fully positive experience showing - and honestly, her horse hates it. So not being able to show at fair takes a huge amount of pressure off of her.

This evening we went back to the barn for a pot-luck/horsey play-date. E. rode Jalema (the barn manager's horse) and R. rode Q....and I think both had a grand time.

E. riding Jalema.

Neither child wanted to leave when I said it was time to go.

I am still re-adjusting to our local time (it's 9 hours off from where we traveled) and can barely keep my eyes open....ahhhh, the joys of international travel and jet lag......

Our Travels Begin....

Interested in finding out where we are for the next few weeks? Head on over to my husband's travel blog to read about our latest adventures!

Matthew's Travelogue


Auf Wiedersehen!

Blog Obsession

My family will be going on a BIG VACATION soon and I realized that I will not just miss our horse, Curly, but I will also miss my morning routine of checking out my favorite horse blogs. I have become obsessive about reading these things!

The writers of these posts are humorous, intelligent, sometimes ranting and furious, but always clear about their love for these animals. I have learned so much about training, riding and the unfortunate maltreatment of horses through their writings.

So, here's a list of my current favorites...and be aware that some are not particularly appropriate for young eyes!

Our First Horse
This was the first blog I stumbled upon, over a year ago. They have been less frequent in their postings lately, but I still enjoy reading about their experience as new owners.

Mugwump Chronicles
My current favorite. Great writing, great tips, lots to think about. Wouldn't be surprised to see a book come from her pen!

Fugly Horse of the Day
It's all about the horse....and bad owners should beware! People are watching - and posting! Not kid-friendly, but very eye-opening indeed.

Pony Girl Rides Again
Another well written, entertaining blog. Lots of great pictures too.

Horse Dreams
This is a friend of mine, who is in the beginning stages of starting an equine outreach for local youth.

It's A Really Long Way Down
Entertaining stories about the training of the Very Large Colt.


My new fear is that I'll stumble upon yet more great blogs and have to keep adding them to my morning list....soon I'll have to get up 2 hours earlier in the day to get done with all my "required" reading! :-)

Trying out new skills...

Yesterday E had her first go at implementing some of her new-found knowledge. She was very excited to try out some of Anderson's "Groundwork for Respect" exercises. Before taking Curly into the round pen we both were thinking that he would probably be a little slow at understanding the requests, but he totally surprised both of us and was pretty good at figuring out what he was supposed to do in each situation. I guess I'll have to stop saying that he's not the brightest of horses!

She was also surprised when she tried flexing him while on the ground. He easily reached his head back, making (and keeping) slack on the lead rope almost instantly. What a good boy! I had anticipated a training session that would take at least an hour - but they were done in about 20 minutes.

E did find it difficult to manage Clinton Anderson's special "stick" (generously loaned by a friend) and the lead rope at the same time. I think it will take some practice before she gets the hang of it....plus I think it would be good if she can find a way to exert pressure without the use of the stick. I must admit that it kind of irks me that his exercises are built around the use of a tool that "you too can own for the low, low price of $65!" But I guess a guy's gotta earn a living somehow.

And I also have to admit that I really do secretly like all the special tools...but also have a perverse need to resist buying any - which is how I am about all those wonderful kitchen gadgets I lust after at great stores like William and Sonoma!

Up close and in person...

Living in a rural portion of the country doesn't allow for many opportunities to see celebrities. Yesterday, however, E was able to get the autograph of and even talk to one from the horse world - Clinton Anderson!

We dragged ourselves out of bed early in the morning and drove about an hour away to attend his current tour. I've never been to a horse clinic of any kind - except for a couple of 4-H sponsored ones geared towards the kids - so I didn't really know what to expect. I have read some articles that Mr. Anderson has written for Horse and Rider magazine, and he has seemed to be pretty no-nonsense and practical in those, and I knew that he had a tv show that is well liked, so I was anticipating a good day with an overload of information. It also doesn't hurt that he's pretty cute in his cowboy hats and button-down shirts!

I figured that there would be a fair number of people in attendance and was not too surprised when we drove up to an arena with a parking lot full of cars from as far away as Idaho. We climbed the bleachers to some seats near the top and sat down to listen to his philosophy of horse training. And I have to say, he made alot of sense. He then went on to put a saddle on a 2 year old that had never had anything on its back - I was amazed at what he was able to accomplish in just 3 hours! I know that I never want to train a young colt - I'll leave that to the professionals - but I will be able to apply many of the training tips he handed out to our own horse.

