Jane Augenstein - My World in Pictures

New Years Ride

2012-01-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

Well, the weather was pretty nice and I got to ride out the old year and ride in the new year! Short ride but hey, I still rode from one year to the next, even if it was only 15 minutes! haha Don't have too many good pictures, camera operator was having problems. Since he doesn't take pictures very often he was photo challenged! But that's OK, we got some to document the event.

Here is Gilly's mail order, purple hair extensions. The really are purple although they look blue in the picture, night shots sometimes don't turn out too well. Now there is a BIG butt for you, that Gilly is one big boy! I put these in his tail a couple of hours before I rode. I called them into the barn to see if I had to clean Gilly up before hand, went ahead and added the fancy tail decorations. I was hoping that Pokey didn't spy them and chew them or tear them out. I gave them some hay to keep them busy until I came to get Gilly out. The "hair" is synthetic and I found them on Amazon, under $3 each so I couldn't resist, I bought 5!

As Mike took this picture the camera caught his breath which made an interesting picture. Gilly has glowing eyes and the white spot on me is the reflector strip on my winter gloves. Gilly was a good boy for me, he probably remembered from last year that it was going to be a short ride!

Pokey standing back in the shadows, again swirling mist, good effects from the camera man.

Gilly looking worried here. Mike was shooting a pistol, I got off before hand just in case he decided to get beside himself and have a bad spook. He did pretty well but was snorting and blowing. See video below pictures.

Ahhhh, the smell of gunpowder! Gilly seems to like that smell, he would take a sniff then turn his head away then come back to smell again. In the end he curled up his lip, LOL, must have smelled good...I kind of like the smell of gunpowder myself. We will keep working with gunfire, I want him to get used to it sometime want to be able to shoot a pistol from his back.

You can hear Gilly's bell necklace jingle has he moves around. He did pretty good, flinched a lot and danced some; I love the snorting and blowing. Notice near the end he is licking his lips and he is on a loose rein.
Happy New Year!
Jane

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:17:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I don't have any pictures to show.....yet! Gilly and I are going to ride out the old year and ride in the new again this year. The weather here is about 43 degrees and slightly cloudy. I can every so often see a quarter moon peeking out of the clouds.
Pokey and Gilly are in the barn waiting and eating some hay, it's getting closer to time to go saddle up. Gilly got something in the mail today that he will be wearing. I don't know if he is excited or not, he's not saying! You can tell me what you think when you see the pictures, it's a fun thing!
Mike is taking pictures for me, hope they turn out good so I can share with all of you!
A New Year is fast approaching, time for looking forward not backward!
I'm ready, are you?
Blessings to All......
Jane

War Horse

2011-12-29T21:17:00.001-05:00

On Christmas Day Mike and I went to see the movie War Horse. I had been waiting and waiting until this came out to see it. I was wonderful, yes, some sad parts in it but still I loved it. Did I cry? Yes, some I held it together pretty well.

Baby Joey

Albert making friends with young Joey

Joey excepts the work collar, love this picture reminds me of Gilly.

Joey and Albert racing a car.

Joey is sold by Albert's father and starts his journey as a war horse.

Joey in the trenches

I loved the movie and plan on seeing it again with my horsey girlfriends. Mike liked it too but for the war part, I am the horse nut so I loved it! The sweeping scenery of the English countryside is beautiful. I would highly recommend seeing this movie. When it comes out in DVD I will have it, I have already bookmarked it in Amazon to be notified when it is available for purchase. Yea!

Finder's Key is the horse that portraits Joey in the movie, really smart well trained horse. I found two articles about him here and here.
Here is a really good review written by Nancy Rojo of Horses are my Passion .

Have a Happy New Year! If the weather is not too cold here I plan on riding from 2011 to 2012 to bring in the new year! If I do I will have pictures, Mike said he will take pictures for me! Yea!

Jane

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
To all my Blogging Family!
Have the best ever Christmas!
Blessings to All!
Jane and the Boys

New fabric for pads

2011-12-23T22:12:00.001-05:00

Went to Neff's Country Loft in Belpre Thursday and .... oh my ... look what I found! I love, love, love old looking fabrics and these look like Civil War fabrics. Not sure just how I will incorporate these into saddle pads but I will.

