4-29-2011 Lesson "Cowgirl Up"

Tonights lesson was both good and bad.  It seemed like all the animals were stirred up for whatever reason.  One horse and one cow both in season.  A 2 year old colt realizing his manhood...yikes!  Lets throw in a ground pen built on unlevel land where Jadie managed to squeeze out of during his training.  Everyone seemed to be having a day.  But, like Amy says "stop making excuses, they will do what you ask of them"

Meika did fairly well in the round pen.  It was a different story outside of the pen.   We traded places and I rode Meika outside of the round pen and Amy took Jadie into the round pen to start lunging him.  At first things were going fine.  She gave me a bit of trouble when I asked her to turn around and go.
She kept giving me trouble around the hitching post.  I would turn her and she would act like the  only way she wanted to turn was into the hitching post.  I really think she had had enough and was letting me know.  Still no excuse.

I was too busy being the bossy one, the one where you will go for me only frustrating both of us.

I started turning her one way and then the opposite way and then for good measure tried backing her up.  She had enough of me and layed down.  I first thought she was stumbling but no, she went down!  I quickly got off of her thinking she was going to roll but she didn't.

Amy came over and asked if she could borrow her.  She wanted to make sure we didn't end on that sour note. I gladly handed her the reins.  She and Meika went for a walk down the road where she behaved quite nicely after that.  She brought her back and we unsaddled her and let her go eat with the rest of them.

Meika sunning back in March

Flood waters putting a damper on things

Horse training for today has been cancelled.  We have had so much rain that we now how a lake in our backyard.

Our neighbors next door are going to have to move their horses if the flood level gets any higher.

Looks like we are having a dry spell from now until Sunday and then it starts all over again.

Our road is flooded out towards the north of us

This has been the wettest spring I've ever seen here.  We've had 10 inches of rain in the past 4 days, plus about 4  tornado warnings so far.  Very scary considering it's only April!

The flood in our backyard

Trying out Amy's Aussie saddle

Tonight I was trying out Amy's Aussie saddle to see if I liked it.  She only used it a couple of times and would see it due to lack of use.  So we put it on Meika.  It didn't seem like it fit quite right but I tried it anyways.  She seemed a bit off in the round pen, like something wasn't right.  I asked Fred to look at her and see what he thought.  He said she looked fine.  I still thought something was off with her.

I thought the saddle seat was comfortable enough but I didn't like how it made my legs feels.  You're almost in a straight up and down position and that made my legs and feet feel tired for some reason.

I tried her up to the hitching post and removed the Aussie saddle much to her delight!  Then I brought out our saddle and put that on her.  I rode her around and she was fine.  She was the "old Meika".  So I think it was that saddle for all the flack I was getting from her.   Heck, I liked the old saddle better too!

Our true test was after the pen area was left open, so I took Meika in there and walked around with her.  The door was still wide open and Fred was starting to put the hay out.  She thought there for a minute that she was calling the shots.  She learned different...:)

I learned several things tonight:
Trust your instincts
Listen to your horse
(and less of your husband....:)

A horse doesn't care how much you know until he knows how much you care.     - Pat Parelli

4-20-2011 Trot a Lot

2nd lesson of the year went well.  Started off doing lunges, stopping and switching direction.  I did the switch twice but on the 3rd time she didn't want to do it.  Stubborn mare she is.  She finally did it.  Amy brought a couple of trainee/students with her so after our time training she had them work with Jadie in the round pen.  I was still riding Meika riding around our property.  I know it sounds trivial but for some reason I was afraid to ride her anywhere other than the round pen area.  So tonight was a first.

I had told Amy that I didn't want to trot her in the round pen.  There were a couple of really muddy spots for all the rain from the night before.  She laughed and said fine.

When I was riding her around the area I got her to trot and I loved it!  So much so, we did it several times.  I walked her over to the driveway, around the bradford pear and into a trot we would go.  Meika has the nicest trot.  It's not choppy at all.  It's a nice, relaxing trot like she's just taking her time and strolling along.  All I know is it sure feels great on one's behind....well that, and the padded saddle I have!

Now I can't wait until the next lesson.

Peppermint Treats

Peppermint Treats

Ingredients

10 crushed peppermints
2 cups flour
2 apples
1 cup of oats
1/4 cup of molasses
water
Directions

Mix flour and oats together
Add molasses
Add water slowly until mixture is doughy
Add peppermint
Add apples
Cook at 350 degrees until golden brown

Recipe for Horse cookies

I saw this in a magazine and saved it.  They sound good and easy.

Horse cookies

1 cup carrots (grated)
1 apple (grated)
2 T. corn oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 t. salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix carrot, apple, corn oil and molasses together.
4. Fold in salt, oats and flour until well mixed.
5. Spread dough out in one big piece on the cookie sheet.
6. Score dough with a knife to make it easier to break apart after baking. (Or, roll dough out and cut with cookie cutters)
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown.
8. Let cool.

Bake at 350 on a greased cookie sheet

New saddle to me

We went down to the Goreville Livestock and tack auction in Goreville, Illinois a couple of months ago.  We picked up a thick neoprene saddle pad, a used leather saddle, and also a few other items and paid $120.00 for everything.  Not a bad deal.  I highly recommend checking out your local auctions if you want to save some money.



I really wanted a leather saddle vs synthetic.  I've heard good and bad things about synthetic saddles, not to mention the prices are very affordable compared to leather.  A very good friend of mine suggested the padded seat for comfort and my trainer didn't like the idea of synthetic at all.  This saddle has the best of all worlds for me.  It's affordable, cushioned seat and leather.

Here's what it looks like.  

Refresher course - 2nd year

I was a little nervous at first.  My trainer said ok, show me what you do with her.  So I led her around and when I stopped, she stopped.  Good so far.  Backed her up. she did that too.  Then I went to lunge her....no deal.  I tried the right side, then the left side.  Each time she walked straight towards me and I felt that I was the one being lunged and not her.  Finally, with her insite and corrections I got her into a lounge and things were much better after that.

After that, she saddled her up and let me ride.  I was surprised how well she did after the last two sessons.  She was somewhat stubborn several times but nothing I couldn't turn around.  I'm just so tickled how well it went tonight!

First couple of rides.

I finally got the nerve to climb up on her and ride even tho it was only around the round pen area.  The first ride was in January and it was great.  She was well behaved and pretty much did everything that was asked of her.  

The second ride was a little more difficult.  She only wanted to follow Fred around the pen and didn't want to listen to me.

The 3rd time, well let's just say it wasn't good.  

My trainer is coming out tomorrow for a much needed refresher course, and boy do I need it.