At the end of each show, Clinton Anderson has a meet and greet with his audience. Our girls rushed to be at the front of the line (they were fourth), books in hand for his autograph. E was so brave and asked if he would be willing to donate any of his training videos to her 4-H club. He told her to write him a letter telling about the club and bring it back to the clinic the next day. He pulls from these letters each week, sending products to the chosen clubs.


She also asked about Curly's head shaking habit. His first question back to her was, "Is your horse a lazy horse?" I think this guy must really know horses! Anyway, Mr. Anderson gave her a tip or two. I think E will be reading his book cover to cover. :-)

I think I will too....

Visiting relatives

We made a quick trip out to the barn yesterday to introduce more family members to Curly. I had to laugh at the fact that they traveled over 1000 miles to get here and the first thing we did was make them shovel horse poop! :-)

E had a short ride as well. Curly is still tossing his head when she asks for a canter. It's not as bad as a couple of weeks ago, but the shaking is still there. I know that training is an on-going thing, and that I need to be patient....but I'm not the most patient of people.

I think I'm the one getting the lesson here....

Daily rides and other miscellaney

We are leaving for our BIG TRIP soon, so E and I have been going out to the barn as often as we can. I want to squeeze in all the horse time I can!

Yesterday was ride night - and PTA night. So dad had the pleasure of taking E and Curly to the 4-H ride while I worked out a new budget with other PTA officers. Here's a great pic he took of all the trailers waiting outside of the arena:


Monday, being a holiday, was also a ride-day for E and I. We took an unplanned trip out to a local reservoir and enjoyed a couple of hours out on the trails:


And last (but certainly not least!), R has discovered that she really likes combing out tails:

Every time we go out to the barn now she starts working on any available tail, patiently untangling and brushing.

Motherly Manipulation...

E wasn't able to get any riding in this week - too many other commitments and rainy weather got in the way. So early yesterday morning I picked her up from her best friend's house (they had had a sleep-over the previous night) and we headed out to the barn. As soon as we arrived, however, E started to fall apart, complaining that she was too tired to do anything.

I wasn't going to let her get out of chores (which is what she was whining about the most, of course!) and as soon as she finished taking care of Curly's stall I "encouraged" her to also groom him. The poor guy was covered in mud and really needed to be cleaned up a bit. E grudgingly did as I asked, moping and whining the entire time.

I was a tad bit frustrated by this time. Plus, I really thought he needed to be ridden since he'd had almost the entire week off.

Then I had a brilliant idea - I asked E if I could ride Curly. Now, remember, I have only gotten on his back a couple times this whole past year...so she was surprised when I asked. As I tacked up I asked her to help me with the bit and the cinch - all things I can do, but I was trying to get her interested in the process. By the time I started to lead Curly to the arena, she was fully engaged and suggesting that she watch "just to make sure you don't get yourself killed, mom."

As I positioned the horse to get on, E then suggested that she warm him up and determine his mindset before I try riding. I graciously took her up on the offer, of course. The whole time this is going on I'm trying my hardest to not smile or laugh. It really was too easy to get her riding her horse!

And after one turn around the arena, she called out that riding Curly was a great idea.

I only hope all the teenage years go so easy.....

High temps and sunburned noses...

Summer has arrived. And I don't think we ever had a real spring! Here's a picture of the barn thermometer at 8:00 tonight:


E. had planned on riding but it was too darn hot, so we just cleaned and visited instead. Turns out that she couldn't have ridden anyway; Curly was limping when we arrived and appeared to have some swelling in his back legs. Over exertion the past few days? He's been worked pretty hard recently.... We'll go back tomorrow to check on him.

He spent too much time out in the sunshine, too, and has a sunburned nose:

I put a little sunblock on so hopefully it won't get any worse....

Training what we have...

I just finished reading the latest post at Fugly Horse of the Day and the advice to take the time to train our animals definitely resonated with me. There are so many unsafe/poorly trained animals out there - and like the posting said, they ain't gonna train themselves! Passing my problem horse off to someone else is not an option.

It is our responsibility to take care of our horse and to help him achieve his best. And I have to wrap my mind around the fact that this is going to take great amounts of time and energy.

And in the end, it will be so worth it!

A Work-In-Progress...

