Sunday evening

I intended to write here last night and tell all about the ride but was so tired I went to bed. Just skimmed over e mails and that was that. I don't even have the few pictures I took off the camera yet. Not feeling on top of the world this evening but will live.

Our ride was wonderful. We had 45 riders besides Bob and Tyler. A few things we will know next time what to do and what not to do but for a first event of this nature I for one was quite proud of it. 3 people somehow got lost and were really mad. For some reason it was my fault. It made me want to yell back at them but I took a deep breath. I offered them their money back but they declined and said they would have lunch. Then they left. Made me grind my teethe. Parking was a problem but it worked out and other than a couple of people who did not want to go with the plan to get everyone out safely it went well. The main problem with exiting was a horse that would not load. A man who wanted to "help" took a piece of small plastic pipe and hit the horse with it several times. Did not work of course. Ultimately they brought the truck/trailer up and to the main area and the horse would not load. She finally reared and came down on the edge of the back of the trailer and I thought she was fatally wounded. They walked her down to a farm but I don't know the end result. I hope and pray she is OK.

At the same time the mare was not loading a big appy gelding decided he wasn't going home either but Tyler got him in. He was a big horse and a small trailer. Both were young horses and neither had loaded good to come.

Other than those 2 instances, things went pretty well. Some got stung on the trail and some horses got stung. One guy got dumped off his mule but not hurt, just tore his nice shirt. The trail was fine and it was a beautiful day. We had lots of food, people ate all they wanted, we visited with alot of new friends and we got to share our mustangs and talk about mustangs to alot of people. There were some mustangs on the ride but most were not. It was open to everyone. We had ponies, big horses, arabs, mules, you name it. And we had fun around the bbq for lunch and most had a great time.

I guess what I learned is that you can't please everyone and we did the best we could. I will be posting the end results at out Inland Empire Mustang Horse Club (maybe no horse in the title) Yahoo site for those who are interested. That is where we post alot of stuff - our meetings ect. Feel free to join it and keep track of us. Or better yet come to our meeting on the last Thursday of each month at Perkins at Argonne/Mission just off I90.

Rusty got pretty well ignored other than being fed this weekend. Oh yes, she got fed twice this evening - Lena too. They lied to me and told me they had not eaten. I thought Tyler had forgotten. So I fed them again. Tyler did go in and pet her today. He got onto her right side which I have not been able to do since week one. Bob has not had time much to do anything. He has been working nights as security at the fair and has not been too successful at sleeping during the day. His last night was last night so maybe our lives can get back to normal.

Our grandson Lane had a birthday today. He was 10. I asked him what I could get him and he told me catapillars that turn into butterflies. Can I buy them? Never had that request before. He is a bug boy. If he does not turn out to be a bug adult what ever they are called I will be shocked. He likes to come here because we have big grasshoppers.

A hectic day

What a busy day. Did not realize all I needed to do before the Mustang Club Ride tomorrow. Need to get up early and early and I don't always get along well. Better than Tyler though and he needs to get up early too. Katie will be here by quarter to 7. I want to be on the road shortly there after.

Am watching a draft horse show on RFD TV. Am so impressed with those big horses. We used to have a part shire gelding named Beuford. He was such a wonderful horse. He was our son Tom's riding horse but then he discovered girls and cars and Beuford got left in the dust and we sold him.

Rusty still is not being good to me. Bob worked with her for a long time. She let him touch her on her right side which has been a nono. She still swings her rear to me. I did get both hands on her neck and brushed her mane with me fingers and rubbed her back to her hip. Finally I left at that point. Tyler did well with her too. She must be a mans horse. Tyler rubbed clear down her front leg and took ahold of the pastern. She just let him do it. He is so proud of himself when he can do stuff like that.

Dixie and Raven are in stalls for tomorrow and Lena is in the round pen. All waiting to load. I gave Dixie some oats. Since we had her teeth done she is gaining some weight. I am so relieved. It was beginning to worry me. Tyler is going to ride her tomorrow and he hasn't before. I hope he can stay off her face. He is riding with a mechanical hackamore. Have not tried to put a bit in her mouth since her teeth were taken care of. She seems to like that best anyway.

