Friday is brought to you by L

L

is for

LIBERTY

I don't know the Herd Management Liberty is from but I believe she was from California somewhere. She is a large mare, about 15h3". She has the kindest sweetest eyes. The man next door came over one day 7 years ago and asked me if I would help him pick out a mustang on an Internet auction. The horses were seen on a screen at the BLM office here in Spokane. I had been looking at the catalog and talked with him and we picked out 6 horses, Liberty was about 3rd on our list. He bought her, went to Palomino Valley in Nevada and picked her up. I told him specifically not to take the halter off and to leave her in the round pen until he could handle her. He did that about 6weeks, said he felt sorry for her got a hand on her, took off the halter and let her out into 10 acres. Never again to touch her. She would come for grain but not allow herself to be touched. Fast forward to 3 years ago. He moved to Wyoming and left her here. I think he knew Bob would not let her starve. We finally got a rope on her and her into a small area where we got a halter on her and "led" her to our place of Pepper. We worked at gentling her. When Tyler lived with us, he had her ready for her first ride but he was afraid to swing the leg over. She will be caught by me of Katie unless Tyler is visiting and she will walk up to him. She is now 10. Katie is going to really work on her this spring and see if we can get her rideable before summer. The only time Bill has acknowledged her is when Bob asked him for some hay money last winter and he sent $100.00. He wants to sell her but when you can not sell well broken horses, no one wants one that is not broken.

I worked Rusty some today but then it started to rain. I tie her to the side of the trailer for an hour or so. Then I opened the rear door and led her around it. She came up to it but I did not ask any more of her today. The rain was so heavy I just turned her out. Bob will work her tomorrow. At least that is what I told him.

A friend of mine has a gorgeous Arabian show horse. She rode him Saddle Seat and had won just about everything with him. Everyone loved Burrsy (nickname). He died day before yesterday. He had been under the weather for a few days but I did not realize it was terminal. My heart goes out to his human family. It was very difficult. Everyone will miss him.

Live-love-laugh and be happy.

Thinking Thursday and K is for Katie

K

is for KATIE on Abby her mustang mare from the Sheepshead Herd Management Area in Oregon. Katie loves her and Abby loves her a lot. They have many many miles ahead of them. She will do very well with horses and has accomplished alot with Abby. She is a very pretty rider and if she had money and time would accomplish alot in the show ring. She is just trail riding her and doing very well. I have been thinking alot and I think I am going to turn Liberty (who will be my L picture tomorrow) over to Katie to train if she wants to. I will tell you Liberty's story tomorrow. I will need to ask Katie is she wants to or not. Guess I am if she reads this.

Today was the day I was supposed to be thinking. I did, and that can be dangerous. LOL. I was thinking about going to Oregon next week and finding a new friend. I think I will know her when I see her. Nikki wants a horse but is not in a position right now but she said something to me to that affect. I will know her when I see her. Guess I said that huh?

I did not work with Rusty alot. She was a poop in the round pen. I put the surcingle on her and she set off bucking. She has done that before. We worked some, I left it on her and tied her to the hitch rail. Bob worked with her for a couple of our despooking. She got better. At first he stepped up on a stool and she wigged out and when she got over that he shrugged his shoulders and she wigged out. He worked on it a while and then went to clean out her and Cody's pen with the tractor. She really did not mind that. When it started to rain hard, I put her away and he parked the tractor came in and took a nap. Oh well, I did too. When he came in I was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. I got cold outside.

My sweet cousin who along with her longtime partner RV full time and are spending the winter in Florida had bypass surgery this morning. I sent her an e mail message hoping the Phil would read it and give it to her when she was able to hear him. It would be awful to be so far away from family to have something so serious. She has children but they are not a close knit family. I wish I was where I could go see her. She is in Coral something other near Orlando. Keep her in your prayers please. Her name is Joy.

Life is short, eat dessert first. and have a good day.

Jumpin Wednesday

J

is for JUMPING

This is Bryant our l9 year old 6' tall grandson doing a flip on the trampoline. I took several pictures before I got the one I wanted. I think he got tired of jumping but he indulged his Grandma

Did about a 45 minute workout with Rusty. She will do all I ask on her good side but the off side is still out of bounds until I really keep at it. I didn't feel on top of it today so I only worked her once. Bob is off tomorrow so he can work with her too. She still responds to him better. She is going to get there but you will probably all be tired of hearing about her by that time.

In one week from today I leave for Nikki's then one week from tomorrow we leave for Burns and the Colorfest adoption. I am excited. I am anticipating fun.

Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life.

Thomas Jefferson

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.