I'm sure poor Curly is beginning to feel a bit picked on. To "encourage" him to eliminate his awful head shaking habit, a contraption made up of bungees and a rubber bit is being used for a period of time each day. All of this is helping him learn correct head placement, among other things. E. says that she can already feel a difference in his responses to her cues and in his movement.

One of the Fair Court princesses was out at the barn today as well. While she was working with some animals in the arena, her mother came over to see what we were doing with our horse. I have to admit that I felt a bit like a proud mother, hearing her say what a pretty boy he was and then also having our barn manager agree and add even more compliments. You'd think they were telling me that I was the pretty one!

A long day at the Junior Show...

We started out very early yesterday, arriving at the barn to load up our animals at 6:00 a.m. to transport them to the Junior Show. E. was not too happy to be up at 5:15, but we managed to get out the door on time. As soon as we arrived I realized that I had left her show numbers on the kitchen counter - Yikes! Luckily, the show managers let us hand-write a set to use. Not a good way to start off the day, though.

E. did a good job getting herself and Curly all ready for the first class - showmanship. The judge was super tough and even though E. performed fairly well, she only got a red. In fact, out of 13 participants, only one received a blue. That set the tone for the whole day and the girls were quite frustrated with the judging. Other parents and I decided that we've all gotten used to fairly generous judging in previous shows!

After showmanship, E. and Curly tackled the trail course. It didn't contain anything too difficult...except for the BIG SCARY GATE! Actually it wasn't the physical gate that was terrible, it was the clanking sound that it made as it was opened and closed. The judge gave E. about 5 minutes of trying to manage it and then excused her from the obstacle. Here's a pic of the two of them in front of the monster:


The worst point of the day came next: bareback equitation. E. has very limited experience riding Curly bareback, so before entering the show ring she asked the office staff if there was to be any cantering. Since they replied in the negative, she went ahead and gave it a try.


Well, they were wrong; the judge asked the class to canter and Curly decided to start tossing his head. E., who is not skilled enough to handle anything out of the ordinary when riding bareback, barely kept her seat...and was scared to death by the experience. But she did stay on! All of us parents in the stands were quite amazed and proud of her - he really was challenging as he tossed and turned under her. After the class was over (red ribbon), E. (crying her eyes out) declared that she was done for the day. I can't say that I blame her, but I also know that she did handle the situation well and that she could handle the horse even better with a saddle. We had a heart-to-heart talk, and her 4-H leader also talked to her about how she really did do an amazing job...and we convinced her to try the next class.

It ended up that Western Pleasure was not a pleasure for E. After watching Curly toss his head again as E. asked for a lope, the judge pulled her aside to recommend that she tighten her reins to have more control. While normally good advice, that is not always the best thing for Curly - he sometimes behaves even worse with the stronger contact. And not 30 seconds after giving this advice, another rider's horse decided to take a nutty and bucked his rider off, barely missing her with his hooves as she flew over his head to the ground!

Western Equitation was not any better, although E. and Curly did a pretty good job on the pattern. Another red ribbon and thankfully the end of a long day!

We have been talking about all these events over and over, trying to decide what is the best thing to do next. Sell Curly and get another horse? (My first inclination, and also fully supported by Hubby M. Seeing his daughter so upset was no fun!). Or keep Curly and try to work out these kinks? This morning, that seems like the more sane thing to do. He really is a nice guy - until you ask him to work! He's a bit lazy and thinks he can get out of doing his job by scaring his little rider. But this might be a trainable behavior. He's generally sound and in good health and has pretty good conformation. And we all think he's beautiful. And most of all, E. really does love him. That makes selling him super hard....

We'll approach our trainer about doing another 30 day session with him in the immediate future. I'm pretty sure it will be money well spent...

Loping bareback and Open Houses

Just a quick entry tonight - my eyes are quickly closing so I need to head off to bed....

E and I went out to the barn today to do our usual Sunday chores and to introduce all the visiting aunts and uncles to Curly. Before leaving, E decided to take a quick ride sans tack. She's ridden bareback on Curly only one other time that I can think of, and didn't do much more than a walk for most of it. Well today they traveled a bit faster and actually went around at a lope! She was very excited, but admitted that it was kind of scary too.

