A great Saturday

Katie won second place in her age division at the Extreme Trail Challenge today. I think she was a might overwhelmed but did well. Was proud of her.

Everything else kind of went by today. I judged the side-pass area and other than the first person thru who had a very uptight horse that went over backwards with her. It was a 12 year old child. The horse landed on her with her shoulder across a small log. When I said call 911 her mother looked at me and said why? I nearly had smoke coming out my ears. There was an EMT or 2 in attendance. She was OK just terrified but not because her mother did anything but scream as loud as her daughter. A way I did not want to start the day, however the next 34 riders did OK. Only one got a really perfect score but others came close. It was challenging but not impossible.

The Rider Ranch provided us with a good sack lunch and the weather was wonderful. A perfect day for a ride thru the trees. It was up and down and over and around. Sounded fun to me. Tyler took Dixie and just rode her around. He was chicken to try the course but he did gallop her all over the meadow. Cracked me up. His long hair flying just having a good time. She is still too thin but don't know what else to do besides what we are doing. I think her teeth had been bad so long its going to take time. She certainly has gotten light riding this summer.

A good Friday

Had a really nice Friday. A girls day lets eat and play with horses. What could be better? The top picture is my friend Laura and her bestest pal Lyric. He is a sweetheart and I think they made a great pair. We had fun playing with him - well she played with him and I took pictures.

The second picture is Andrea with Lyric. She used to own him. Andrea was our driver today and I led her on a chase trying to get to where Lyric is boarded because they are working on roads I didn't know they were. Make sense? Andrea has Tonka. Her blog is Mustang Saga. She is part of our Mustang Club.

The bottom picture is of Lyric and the reflection in his eye. I did not know that would show up like that. Intrigued me.

Thank you girls for sharing you day out with me. I loved it and lunch was good too. Thank you so much Andrea.

We played a little with Rusty. Did not take her to the roundpen as she was being really silly with me again. Bob worked with her this evening and of course you know how she was........good. We 3 spent time in the field with our other group too. Liberty who is kind of standoffish with strangers usually fell in love with Laura. And Yuma let Andrea handle him especially after a treat of some hay. They all wanted to vie for attention. Laura ambled over to a trailer that is parked out there and she was like the pied piper. They all followed her over there and stood around her while she sat on in for a while. They all loved her. It was cool to watch.

Tomorrow is the Panhandle Back Country Horsemen's Extreme Trail Challenge. I will be one of the judges. Have to leave here by 7 AM to get to Rider Ranch by 8. Cathy Johnson is also one of the judges and she is coming to ride with me. It will be fun day and the weather is supposed to be good. Katie is going to ride, Tyler is taking Dixie to ride around. He does not want to do the ride. I wish he would but he doesn't want to.

A good day and I am ready to call it a night.

Thursday

This is a sign I bought my husband a few months ago. Fortunately he thought it was funny too. He calls himself an old cowboy so I just could not resist and he is the one who put it up on the end of the house by the back door.

I worked with Rusty today. It is the first time I have worked with her that I felt like I had accomplished anything. I could not walk up to her and attatch the rope. I had to toss the rope over her neck and hold it until she let me touch her. Then I could do the rope. She would not lead down the alleyway so I got her headed her that way and I picked up the rope. She did really well. Lunging both ways easily, backing and let me rub her on both sides and she flexed her head easily to the left, not so to the right but I got more of a flex than Bob has. She would not lead for me at all. Step by step with pressure and release. She will lose her 6 foot panels this week and go back to our 5 foot ones and we can return the ones we borrowed. She is not going to try the fence. Don't think she ever would have but we did not want to take a chance.

So after going to the doctor this morning and getting a good report, working Rusty and having a good Mustang Club meeting this evening, its been a good day.

Wednesday

No pictures today. Sorry. I had stuff to do in the house and did not get out much. I love hardwood floors but when they need cleaning it takes time and this was the day. And put away my summer clothes-shorts etc.

