My Dixie Chick

This picture was taken by Romona at BLM at the Odessa Adoption last spring. Not many adopted but we sure fun riding. I had not ridden Dixie in several months and she was like a rocket ready to launch at any moment. Actually it was the first time I had ridden her outside the arena and about her 3rd. ride in 3 years. I ponied her behind Pepper one day and the next I rode her. She got a tumble weed in her tail and we did some real spins. FAST. I thought I was going off but didn't.

I rode her then next Memorial Day and she was full of it for the first halt an hour but then was great. She relaxed and just walked along the trail. It was great the rest of that summer. She is a great trail horse. Her big deal is she is quite herd boud and does not like to go out by herself.

The people who I got her from had rescued her. See the mark on her nose when she had a halter grow into her nose. I thought she might be a little shy with her head but she isn't. She is really good. How could somebody do that?

They gave me Dixie because I had my dream horse, Star. A big grulla mustang mare - I loved her and she took me anywhere I wanted to go. She did not like to go at any speed but a walk and that was fine with me. We rode all over that summer - up in the mountains of Montana, Idaho and WAS. We were up on Hoodoo Pass which is between Montanta and Idaho at about 8,000 feet. We were riding up a quite steep trail. We got up it OK and rode around up on top and started down and she started make a funny noise with every step. I got off and she was limping. I walked the several miles back and untacked her and took her to drink. She walked out into the middle of the cold mountain creek and stood there for most of an hour. The rest of the group rode for the next two days and Star and I lounged around camp. We got home and the next day I took her to the vet. He exrayed her front legs and the bones were nearly deteriorated from arthritis. they could have collapsed at any time. I cried two days, went to Leavenworth to meet our daughter and she was put down and buried before I got back. I just could not be here but Bob was.

So, our friends in Back Country Horsemen felt sorry for me and about 4 months later they gave me Dixie. A small horse in a plain brown wrapper that I could get on from the ground. Star was 15h2 and Dixie is 14h1.

This was my first ride on Dixie. It was 2 weeks after I had the stroke. I was so ticked off at my body and so ticked off being confined to rest ect. Bob was not sure about it but he lunged her and worked her from the ground before he would let me get on. She was fine and I felt much better after being in the outside and on a horse again.

Last night Katie and I went to the awards banquet for the Northeast Zone. She kept thinking next year that will be me. Bob and I our placques for miles rode. We did not get near as many as other years because all of Bob's accidents left summer.

I think I might do Raven tomorrow. I will have to see what pictures I can find. Hope this not boring to anyone. I am enjoying chronicleing our horses, how we got them and how much we love them.

Dixie is darling and other than being full of energy she is a great partner.

Yuma, our clown

About 20 years ago I went to a horse auction in Couer d'Alene with a friend. They sold the run thru horses/equines first. A donkey that could not seem to lift her head all the way up walked in walked straight over to where I sat in the first row and looked right into my eyes. What could I do but buy her, and I did for 15.00. We named her Canary and we had her for a long time. She did not like having her feet done but you could do anything else with her. One time we had the vet out for one thing or another and he looked at her and said she was about 40. The next year She could not get up. We had picked her up several times but this time she did not want to any more. The vet came and put her down. I missed her so bad. We loved her and I wanted another donkey so bad. So about 8 or 10 years ago there was a horse/burro adoption at the fair grounds. It was Mothers Day weekend. So my gift for Mothers day was this cute little donkey about 6 months old. He had been gathered in the Yuma, AZ area so consequently we named him Yuma.

He was the easiest critter to gentle. In 3 days I was leading him all over the place. We had a mutual love fest. He loved us, we loved him. He is a real clown. No matter what time of the day, evening, night we get home he hollers at us. When we go down to feed he starts hee-hawing at us when we go out the back door.

He loves attention. He will come and put his head under your arm for a hug. He has had a pack saddle on but we have never tried to put anything on it. Bob has sat on him with no halter and just hung on while Yuma ambles around. But other than that he is just a pet. He thinks he is head honcho but isn't. When the other horses are out in the pasture he sneaks up for a treat of oats. He is the first to get a horse candy when we go out.

His only bad thing is he does not tolerate dogs. He did stomp on a little dog we had a few years ago and killed Shane. I wanted to do something bad to him but we didn't. I just make sure they stay out of the pasture. He is very protective of his area. Our friend Andrea would take him if we ever wanted to give him to someone but thats not going to happen any time soon.

