Well, I finally got a picture to upload. Yay for me. I will try to get some pictures that Bob took of Sierra on the front porch trying to get thru the screen door tomorrow. She was really funny. She will follow me anywhere.

A fun day

Worked Sierra 3 times today even with the unbearable heat. The first time was 8 this AM so it was nice out and then let her out to eat for an hour while I cleaned her stall. It was about 100 out so not fun. Then this evening we went to the arena to work on the trail stuff. She does pretty well on all of that. She is side passing both ways pretty good. Still not trotting with me but will when Bob kisses behind her. We will keep working on that.

I tried to upload a picture but don't know if it worked or not. Will keep working on that too.

Bob found out today that he is going to get a 3 strikes horse from Burns. A cute 3 year old filly, not quite 14 hands. He wanted her at the Pasco adoption but she was not a 3 strikes horse then but went to Albany and did not get adopted so now she is. But we got really good news and Nick was adopted. He worried me because he is so shy. He is at home in Salem, Oregon. Fostering is tough because you get attatched to them. It is going to be so hard to let Sierra go but I will. Tears I am sure. Have poured so much of myself into her.

One hot Sunday

It was 105 today. Not a good day to be outside from noon on.

We met some friends this morning at 7:30 AM at Riverside State Park and went for about a 10 mile ride mostly in the canyon. It was not too hot there. We were up on top of the area for a little while and watched about 9 turkey buzzards soring around and sitting in the tall snags. They are pretty ugly birds but it was fun to watch them. We also watched an osprey feeding her youngsters. Then down along the river. I had never ridden Dixie where there were a lot of bicycles so I walked her along the Centennial Trail. Of course no bikes while we walked. Then went down to the river and let the horses drink and play in the water. We only had one bridge to cross and then back up the trail thru the trees. And guess what happened in the middle of the bridge - a bike came soaring down at us. He slowed way down and Dixie just looked, no spook. I would want to know how she does when one came up behind her but did not have to worry about that. Got home about 11:30 and BBQ'd burgers but we ate in our cool house.

I worked Sierra about 15 minutes but it was just too hot. Sooooooo I gave her a good wash off. She didn't seem to mind too much. I will go back out in about an hour and do some more. Maybe even 2 hrs. It is still 95. I promised I would not complain about heat when we had months of snow. And I am not just is too hot to work outside.

Saturday June 28th.

We spent the day today in Couer D'Alene, Idaho at the wedding of a young man we have known since he was 2. He and his bride Lori had a beautiful wedding. Jeff is a fine young man who has spent one tour in Iraq and will go back for a year in about 3 months. One of the pictures in their slide show was of Jeff fishing in a mud puddle at our house when he was 3 or 4. Lots of good memories. Much love and best wishes to Jeff and Lori.

I worked with Sierra this morning. She did great. Cathy Johnson came after her horse and I asked her if we could use her trailer to see if she would go in a different one from ours and she did. Hopped right in. We are beginning to side pass. She does it pretty well for 3/4 steps from the left but only 1/2 from the right. Just started late this week so am rather proud of her.

We are planning to ride in the morning early before it gets hot. Down at Riverside State Park I think. Will let you know tomorrow.

Friday, June 27th

Here it is Friday already. Tonight was our Inland Empire Mustang Horse Club. It started off all on the wrong foot when we arrived and the restaurant was closed. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. They will hear from me tomorrow or Monday.

We planned a trail ride for Sept. 13Th. at Marie Creek. It will be fun. I was thinking July but the rest of the group thought that was too close to get it well organized. They are probably right.

Did not do too much with Sierra today. I did her half hour of trotting. Then we went in and out of the trailer as a reminder. She did fine. She did not escape her stall today. She is quite an escape artist when she want to be.

Thursday

Did not get to Sierra until late afternoon. Just had to get my house cleaned and stuff organized for dinner. We had friends here for a BBQ this evening. It was fun.

Sierra and I had publicity pictures taken today. Will have to figure out where to submit them. He will put them on a disc and mail it to me tomorrow. I am glad to have them. She was pretty good standing for a lengthy amount of town. I put her pretty new lavender halter/lead on her and it has a name plate on the halter. Still am wondering if I will be able to let it go with her.