The one below is a green shade, hard to describe but it is beautiful and the eagle border is on both sides so lots of possibilities here.

Stars and strips below is really beautiful and the blue star with red stars surrounding is gorgeous. I want the blue star for the back corner, will have to do some piecing here. Kacy, are you seeing this one???

The four fabrics are Laurel Bush designs that are now discontinued and really hard to find. Love her work, so sad that she passed away in 07. An extremely gifted and talented woman.

This is one of the bright horse designs I found not as eye catching as the bright horse heads, as below but in the bright colors. Everyone loves it so it's pretty much vanished. I did find some on eBay that someone is selling for $25.00 a yard!!! I won't be buying any of that!

These earthy tones are beautiful but not as bold as the brights. Of all her fabrics I have seen I have to say the bright dancing horse head fabric is my very favorite.

I like the bunched up herds of horses in the above one. Dappled horses or Appaloosas?

This last one reminds me of ponies playing. I have to stop collecting fabric and get busy sewing! But.....I have always been a fabric collector. When I was making quilts I really collected fabric and still have many, many yards of fabric waiting to be turned into something.

I know my taste in fabric is not everyone's taste and that's OK. If no one buys them Gilly will be the best dressed horse around, he doesn't complain about color or design, he just wants them to feel good on his back.

Only one more shopping day left......is everyone ready? I am! :-)

Jane

Scarlet dressage pad

2011-12-21T14:05:00.001-05:00

Here is a new pad hot off the sewing machine! Deep scarlet, it may appear an orange red but isn't. The Dancing Horse head fabric in the corner is almost gone and I can't find any more, it is being discontinued, darn!
This pad measures in the spine 22 inches and the drop is 21 inches. I don't put the front billet strap on unless someone wants it on, I never use mine and know other who don't like them and will cut them off.
I love the color of this one, really bright and colorful. It's listed on Gilly Wear web site and is $79.00 if anyone is interested.
Jane

Two more new pads and a sale

2011-12-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

I am having a one day sale on my Facebook page, Gilly Wear (click to go) one day only tomorrow Dec. 14th $5.00 off all pads but you have to buy it from the facebook shopping cart, not my Gilly Wear web site.

Here are a couple of new pads I just added. Love this fabric, Star Spangles Strips dressage pad, did some fun quilting on this one and I really like the colors here too....more purple!

This one I had so much fun doing, free motion machine quilting. This one is an all purpose pad, the fabric was called Terra, I call the pad Terra Firma but it kind of looks like fried eggs on drugs! LOL I do love the colors and the shape, I may have to buy Gilly an all purpose saddle pad if this style doesn't sell so I can use them myself. heehee

Jane

More saddle pads....

2011-12-08T18:21:00.001-05:00

This is the latest saddle pad I finished the other day. (All purpose, spine 21" drop 17".) It was spoken for but so far the person who wanted is hasn't contacted me. It could be for sale if I am not contacted soon. I love this fabric, so bright...usually I never go for fabric like this but wow! This fabric is also discontinued, so sad the designer died a few years ago and the company has decided to discontinue her fabric line.

This dressage pad has a military look to it, (spine 22" drop 21") smokey blue and black stars. I thought about doing flap piping of red but at the last minute used this gold fabric. I like it!

Now this one is a wenglish one for sure! Western looking dressage pad (spine 24 1/2" drop 23") I have added some buttons and beading to the end of the swallow tail. This one doesn't have the strapping to hook to the billets, I don't very often use them; thought I would leave it off unless requested to put them on.

For the under pad I used cotton plaid flannel, nice and soft next to the horse.

Close up of the beading and button. I also did a machine blanket stitch into the black binding, makes it look more western.

This is Gilly's wool pad I made him awhile back. I added some wool stars and hand stitched (blanket stitch) the purple stars on. I may add some bead work to it also. He needs a little bling on his stuff too!