This evening is our Northeast Zone awards banquet. I won't be getting any awards but will be giveing the Sportsmanship award to a worthy person. I did the shopping for some of the awards and took them out to the people setting up. Katie is going with me. It is always a fun evening.

Loved the sun today even if it was cold and windy. If it has to be cold and windy, I like the sun to shine.

Friday, January 30th

Rosie is a registered American Paint Pony. She is registered as Wild Rose but has always been Rosie since the day we got her. Bob owned and Operated Roto Rooter Sewer Servicer for 30 plus years. He was doing a job in Mead and this 3 year old pinto pony was in the back yard in a small pen. He asked about her and was given the owners name and phone number in Oregon. They wanted to sell her. That evening we went back and looked at her when he had more time. He hopped on her back and rode her around with just a halter and lead rope. The lady said be careful, she bucks. She has been with a trainer and they sent her back because they could not control her. Being the intelligent people we are, we bough her anyway. She has never bucked except when 3 larger grandkids tried to get on her and she said no thanks, and they went off. Actually it was pretty funny. Tyler and Katie were playing around one fall day with the ponies. They both rode with halters and leadropes. Rosie really is an awsome pony. She is 13 hands so a small adult can ride her and not be too much. She loves attention. She has had one baby. He was born on a stormy May evening and we named him, of course, Stormy. He is a with a young girl over on the coast doing beginner dressage and eventing.

She, we believe is half Welsh Pony and half Tobiano Paint. She was bought originally at a horse auction and was pregnant. She was too young and thankfull aborted the foal. She was bought at the auction by the people we bought her from

Rosie gets furry like a Yak or a Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear. She is way low on the totem pole in the pasture. She can be a stinker to catch if she thinks she has to go to work. She is an awesome beginner horse. If I am giving lessons to a beginner and they are small, she is who we start on. She will let kids hug on her and kiss on her and swing on her legs.

A couple of summers ago Bob and our grandson Ryan went on a packing trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. They took Rosie for a pack horse. In fact Bob has taken her 4/5 times. She is a sturdy critter and does not mind packing at all. This picture was taken off of the BCH Calendar our group is selling. Bob and Ryan ,Rosie Pepper and Raven had a wonderful time. She has had a couple of funny things happen. One time on a previous trip the pack got a little lopsided and she got off balance and finall laid down and with the packs ended up flat on her back with all four legs in the air. they were so busy getting her back on her feet no one took a picture. It would have been a good one.

She did lead line at shows for 2 years with Micheala. She won everything. Not the best pictures, I took them from other pictures. She carried her like she was carrying eggs.

But this is what she likes to do the best. I have all kinds of trophies, ribbons, placques that I wond driving her. I have 2 buggies and a sleigh. People in our neighborhood are used to seeing me go down the road with her. We have been known to load a grandkid or 2 and lunch and be gone most of the day just ambling the backroads here on the West Plains. She is about unflappable in harness.

So that is my Rosie. She will never leave here. I have turned down large amounts for her when I was showing her. It is very hard to find a do it all, gentle pony and we are blessed to have her. Her only fault is getting too fat. She is a very easy keeper.

Our Mustang Club met last night and planned some things. No for sure dates yet but when we have them all buttoned down I will certainly post them here.It is so good to get together with our mustangy friends and talk about and laugh about our horses and to just chat with our friends.

Don't forget Serenity Room Blog, its worthy of a look.

I think tomorrow will be Yuma.

The Life and Times of Ditto

This is my 28 year old mare. She is a registered Paint. Her registered name is Cuttin Loose. She is an own daughter of Tinky Spook. I got this idea from Linda. She is highlighting her horses. So I am snitching the idea. I have had her since she was 4. She took me too the top in both English and Western Pleasure. I even drove her a couple of years but she did not like that too much. Actually not at all. She is the smoothest horse I have ever ridden. She is wonderful with kids, just ambles around.

This is Ditto as she looks now. Well almost, now she is dirty and has a long icky coat. She is definitely my horse. She does not like men. She tolerates Bob. I call her grumpy granny. She has had 3 foals. I know where 2 of them are. She also had a set of still born twins and aborted one at 6 months. I was devestated at her losses. All of her babies were colored like her and she was always bred to a solid QH. It the market had been better I would have probably let her have more but it was hard to sell them even then.