Bob did work with Rusty and I went down to watch. She was much better today. I will try tomorrow when I get home from a Dr. appointment. He will be doing some volunteer work and gone for the day. I have itchy hands to go in and see what she will do for me. I approach things a little differently than he does. She does better for him I think so will maybe have to adjust my way of doing things. She is going to be wonderful under saddle I can tell. That will be a while though. Bob does snot hurry them too fast.

Tomorrow evening is our Inland Empire Mustang Horse Club meeting at 6 at Perkins Restaurant in the valley. I always enjoy our time together.

Later -

I did not go anywhere

We have been having telephone line problems for 3/4 days. I think its repaired as of this morning. Our friend Jim Spring who is unemployed at the moment but knows this stuff came and thinks he found the problem outside.. When the phone is out, so is my computer.

This past weekend I worked at a horse show out in the Spokane Valley at the Valley Mission Arena. What a change of weather. Saturday we ate dust and it was very warm. Was glad I had worn my baseball cap and sunglasses. HOWEVER on Sunday the bottom picture explains it all. I thought I had dressed warm and dry enough but went thru 3 outer wear outfits and was soaked thru by the end of the day. The longer the day went, the fewer the competitors. It was awful.

Isn't the little mule a cutie in the top picture. Her name is Gidget. I believe she won high point English 5 years and under. She rode her in a D Ring snaffle bit.

Our Katie rode Lena and did OK. Some 4Th. and 5Th. It was good practice and this was her first show and the other horses have been showing all year. Katie was a little nervous I think and that made Lena nervous too of course. If she had shown in a couple more classes she would have done better. She is preparing this week for next Saturday and the Panhandle Back Country Horsemen Trail Challenge. I think she will do better at that. At least at this point.

After 2 days off because of the downpour of rain Bob worked with Rusty today. She thought at first that NO WAY not today but Bob said oh yes you are. He got a halter on her. Its Dixie's but it was handy. He got her into the round pen and worked her on a long line. She did not want to go to the right and had a hissy over it but he persisted and pretty soon she was going each way easily. She turned and faced him easily too and after about 45 minutes had unclenched her jaw and was relaxing. By the time they were done he was handling her on both sides and he led her down the aisle way back to her pen on a loose line. Very very proud of her. She certainly is not as easy as Sierra but she is 3 and she was 1.

Thursday evening the 25Th. this week is our Mustang Horse Club meeting at Perkins restaurant at 6:00 PM. The restaurant is at Mission and Argonne just off I90. Would just love to meet anyone new. We are still a small group but growing. Old timers, will be glad to see you too.

Friday evening

The top picture is my favorite of Liberty. She has gotten so sweet while Tyler is working with her so often. He still needs to get on the first time.

The bottom one is Rusty doing that slow wonderful western jog that will be so fun to ride. I went into her pen and was determined to pet her. I had to get the rope on her and flip it over her nose to make a halter. That worked quite well until she got stung on the chest and just about mowed me over. Not her fault though. I know it hurt. Lena got stung in the pen beside her and was going a little crazy too. I did get up to her shoulder and took the rope off and let her go and let her out into the round pen away from the swarm of little bees that were after then. Felt so bad for them.

This is the last horse show weekend of the season. I am working the gate both days. I have a good voice I guess. Loud anyway.

I am back

These are my 2 elderly uncles that we went to see. The top one is my Uncle George and the lower one is Uncle Lyle. They are both 92 and in fair health. Uncle George is by far the most active. One is in Portland, the other in Puyallup. We also took a few minutes and stopped in to see Bob's brother in Puyallup. And we drove up to Marysville so I could get a grandson fix. Oh Nikki our oldest daughter too. Lane was mad we had to come home so soon.

When we got here Katie was here riding Lena and Tyler had fixed the alleyway so we could get Rusty in the round pen. Bob worked with her for a while and she is going to have the nicest western jog. It took her about 2 turns to learn to turn to the inside and about 3 or 5 laps to learn to stop and look at him. It was pretty awesome. I imagine after she has breakfast in the morning he will be back working with her. She seemed so much more relaxed with more room to move.

Then I had to go say hello to the other horses. Yuma is always the first one to say hello. He is so pretty and shiny. He does not get all shed out until the beginning of August and then its time to get fuzzy again.

I am very tired. That was a 950 mile 3 days.