Remembering 9-11-01

I remember like it was yesterday. I was awaken by Bob turning on the TV in our bedroom and telling me to wake and and watch. I remember wanting to throw up when I realized the objects falling from the Towers were human beings. I remember sobbing when the Twin Towers fell. I could not, and still can not imaging how human beings could do that to other human beings. What a loss of lives, of peace, and of hope. Its a day that will be in our great grandchildren's history books.

Enough...................Just a day of reflection.

I worked with Rusty. Bob did not get up in time. She does not like me. I had to run her around the pen several times before she let me touch her. I got the rope on her and she threw one of her tantrums. Bob says I am letting her win but I don't think so. I just can't seem to make headway with her. Spent about an hour with her trying to just pet her and rub her head. She just won't have it. I can walk up and lay the rope all over her but when I reach out my hand its bye bye. I finally got petting her neck down but I could not touch her face and that is where she let us touch her first. It is getting to be a battle. I try to keep my emotions in check. What I want to do is yell at her. The only time I have raised my voice is when she turned her rear at me and took a pop with a hind foot. I yelled then and got after her.

Katie had a great lesson on Lena today. I made her ride in her own saddle. She sits in it so much nicer. She likes one of Bob's but her equitation stinks in it. We worked on up and down transitions from walk/trot/walk. Tomorrow she can just ride in the arena or across the the road and relax with her. We are trading yard work for lessons. It works for both of us.

Wednesday

No pictures today. Took some but they were no good so deleted them.

Bob worked with Rusty today for quite a long time. I stayed out of her pen. He was able to get the rope around her neck and put it around like a halter. She did quite well until Yang, the barn cat came and crawled into the tarp at the side of her pen and moved around. She was quite sure that blue tarp was going to eat her. He kept a hold of her though and she let him pet her on both sides. He also took in a brush and brushed that beautiful long flowing mane. She did not seem to mind too much. She certainly likes and responds to Bob more than me. Oh well...........Life is tough sometimes.

Nothing much else happening today. Katie filled out the paperwork for a couple of things she is going to do with Lena. I got her papers today so I could check her pedigree out and see how old she is. She is 11 and in top form.

I am weary, although did not do much outside today. We did some cleaning up down around the barn. It seems the more we dig out the more stuff that accumulates. It does not help that Bob is a pack rat.

A rainy evening.

This is our Katie with the horse she is conditioning to sell. Lena is a registered paint mare. About 15h3. She and Katie are hitting it off good.

Rusty did better today with me. She let me touch her with 2 hands unless I tried to touch her face and then she left. We had a little episode of turning her rear to me but the rope helped that. As usual when Bob went down to work with her she was much better. He got all the dread locks out of her mane with his fingers. She let him. But when he tried to touch her face she left for him too. I think she is trying to avoid us taking control with a halter again. Bob thinks so too. We just have to continue to convince her that we are not going to hurt her and it will be OK. She is really much more relaxed with Bob than me for some reason. It is so different than with Sierra who really loved me and wanted to please me. Rusty would be happy if I never went into her pen again. Maybe that is the difference from a yearling and a 3 year old. I don't know. I love her anyway.

Monday

Today was another really nice day. I went out to the fair to watch some friends do showmanship and halter. Did not stay to watch their riding events. But it was nice to go and to see them.

The picture is of Rusty just before she had a temper tantrum. She really had a relapse with me today. She did not let me touch her and swung her rear at me when I got close. I picked up the rope and popped her on the rear until she turned and looked at me. I could not get my hand on her though. Bob went down when he got up and walked right up to her. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I told you she did not like me too much. I will be glad when Bob can do more with her and get her past this swinging her butt at me. It is too disrespectful. May need to get her into the round pen when she has no corners.

All the other horses are just fine. Our Mustang Club ride is this next Sat. Hope we have a good turnout. Its our money maker for the year.

A lazy Sunday

A lovely last days of summer. Love it like this. Abby and Pepper came home from the fair but that was the biggest event today. I went to church and came home and laid around. Took a long nap but not restful. Had an awful nightmare and woke up sweating and could not breath. Hate that.

Went out towards evening and went to see what Rusty would do today. I walked up to her but she said nope not today. So I got the rope and we worked with that a while. Tyler asked me if he could try and I told him sure. Bob got home with the horses and he took over. We were all tired and Bob has to work tonight with about 3 hrs. of good sleep. Tomorrow I will try to have pictures and maybe I will have had more ambition.