She looks like a grumpy granny doesn't she? He is not as bad as the looks she gives you. She has not been an affectionate lovey horse. She tolerated me hanging on her but didn't love me back like others have. She would intimidate a stranger but never has done anything bad in her life. She wants you to think so too.

This is a picture that was professionally taken of her and me. You can not see the crack in the glass when it is hanging on the wall. It was in an exhibition of her work and it got cracked when I picked up and was on the way home. I think that was about 10 years ago.

She is my best horsey friend and knows every secret I have. Sometime I just have to go and ride her for a while. Just after this picture was taken I was riding out in front of our place and went down into the ditch when a big truck was going by. She stepped on a stick and ran it up in the sole of her foot into her navicular bursa. She was not rideable for about 3 years. She is not sound for long rides but does well around here. She will be here until she draws her last breath and then she will be buried next to Star. I know its not legal but I dare anyone to stop me.

Last night we went to a Back Country Horsemen committee meeting over in Post Falls. We were planning our years rides both work parties and fun rides. It will be a fun year. Tonight is our Mustang Club meeting at Perkins at Argonne and Mission. We will be planning our years activities too.

Don't forget to check out the give away at Serenity Room. Its a great blog and a great give away.

Tomorrow will be Rosies day.

Tuesday, January 27

This picture is for Nikki. She thought the one I posted yesterday was the most boring in the scrap book so this one is brighter. I love it Nikki no matter what page it is.

We had a very long day today. I went in to town early and had a perm. I was ready to pull out my hair or shave it off. Just hated it. No matter what I tried it just was blah. I am not talented with hair at all. Love the perm and now I can quit fussing about that.

Then I did my yearly shopping for the Northeast Zone of Washington State Horsemen banquet. It is on Sat. The year end awards recipients get their choice of a trophy, money, crystal or silver. I as of the past few years do the crystal or silver shopping. Silver was a little hard to find for our budget but got it done today. Have a little to do for another little thing we do at the banquet and then I can go and enjoy it. Katie is toing with me this year. Bob does not think they are as enjoyable as I do.

When I did the chores this evening I had to chuckle. I feed the mares first and put them in their stalls. Pepper has to stay out till I get their gates closed or he tries to get in and share their grain before he goes to his. So when I let the girls in and shut the gate on his nose, he runs laps around the paddock area slipping and sliding. He is so funny. He knows he is going in but he has to do his little circles first.

Bob and went to the casino for dinner tonight. It was good to go and relax. Ran into some good friends of ours that we had not seen for a long time. It was good to give them aa big hug.

Despite the business, it was a good day.

Monday and sunshine

This is a page out of my scrap book that Nikki made for me for Christmas. I love it. It is just excactly what I wanted when I told her that last August.

Didn't you love the sunshine today. If you lived around here that it. It was absolutely a beautiful day. However, it was a high of 18. That is not very warm. In fact NOT warm at all. Matter of fact it was COLD. It was Monday, and I am always slow on Mondays and we have traveled over the weekend and it made the inside of nose freeze when I put the dogs out. So I stayed in the house. Yes Linda, TV is a time waster and I wasted alot of time today. That and I took a nice long nap.

The horses did not seem to suffer with our absence. Katie did a good job feeding and tending to them. Raven is down to 1cc of steroid for 14 more days. I forgot to look at her nose when I was feeding this evening. Duh, I am sorry Raven. I will make a special trip before I go to town to see how it looks. She just stands there munching away when he gives her the shot.

Talked to Tracey today. Always love that. It always makes me with we lived closer. She would inspire me to ride more.

Our Mustang Club Meeting is on Thursday of this week at 6 at Perkins at Mission and Argonne just S of the freeway. If you are not on my e mail list, consider yourself invited.

Sunday the 25th. Of Jan.

We are home and tired but had a great visit with out daughter and their boys. It is always a joy to see them. We got our Christmas gifts. She made me a beautiful scrapbook of my time with Sierra Nevada. It is so beautiful. She also made her dad a book of our trip into Larabee Corrals at Craig Mountain last summer. It is so pretty also. He loved it, I loved mine and its wonderful.

I started breaking out in hives again coming home and took one of the pills they gave me for it and I am fighting going to sleep sitting here. I slept from Moses Lake where we stopped to eat to home and am drifting off again.

Tomorrow I promise a real entry and maybe even a picture. For now its off to bed to sleep this pill off. The hives went away anyway. Good to be home, good to read up on what you all are doing. Don't forget the give away on Serenity Room blog.