She was really good when I did work with her before the photographer came. Did not do a lot of things, trotted her for 10 minutes instead of 30 and then brushed and brushed her and put horsey makeup on the nose and around her eyes. She did not like it too much and a little gel on her mail and forelock so they would lay down nicely. She is so pretty. Of course I might be a little prejudiced?

Wednesday

Well today was interesting. Sierra forgot whoa. Never thought she had heard the word before. I put her in the round pen this morning and then she tried running me over and would not do anything. I finally got one thing out of her and then back to her stall because I was getting frustrated. This evening, we tried again and she still didn't remember so we practiced whoa for 45 minutes. Walked circles, over poles and lots of whoa's. She finally looked at me and said OH I Remember now.

Downloaded the entry forms I need to fill out for the Mustang Expo in Reno in August. I think we will have to be there on Wednesday to have the kinks worked out by the time we show on Friday. I am nervous now. Need to start making a list of things we need to take with us like a stall fork and hose etc.

I turned our other horses out on their green pasture this evening and after 2 hrs. or so went to get them in. They are in the big pasture and after 45 minutes told them they could stay until Bob got home and could take the 4 wheeler. They were not coming in hook or crook. I would get them all headed for the gate and Abby would take off thru the middle and scatter them. I was so mad. Bob said leave them out. He will put them in in the AM. He is too tired.

Gave a riding lesson this evening. Samantha is probably the best young rider I have ever taught. Really appreciate her. She is 11. Pepper was not too good. He wanted to go eat. I think next week I will get Ditto in. She is my old paint mare and will be more cooperative.

Anyway that's my day.

Tuesday

Summer is here and its hard to work with the horses in the middle of the day so Sierra got played with this morning and then this evening. She is side passing and that excited me. She will trot when I encourage her along side me but she has got to learn to go slower. Old short legs don't cut it. I have been worrying about how to get her muscled up nicely and had to remind myself that she is not getting enough time to stretch her muscles so its going to be l5 minutes of trotting each way in the round pen. We are doing most of the other work in the arena.

She is eating her grain like mad now. A week ago I was asking how to get her to try it. I gave her extra oats tonight after she trotted for half an hour. Boy when I said whoa and come, she did. Huffing and puffing.

Tomorrow morning Skeeter, my little poodle dynamo goes to get groomed. He is a fuzzy mess right now. I wish they didn't have to have him so early. I am used to sleeping in.

till tomorrow -

Monday

I did not work with Sierra for lengthy amount of times. 2x about half an hour each but did not feel very well today. We worked on the same things we have been working on this entire time , just perfecting it. We did trot together but I am not a world class runner and that is what I needed to be to keep up with her. Need to work a lot more on that. Remember I have 70 year old legs and they are short besides. This wasn't the best day to do that but did anyway. She backed the L today and did not step on the poles. That was a first. I clipped her a bridle path with scissors. Need to get the clippers out but did not feel up to it today. She likes being in her stall. I brushed her all over and sprayed her with Show Sheen. She does not mind the spray bottles at all.

Hope to have more to say tomorrow when my stomach is done with its contortions.

Sunday, a day of rest

We got up and went to church this morning. After we got home I changed my clothes and went to get Sierra out of her stall. It makes me so happy that she is happy to see me. I moved her to another stall. The one she was in flooded. No not from the rain we got last night but the automatic waterer stuck open and ran and ran. Poor baby was up to her ankles in water and mud. Bob just turned it off until he has time to fix it.

We did not work too long today. She did everything that I asked. She even trotted on the lunge line but not with me. She just walked faster and faster. Will keep working on it though. It was a breakthrough to trot on the lunge line. She goes over the poles and backs thru the L (sort of) and around the barrels. She can back a figure 8 so I am sure she will get the trotting stuff. Don't know to have her lope yet or not. The trotting will have to be secure like the walking before I start any other gait. She keeps working on backing the L. She is having a hard time figuring to turn. No problem with the barrels but the poles are a different issue I guess.

Today we gave our little black mare, Abby, to our young friend Katie that has done most of the training of her. I handed over the title with the change of title all filled out and gave her a "bill of sale" that I had given Abby to her. She was so excited. She is a nice young lady. She will be a senior this fall. She showed Abby at our Mustang show 3 weeks ago and did pretty well.