It has been rainy here for days and days. Gilly loves the mud so no riding, I think he coats himself with mud on purpose just so he doesn't have to do any work. Clever horse isn't he? Weather is turning colder too, need to get some warmer riding pants so I can stand to be out for hours on end. Do they make those snuggy thingys for equestrians??? And just how would that work? Hum???
Jane

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:36:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends, Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie! Relax and enjoy the day, blessings to all!!
Jane and family

Indigo snowflake pad

2011-11-22T21:02:00.001-05:00

Here is another pad I just finished sewing the beads on yesterday while I was sick. I added some lens flares on a few of the beads so you can see them. I used iridescent glass bugle beads. I LOVE this one, these beads really BLING in the sunshine.

This is posted on my web site to see more info. I may have to Photo Shop this one on Gilly to see how it would look on him. As you know he can't model them cause he is a dirt ball and would get them filthy!!! Can't have that!

Tomorrow I am making cranberry salad, YUM and sweet potato pies tomorrow for Turkey Day! Hum? Maybe I can sneak in some sewing time! ;-)

Have a great Thanksgiving!!
Jane

Gilly - Horse of the Week

2011-11-21T16:02:00.001-05:00

Gilly made horse of the week on Carol's blog Horse Sense. Carol saw my post on Gilly Wear and wrote and ask me if she could use Gilly's story on Horse of the Week! I said, sure.....Gilly has a story to tell; there are pictures with the story if you don't know how I got Gilly go there to read his story (click on the link horse of the week to read it.

Yesterday and today it's rained and been very dreary here on the farm. Yesterday I started feeling not so good and today I really feel bad. I hope it goes away soon, I can't be sick for Turkey Day! I've got things to do, animals to care for....but today I have been on the couch, with the dogs keeping me company. They are so kind to me, always wanting to sleep on me to keep me warm....but I think they have ulterior motives, they want to sleep and keep themselves warm!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!!! Blessings to all,
Jane

Western pad

2011-11-18T15:54:00.001-05:00

Here is my first western saddle pad, not for sale, I made this one for my neighbor Kim and her horse Messina. It also has wither relief in the front. Fabric is mottled blue with flecks of silver, I quilted it with silver metallic thread and a silver ribbon between the bias binding and pad. She sparkles! I will be making more western pads soon.

Here is my sewing room, yes, it's packed full of "stuff" and Kitty thinks she needs to come in and keep me company. Either that or she is hiding from the dogs! I had to re-arrange my work area a few days ago, the other lay out just wasn't working. This is much better, now I have access to both sides of the cutting table (where the blue pad is) the red table is behind the sewing machine so when I am quilting a pad it has someplace to rest. Before the pad would be over the edge of the sewing table and pulling toward the floor. The sewing table was facing the window before now I am sitting sideways to it, I like that I can still see out the window to keep an eye on the boys when they are down that way.

I thought maybe today, it's so sunny here, that I may get out to ride. Well, after I was outside for a bit I decided against it. It just looks nice outside, the wind is very sharp, biting and it's colder down in this hollow too, so I decided to stay inside. I'm not one for being cold. BRRRRR! Boy, I don't know if I'll make it through the winter! We don't even have snow yet.....where's my long underwear???

I am thinking that the dogs have the right idea. All four of them are on the couch and have wrapped themselves in a fuzzy blanket, napping. Hum, maybe I'll join them....
Jane

New Web Site

2011-11-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

My web site is open, Gilly Wear is now up and running! Yea! My business card, that I have working on for some time. I am liking purple a lot this year so there is a lot of purple on it!

I don't know if you would call this pad a Christmas one or now but I liked the fabric, looks like holly leaves and berries to me. Winter, this would look good on a white or grey horse.

This pad, Cream and Claret, I just finished on Friday, I am really liking it a lot! Got the fabric I got from a shop beside my husbands office. Decorating Connections is a fabric what does window treatments and such, I stopped in to have a look. The pad is made of some of the fabric, drapery, that I found there. Poly batting is sandwiched between it and white wool on the back.

Back of the pad showing the free motion machine quilting. That is so much fun to do, makes the design on he front just POP!

Close up of the claret fabric. This fabric has a black thread running through it so when it moves it changes colors, these pictures don't do the fabric justice at all. There is a small strip of a gold/green separating the claret and the cream fabrics.