On the way home we visited an Open House being held at a property I've been drooling over for many months. It's a ranch-style home on 23 acres with quite a bit of river frontage and great water rights. The owners recently dropped the price so it is actually almost attainable. E and I both really liked the house but after walking around the property a bit, I have to admit that 23 acres is really too much for us. But if I can find a similar house with 2.5 to 5 acres, well, we might have to do some fast talking with Hubby M!

Learning to sit a buck...

Yesterday I finally got a chance to ride Q. It's been many weeks since I've had the opportunity - seems like a child always decide to ride whenever I'd like to...and being "mom" I always let them have the horse.

But not yesterday. I borrowed a saddle from a friend and hopped on his back, with the thought in the back of my mind that today might be the day I finally lope. There were five other riders in the arena, all more accomplished than I. As our trainer called out directions for us, I attempted to follow along - and could do most things, except for the special turns and side passing. When she called out for everyone to lope, however, I chickened out. Q, who had been trying to be at the front of the pack the whole lesson, saw his buddies start to speed up and decided he wanted to do that too, even though I had not asked for a lope. I shut him down within a stride or two - and he wasn't happy about that and gave a little buck. As he started to hop around, I immediately grabbed the saddle horn....and then remembered that I had to pull back on the reins to stop him.

When the trainer had me get off to check his saddle (and to give him a little attitude adjustment) I discovered that my legs were very shaky. It's scary when the horse decides to take a little nutty! But I got back on....and then kept him to a walk for the rest of the lesson.

I know, I'm a great big chicken!

But it was fun, none the less.

A busy week...

It seems that we are never home lately and this past week was no different.

Tuesday was a ride night with the 4-H club and since Hubby M was at a work event, little R had to hang out at the arena with us. That made for a very late night for her because we never get home before 8:30 on those nights. She did great, though, and happily played with her toy horses in the dirt for a couple of hours.

E gave her demonstration speech on Wednesday. She did a very good job, earning a blue ribbon and $5! She ended her speech with "...and you'll have a very happy horse!" and gave a big hug to the toy horse she used as her prop. Very cute! We celebrated her success with treats from the local ice cream shop. Yum!



On Saturday we took R's best friend out to the barn for a ride on Q. She's quite a bit smaller than R so we had to adjust the equipment to fit her...and discovered that our youth saddle doesn't work for really little legs. Even at their shortest, the stirrups dangled below her over-sized cowboy boots. I wasn't too worried, however, because we kept Q on a lead rope the entire time. R had a good time being photographer; she didn't enjoy leading horse and rider around as much, though.

A One-Girl Kind of Horse...

We spent a couple of hours out at the barn today, cleaning and taking pictures of E. brushing Curly. She's going to use the pictures for an illustrated talk that she will be delivering in front of a panel of 4-H judges this next week. Here's a sampling from our "photo shoot"

First step - the curry comb.

The brushes had to be cleaned every few strokes.
It's definitely hair season!

Curly gets a face-washing...

The final rub-down for a shiny coat.

E. saddled up for a short ride just before we took off. The wind was whipping through the trees, which energized Curly a bit. After they expended some of his extra "get-up-and-go" I decided to try him out. This is only the second time I've climbed on his back - and the first time was almost a year ago! Curly has gotten so used to E. that he was totally confused when I rode him. He kept trying to stop at each corner of the arena because he wasn't quite sure where he was supposed to go next. It was almost comical to watch. We decided that he's not a stupid horse, but that he is definitely lazy and will try to find a way out of doing any work.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

Hubby M. actually requested to ride Q yesterday afternoon! Honest! No trickery, pleading or begging was necessary. I was leading R. around the arena on her first bareback ride and as we approached the mounting block to finish up he asked to take a spin. So not only did he ride, he rode bareback. And for all of you imagining a wild ride with lots of "Yeehaw!" let me change that picture by placing myself in front of the horse, lead rope in hand.

After the excitement of trying to get on the horse's back (Q doesn't particularly like the mounting block.), I had trouble keeping the horse to a slow walk - until I looked back and saw that M. had Q held tightly in a death grip with his thighs...and was unknowingly asking the horse to go faster, faster! After we had the little "You need to relax, honey" talk, all went well.

About three quarters of the way around the arena M. wondered why we ever let our small children do this sport! It is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

I don't think he'll be taking up riding in earnest any day soon, but I do think he "enjoyed" the experience.

p.s. I noticed after the fact that he picked a day when we didn't have a camera anywhere near us....