On our way home from church we were looking for a yard sale and saw a big doe standing behind the fence at the border of Fairchild AFB. A second look revealed a very tiny new baby fawn nursing. She stood there and let us take pictures. I was so excited. I almost always take my camera with me whenever I go in the car for just such moments. Never found the yard sale.

Till tomorrow -----

A long day

I worked at a horse show in Milton Freewater, Oregon all day and then drove home. It was a nice laid back show. The weather was good. Kind of hot and muggy at times but have been there at their shows when it was over 100 so today was good. It rained about 100 drops once and it felt really good.

I did not really do anything with Sierra today. I just went down and talked to her in her stall for a while. Petted her all over and picked up her feet. I hugged her around the neck and she just hugged me back. It made me cry. It is not going to be easy to let her go after this is over.

Tomorrow I will get back to working with her and adding something. I think it will be trotting with me. So far all we are doing is walking. I tried a little one day last week but not really working at it. She picks up things sooooo fast.

A beautiful day in my neighborhood

Another great day working Sierra. She lunges well at a walk. We are working on a trot. She does a whoa really good. She walks over the poles and around the barrels. We are still working on backing the L well. She yields her hind quarters and steps over quite nicely for 3/4 steps. We got 2 steps each way turning on the haunches. All things to hone. I did spray her with fly spray and she just stood there. Pepper still goes ballistic when he even sees the spray bottle and to see her stand there is a really good thing. I am going to dig around in our blankets on Sunday and see if we have a light weight sheet to practice wearing. I don't know if we do. Am trying to remember what I put on Rosie when I was showing her. I know the winter blanket but its MUCH too warm for that. We have a bunch of blankets/sheets.

Last night I was in the yard holding Sierra while she munched on grass talking to our neighbor Shannon and we heard a noise. I looked up and the horse we have here in training, Paddy, was opening and closing the mailbox that is part of our trail set up in the arena. He is shut into the arena. He was so funny. He opened and closed it several times. He is the horse that bucked Bob off the first week of June.

I am leaving in the morning again to work a horse show in Milton Freewater, Oregon. Its only a one day show though and I will be home Saturday evening.

Another good day

I am so grateful for the nice weather we are having. I gave Sierra another rinse off bath and she did not mind it today. In fact she kept drinking from the hose. She does the trail things just fine too. I was so proud of her backing a figure eight around the big blue barrels. We worked some more on lunging too. She did that well also. We need to work on trotting now on the lunge line and trotting along with me on the lead rope. We made a 5 panel pen on good grass and put her out there for 3/4 hrs. this afternoon. She thought she was in heaven.

Bob is looking at another horse. He should have brought her home from Pasco. She is a 3 year old dun filly. I am wondering what he will decide to do. He thinks she is a 3 strikes horse and Tracey thinks she is not. If she isn't I know he will wait. Tracey asked me if she was a 3 strikes so I am assuming she thinks not. Anyway I e mailed Ramona and asked for sure.

Home

After a very stressful working weekend I am home again. I was thinking I was charging too much but considering I had to break up a fist fight between 2 guys who weren't even competitors, just a husband of one and a boyfriend of another who thought their respective competitors had caused a problem in the arena. Among other things I told them I did not need their help.

Spent time today messing with Sierra. Was too tired to do a lot but I did give her a bath. She was not especially thrilled but not too bad all things considered. She lunged well at a walk and a short trot and stopped when I said whoa. Then I let her eat grass. Tomorrow my goal is another bath and setting up the trail things in the round pen. I want to work in the arena but it needs working and I will get the trail stuff out so Bob can do that. I don't think she will have any trouble with the things. I backed her all the way around the round pen to help build muscle in her rear end on Tracey's advice.

I have to work next weekend in Milton Freewater, Oregon so I probably will not get to ride this week. Maybe next week. Bob is going to pony Sierra from Pepper one day this week. His back is much better. What a relief. I am off to bed, its been a long weekend.