More to come, I'm just gettin' started!
Jane

Beautiful November Ride

2011-11-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Wednesday Gilly and I went for a ride, 2 hours, we visited the neighbor, rode down the road to the next township. I didn't go too far as old Lucy was with us. At 12 she still wants to go with us but can't last as long as she used to, so we go slow and don't go far. These pictures are when we were on our way back home.
Gilly checking out his shadow.

Gilly and me in shadow, I wish the weather would just stay like it was then. So beautiful, just cool enough for a light jacket and air so clear and the sky so blue! My favorite time of year.

Looking across our hay field to the back hay field and the shed beyond. Gil and I ride back there a lot, crossing creeks and riding in the creek. Gilly is not to keen on walking in the creeks but he is learning.

This picture should have been above but now I can't move it; anyway this is an old road that Gil and I ride on. A very steep rocky old township road that no one takes care of but it's still an open road. With all the rain we have had of late I haven't ridden up there, pretty muddy and slick.
Yesterday was a beautiful day but I didn't get to ride went to Stanleyville Stables to their open house, wish I had taken Gilly over just to ride around and enjoy the weather!
Today is another gorgeous day but we are going to do some work in the house I think, boo, I would rather be riding!
I love fall!!!

Jane

Gilly's wool saddle pad

2011-10-31T21:26:00.000-04:00

I made Gilly a wool saddle pad with wool I used to hook rugs. Since I am not hooking now I thought I would put it to good use. Wool is a natural fiber and so good at wicking water away and cooling, I thought why not?

I used three layers of wool on each side of the pad and the yellow line is where I put a another layer of wool for more support where the saddle will sit. This design was used from my ThinLine pad. Pad feels all soft and cushy and I used it on Gilly for the first time this afternoon. (same pad color looks darker in house)

I almost forgot to take the picture of the pad on Gilly after my ride. I had removed the girth and was about to remove the saddle when I remember, take a picture!
I have ordered a sheepskin rug so I can make Gilly a fleece girth cover, I didn't like the ones I found on line so I thought I would make one myself....yea, I'm like that.
I haven't been able to ride for about a week, going to chiropractor but am on the mend so I rode today, between rain showers. Gilly was good, we had fun. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, no rain! So I want to get another ride in and then hit the sewing room and get busy on some more saddle pads.

Halloween

2011-10-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

This is from a card I made a few years ago so I thought I would post it again.

Have a spooky good Halloween!!!!

The Fabric

2011-10-21T19:35:00.001-04:00

Here is the fabric I bought yesterday at The Quilted Work click on the link to see the beautiful shop and the gardens full of gorgeous day lilies....lots to see, check it out. The shop is only 10 miles from home and it's close to the stable where I take Gilly sometimes to ride in the indoor arena. I am also going to work there one or two days a week, fun!

Oh, boy! The fabric above is one of my favorites for sure! This will be good for western or English, pretty! Some of the fabrics I bought as yardage for a full pad and some 1/2 yard cuts for corner trims and such, it will speak to me with time to start sewing it.

This beautiful indigo blue with snowflakes is pretty neat too, it's also a favorite.

Not sure what I will do with this one but it caught my eye so......I had to buy it.

Two of these have strips that can be cut and used as decorative pieces, the black with the copper and silver outlined leaves is interesting and the copper metallic is another neat one.

Love the turquoise and black one is interesting, that one looks western wear type to me but I don't know yet.

Ahh, horses running in the snow this one may end up as a band on the front of a hoodie sweatshirt. Yes, I know we will be having that snowy look all too soon! Ugh!

WOW!!! Flames, I see this one on a black background and I have an idea that in-tales some decorative glitzy metallic thread, yes, I do machine embroidery too. So many ideas my head is going to burst! Maybe if I make a pad like this for Gil it will light a fire under him to move faster, think? I don't! LOL
I started another pad this evening, will finish it tomorrow and start another one.

