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?