WooHooooooooo Real Progress today

I put Sierra out into the round pen thinking she would run and buck around but she didn't. Just ambled around. I cleaned her stall, re bedded it and went out. She did not think she wanted me to catch her but I told her whoa and she let me walk up and take the rope just below the halter. That was the first great thing she did. I worked a little in the round pen and then took her out and thought, well this is the day for loading in the trailer again. The last time took forever and she never liked it much. Today she just walked in and stood there. I petted her all over and told her she was a wonderful girl. Then we went to investigate a big poplar tree that blew down in a lulu of a storm we had last night. She just walked thru the branches and out the other side. Let her eat grass and we took a walk all around the front of the place and out by the barn where Bob has been demolishing a camper. She just walked around it as if it wasn't there. Then I let her eat some more grass and then back in the trailer. Altogether we did that 5 times.

In the stall I picked up all four feet and rubbed her all over. Am so very proud of her. I will be gone 3 days working at a horse show in Goldendale. So it will be Monday before I get to do it again but I know she will do just as well.

I also worked with Nellie and Nick the last time. I can pick up all four of Nellie's feet, brush her all over and she leads well and loads easily. Nick is just now catching up with her. He leads and loads well too. I am praying they get adopted in Pasco this weekend. Both of them will be wonderful horses for someone. It makes me sad to tell them good bye. I hope we get an opportunity to do this again with another yearling..

I promise that next week I will get serious about getting pictures on here. Tracey told me how but I just don't have time to study this thru. It can't be too hard can it?

Some progress

The weather was better today. A lot of rain during the day and thunder storm warnings for tonight. Oh Ick. I don't like them.

Sierra still is not too happy in the stall but better. I went in and cleaned her stall today and messed with her. She didn't do as well the first time in the stall but later when I went she got better and when I went down the last time she did wonderful. For the first time I could rub her clear to her tail on both sides and she just stood there quietly. I wanted to shout whoopee but thought that might undo all I had done. AND I picked up both of her front feet without a hassle. She just stood there and let me. My goals this week was to pick them both up easily. We will have tomorrow to work on it. Then Friday I have to leave until Sunday to go to Goldendale to work a horse show. So unless Bob works with her she will have 3 days off again.

This weekend is the adoption in Pasco and Nick and Nellie will be leaving. We did not do as much with them as I had hoped. Nellie is outstanding and Nick is coming along. I pray they get adopted. Would hate for them to go back to the corrals.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be 70 so all the horses should get worked in the round pen. The ones that need to be I should say.

Another ugly day

Boy, we need to win the lottery and get an indoor arena. This is awful. It snowed all around us today but we just got ugly and rain.

I cleaned a stall in the barn and bedded it and put Sierra in there. She is not too happy but lets me touch her face without holding on to a rope. We took the long one off her and just put a regular lead rope on her. I think I will take it off tomorrow. I should have done this several weeks ago I think. As soon as I could lead her outside the pen anyway. Have not done anything else with her today. Just gone down every hour or so and talked to her and petted her.

The other mustangs are fine and glad to be home. Pepper would not let me catch him tonight. I guess he thought he was going back to the arena. Dixie just snuggled up to me so she didn't seem to mind going to town.

I am back -

I have been trying to figure out how to get back here to add to my blog. My daughter Nikki figured it out for me.

I got my 007 Mustang Yearling horse 3 weeks ago in Reno where it was 96 degrees. Stopped in Burns to rest the night at Andi and Toms and then came home. Sierra Nevada is a good sized filly, bay, and very pretty. She is not really keen on being a challenge yearling. She would rather be running free. If you do Parelli stuff she is a left brain introvert. Slowish to catch on to things and not too interested but once she has it she has it.

She leads very well. Stops when I do right beside me. I can take her out of her pen or round pen and let her eat grass. She does not challenge the lead rope at all. I have led her over poles. She backs well and yields her haunches well. I am going to start stalling her at night so she is isolated with no horses around her like she is outside in her pen. I can still not walk up to her in her pen. She will stand for me to pick up the lead rope however then I can go to her head. I can touch her all over on the left, not so much on the right.

The hard part is it has been pouring down rain for 4 days and I do not have an indoor arena. So have not been able to work with her. Darn. Tomorrow rain or shine. It is not supposed to be thundering and lightening tomorrow. So that is where I am.