Tuesday, a thankful day and the letter I

I

Our American INDIAN granddaughter Nikki.

She is 16 and a sophomore in high school. She gets nearly straight A's and is active in her high school ROTC. Shes little but she is strong. She has carried the nickname of Pocahontas to her Uncle Carmen and Nickle to her mother. We love you Nikki.

One of Rusty's training times was to stand tied today. She did well, didn't seem to paw like she did yesterday. She stood there a couple of hours. She still does not like anyone just walking up to her. We have to work at that. I have a couple of plastic jugs with rocks in them. I stood a ways off and shook them. She nearly had hysterics. I just kept shaking. When she quit having her conniption, I took them and hung them over the hitch rail near her. She didn't mind them there. "Tomorrow there will be a whole lot of shaking going on.


Here is that beautiful mane. I brush it carefully every day. Have never had a horse with a mane like that. Pepper has a beautiful thick long tail, but no mane like that.

My thankful note today is what I have accomplished with Rusty in such a short amount of time. Not only does it make me feel good to see her progressing but it makes me proud of myself and gives me encouragement that I can do it with a new horse too. It gives me a I can do it feeling. I know I could but now I KNOW I can.

Have a Wednesday filled with Perfect Peace.

Henry

H

Henry

He is a 13 month old steer. His mother is Spot. She may show up one of these days. He will go to freezer camp in March sometime.

I already have my I picture. You will have to wait until tomorrow to see what it is. I had a light bulb moment today.

Rusty forgot how to lead today. I got very frustrated with her. I finally just put her in circles around me and got her into the round pen. We are working on walk and trot on command. Shes getting it. THEN, we went to the hitch rail and tied her up for a while. She stood really well but after a while she started pawing. I wonder how to cure that. Ditto does it too sometimes when she is tied longer than she thinks she should be. The biggest problem with Rusty tied is walking up to her. She wants to run off. She doesn't pull back just gets the rope tight. I used the blocker tie ring. Tomorrow will be a longer time at the hitch rail. I may even tie someone with her and see how that goes. Next week I want Bob to hitch up the trailer so we can work on that. After we worked in the round pen twice, we went for a walk. She lead much better then until we got back toward the round pen. She's very strong willed. We did go out and walk across the road for me to get the mail. She did good and a car came by and she didn't even flinch.

Our youngest daughter, her partner and her oldest daughter came out and had dinner with us this evening. We had a good time. Her daughter Nikki is 16 and has been diabetic since she was 6. She had her 3 month endocrinologist appointment today and had such a good report. Her high blood sugars are down 30%. That means she is really taking much better control of herself. Before she ate, she figured the carbs and whatever else she does and put it into her phone and it goes to her doctors office. She is very active and has learned to live with it.

I hope your Tuesday is happy.

Sunday G

G

Galloping Horses

I really meant to get her entire body in the picture but obviously didn't make. She was tearing around. She had been in the round pen for 2 days so she really was ready to rock n roll. And she did. Poor Yuma wanted out of her way.

Rusty and Cody both tearing. Should have used the other camera but if I had come to the house for it, I would have missed it entirely. They had such a good time.

Today Rusty did everything well. I almost walked right up to her. Took maybe 20 seconds to get her caught. She even let me work on that off side. We took the surcingle off and on and off again. She just did what I asked and then Bob came in and picked up her feet. She gave them both to him easily. He picked them out and then put them down. Oh, I am so very proud of that little horse.

Today was our son Scott's birthday. He lives in Heaven now for the past 6 years. The posts on FB made me cry. I did not know if anyone would remember or not. I know he sings with the angels. He could not sing a good note on earth but loved it and I know he sings right on key now. I still miss you my son.

Happy Monday to you.

FIRE FIRE FIRE

F is for

FIRE

We worked at cleaning up the back yard today. Tom could not do anything with the car so he and his boys helped with the cleanup. Not done for sure but at least a good start. Usually snow has it covered until the first part of March but not this year. So we got a good start on it today and had a good FIRE.

Rusty got a triple decker today.
Three times she got worked. It was good for her. I got the surcingle on her and got it tightened up pretty good. That did not seem to bother her much. I got her to give me both or her front feet (one at a time LOL). I left the surcingle on her and came back later. She was calmer that time. When she readily gave me her front feet, Bob came in and he actually could trim her front feet. They were needy. She was in a rocky pen and she kept them trimmed down but this winter in the mud and she had long toes. They are very pretty today. I was so proud of her. Later this afternoon Bob put a rope through a loop on the surcingle attached to her halter and drove her with one rein. On her good side it worked good, no so much on the other but he quit on a good place and he will try tomorrow again. I am so proud of her. I hope to have a saddle on her by the weekend. We left her in the round pen for the night because I want her to wear that surcingle. I will take it off tomorrow.

Bob did Dittos feet today too. She is so easy to do. She just holds her old foot up for him to do. She has such soft white feet its urgent to keep up with her trimming. Bob's back will only do 2 a day. Maybe tomorrow he will get to a couple more.

Bob also has the pen ready if I get a horse in Burns. I am counting on it, dreaming about her and can even see her.

Am going to go soak my back. It says it got a work out today.

A blessed Sunday to you all.

Egges, eggs, lots of eggs.

E is for Eggs

These eggs are from our very own chickens.

A dreary day. It rained all day and that means I could not work Rusty nor could I could Pepper. Well, I guess I could have but it would not have been fun. So I stayed in the house and tried to get some things done. I didn't accomplish what I wanted but got more done that if I could have gone outside.

Have a sunny Saturday whether the weather is sunny or not.

Thinking Thursday and the letter D

D is for DITTO

She is my 29 year old paint mare. I showed her halter, western, English and driving. She did not like driving and I did not like English but we won High Point Paint Horse in Washington State Horsemen a couple of times. She is my best horse friend and knows more of my secrets than anyone else. Love her best of all.

Rusty had the day off. I had lunch with a friend today and then had a meeting this evening so she got to rest. But, its back at it tomorrow. Hope their prediction of rain does not come to pass.

Today I was thinking (I know that's an effort) about all our horses and how much I love them. I don't handle them all every day but I talk to them all every day. I hate that where they are is so muddy and icky but don't want to turn them out where there will be grass. I can not imagine life without them. Rosie is going to do some driving this spring and she will love that. Its what she was born to do. She prefers that to anything else. My mother died thinking I would get over horse craziness but it has not happened.

May your Friday be filled with Love.

Brought to you by C

C is for Cow

She is ours but is living next door.

So now to Rusty. The first time this morning she was a little silly. I did finally get the surcingle on her but I kept with her and got it on. I did not fasten it though. Then this afternoon I was able to catch her without much problem. I had left her in the round pen. I worked her on the rope for a while and then I put the saddle pad on her. Then the surcingle. She stood really well and I was able to fasten it. My only problem was that saddle pad moves around. It just slid around. I won't use it tomorrow or I will get a different one. I did get it to stay on and I worked her on the rope with it on. The only problem was I went to straighten it out and it got folded out so she could see it and she did not like that thing sticking out. We will have to work on that issue. I took it off and we will work again tomorrow. We walked into the barn and she got her apple. I am so proud of her.

I hope your Thursday is fine and dandy.