A cool day

Loved today. I am enjoying summer but today our high was about 70 and made it nice to get out and do things. Did not sweat my clothes soaked cleaning Sierra's stall.

Sierra did OK both times today. This afternoon was better I think. She would still like to dash away when I lunge her in the arena on a longer rope. SO, its a short rope. Her best time to try to dash away is when I am backing her around the barrels and she gets tired of it. If I do it on a loose lead she leaves so we do it on a short lead. That seems to work. She will back a kind of lopsided cloverleaf pattern. The first barrel is good, the 2ND. not so good and the thirds is a battle. She got away from me the other day both times so I think she thinks that is going to work.

Bob is doing better today but scared me this evening. He almost fell. Crutches are a real challenge for him.

If you are reading this and are in the area, our Mustang Horse Club is having a BBQ at our house Friday evening July 25Th. Please come and get acquainted with the other Mustang owners in the area. We are planning a trail ride for Sept. 13Th. Come and find out about it.

Bob's "Wonder Horse" Pepper did something really uncharacteristic to him today. Our beloved black gelding wigged out and got Dixie in a corner and was kicking her unmercifully. She fell to her knees trying to get away. I am so glad I was out hanging clothes on the clothes line when it started. I was afraid to get in the middle of it but started throwing things at him and screaming at him and he backed off for a minute and Dixie, bless her heart got away from him. Don't know what set him off but he can't do that. I put him in the round pen for a while so things could settle down. Poor Sierra was in her little pasture next to them and it scared her half to death. I went out to get her and when I said Sierra come, she came. "I want to go to my house" she said to me.

20 days left.

A bad day

Not too much with Sierra today. Did walk and trot her thru the trail course I have set up. She did OK for the most part. My heart was not in it. For one thing it was 100 degrees.

And the other thing is that Bob called me at 8 this morning that he had gotten hurt at his one day a week job at the stockyard. A bull ran over him fighting with another bull. He face above his eyes looks like a meat grinder got a hold of it. His left leg is broken just below his knee and the bull stepped on his back over his kidney and it is bruised. He sees our doctor tomorrow. I don't believe he will be going back there to work. I think our kids might duct tape him to a tree if he tried.

I don't think this will interfere with Reno but I may have to drive and I don't like driving our truck.

A Day of Rest

This is the banner that hangs in our front yard beside our driveway. I don't know if anyone will be interested enough to stop but just maybe.

Today was a day of rest for Sierra and me. It was 90 and we worked really hard all week. Bob fixed a small pasture for her with alot of grass and she could see the house and the other horses and she was contented all day. She came in willingly about 6. I went out and told her to come and she did. Put the halter and lead on her and just lead her in. Her supper was waiting. I will have to get up early to work with her early because triple digets are forcast. 22 days to go.

Bob took Katie and her dad for a little ride this morning. They left here at 7 and went down to Riverside State Park for a couple of hours. Katie rode Dixie. She did good with her. Dixie had been ridden by no one else but me since I got her and Katie is a timid rider. Bob rode Katie's horse Abby for her first real trail ride. She did great. Only one little episode over a big green sign but nothing major.

After they got home Bob took Tyler and I to breakfast and we have had quite a lazy day since.

Sassy Sierra

This was not a good day. She was more naughty today than any other day since I have had her. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. She did her trotting just fine, side passed the best she ever has BUUT then I took her to the arena to walk over the big poles and to practice backing. No no not today mom. She begrudgingly got thru the first two barrels, tried to bite me again, and when we came to the second barrell she said "out of here" and jerked out of my hand and went tearing around the arena snorting and bucking. When she slowed down I said come and surprisingly she did. That was the good thing. Then we had a repeat and this time she would not come so it was my idea to keep running, and bucking and running some more. I finally caught her and we tried again. Got around one barrel and thought, that is enough but no treats.

My hand is sore and my body is tired from chasing her. Remember I am 70 years old. The arena is very soft and deep. Soooooooo tomorrow we will try again. That is our big thing to work on.

But this evening when we were bbqing and sitting on the deck we heard a loud crash in the barn and our son and grandson went to check on her. They hollared loud for us and she was cast in her stall. Could not get close enough with her thrashing to get a rope on her to pull her on over. Scared me so bad. Finally she herself over and stood up. A little shaken but OK. She did get a treat then.

Katie came out and I gave her a lesson on her horse Abby. Mostly it was how to manage the horse without being scared. Abby can be really silly sometimes and Katie is a timid rider. She is a good rider but has gotten dumped off Abby and worries about getting hurt again. Abby is pulling her chain. I am trading lessons for yard work. Katie keeps telling me I need to do this and that in the yard so I told her we could barter. She, her dad and Bob are going for a ride in the morning. Tyler and I are going out to eat. We are one horse short to ride and 2 horses short in the trailer. So grandma is taking grandson out for breakfast.

No pictures today. I could not make it work for some reason and thats OK. Not so good pictures today anyway. Hope for better times tomorrow.

Forgot how to back

Here is my sunburnt face. The MHF wanted a head shot of me. This is what I had. It is what I look like sunburn and all.

I worked with Sierra twice today and she forgot how to back up. We were practicing backing around the barrels in a cloverleaf pattern and lo and behold she forgot how. We worked a long time on that. Never got it good but at least backed up.

When we trotted together she thought she was going to run and buck. Not so much I told her. It is the hardest thing we do for me. My 70 year old knees don't want to do that. I wish I had a clue what kind of an obstacle course they were going to throw at us. She walks over poles - everything from old telephone poles cut in half lengthwise, white plastic pipe and fence posts besides poles. We are working on the backing, she crosses the bridge, does a turn in a square, loads in a trailer and I can pick up all four feet just fine. I can wrap her up in a tarp and she walks over it. She gives me a lip roll when I ask for a kiss and puts her front feet up on the box. So I guess I am just stressing over what I don't know about and won't until we get there.

Not so hot today but a blistering weekend is predicted. Bob is going on a ride with friends Sunday AM but I won't be able to go. Not enough trailer space. Tyler and I will go out to breakfast.

Till tomorrow. Remember I still need sponsors.

Clipper Day

Today was the first day that I have used the electric clippers on Sierra. I had done her bridle path with the scissors but today got out the clippers. She just stood there. I did her bridle path and started on the whiskers but the blades are dull and I put them away before I upset her. I did go buy a new set of blades this afternoon so will finish tomorrow and perhaps do her feet also. I don't think there is much that bothers her.

We did some playing with the tarp today. It still doesn't seem to bother her in the least. We walked over the poles, turned in the square and put her front feet on the box. She almost yawns at the obstacles. She still isn't too secure with the sidepass. She doesn't like doing it. That is the one big thing we will be working on the next 24 days.

Oh my did I say 24 days. That is when we leave. My insides are shaking at the thought.

Greatfulness

Thank you so much to those who have put money in my paypal account. You just don't know how good it feels to have friends you didn't know you had be so supportive. God bless you each one.

We worked hard today but did not accomplish anything new. We worked on come after whoa. On the lunge line she does well but no so much without it. She wanders around and then looks back at me like oh are you there. I did turn her out in the arena and let her run and buck. She did that very well. Tomorrow is another day.

We went to our BCH meeting this evening. It was our annual picnic in the park. Nice but I am tired. Someone brought a keylime pie and I could have just eaten that. Oh was it good.