I have lots and lots of fabric from when I quilted years ago but one can never have too much fabric! ;-)
Jane

Gilly Wear

2011-10-20T12:24:00.000-04:00

Me and Gilly are starting a new adventure, well, he is just the model I am doing all the work and he has his name on it! "Gilly Wear" Gilly's line of designer one of a kind saddle pads. This all started over taking off the rubber ThinLine pad off a saddle pad I had so I could dry it. You can wash the pad but not dry it in the dry because of the rubber pad sewn onto it....... sooo....I took it off! Being a seamstress I thought I can fix this; made a pocket for the rubber pad to fit in and I could remove it to wash and dry the pad.

After I removed the rubber pad, you can see the outline of it still on the cotton pad.

Pocket added and rubber pad is inside, I left an opening in the top center of the pocket so I can remove the rubber pad for washing and drying. I used the green fabric just cause it was handy, should have used black but it wasn't on hand.

Here is a picture of the black rubber pad laying on top of the dressage pad so you can see what it looks like and how it fits inside the pocket. After doing this I thought, hey, I can make saddle pads with designer pads and do the same thing, the pocket and still use the thin line pads and Gilly can have a wardrobe of clothes to wear!

So "Gilly Wear" was formed and I started collecting fabric.....which isn't hard for me because I used to be a quilter. A quilter on break, I took 10 years off to do rug hooking and now I am quilting again, this time saddle pads!

Here is Gilly modeling, this is all he does, a pad that I had put pockets on for the ThinLine pads, which I later changed, more on that later(see PS at bottom). I got this fabric at the local fabric store, love the red Chinese symbols on the black background. I made the pattern from my fitted dressage pad, above, but added a square back to it. So it fits my 18" seat saddle really well, this I call the small pad.

Here is a close up shot of the pad. Machine quilted in a 2" grid pattern. I made the black bias binding and the red bias trim too.

This pad I bought because I wanted a larger pad, it's only longer across the back than the one above but I added some really gorgeous fabric that I bought from a quilt shop, more expensive than the local JoAnn store but wow, pretty!

Close up of this one, I am not usually attracted to bright colors like this but, hey, it had horses on it so I had to get it and there was a matching horse fabric also. Of course I got it too.

Even closer! I did free motion machine quilting on it, around each horse head. Oh, I do love it!!! I only got half a yard so there isn't enough to make a full pad.......sigh.....may have to go get some more of this and this is really bad......this quilt shop is only a few miles from home! Where do you think I will be hanging out with the delivery truck comes with more fabric???? (I saw one of the gals that works there at a quilt meeting the other night and she says, "Hey Jane...we got some new horse fabric in!") Oh, boy, they got my number! LOL

Here is another pad I made, Gilly doesn't get to model the ones I plan on selling but this one is the same size as the black and red one. The patch at the bottom is the matching fabric that goes with the one above. There are either two or three more designs in the fabric for more interesting designs too. The purple fabric was from the JoAnn store but it sure matches the purple in the quilt fabric! The batting I used in this one is a high loft so it's puffier than the first one, the low loft is much easier to quilt.

I was going to make some bell necklaces for hoses too but then decided that the long necklace is a lot of work and a bit pricey since I use glass beads and semi precious stones so I decided to make a smaller string of bells and beads. I don't have one ready to show just yet but will have soon. I am also working on a little web site for the "Gilly Wear" pads and bells that are called "trail riding Liberty Bells". The name of our farm is Liberty Homestead Farm and we live in Liberty Township so....guess where I got the name? Also my hooks rug business is called "Liberty Homestead Rugs"

I do have a business card made up, what do you think? It took me awhile to decide on the colors but I find that this year I am loving purple! I seem to be drawn to a lot of purples everywhere I look, is that a popular color this year?

My neighbor, Kim, rides western and wants me to make her a western pad so yesterday we found some really neat fabric and ordered it. When I have it finished I will post it so you all can see it, I guess Messina will have to model the western pads and I'll have to call it "Messina Wear West"......LOL

The catchy phrase I came up with for "Gilly Wear" is this: "It's What Your Horse Wants to Wear"

OK so this is the "END" of this post........

I am off to the sewing room to get busy on some more saddle pads!!! This is a good rainy, dreary day here in Ohio and these are the days I love to be in my sewing room creating!!!

Later,

Jane

PS~I have decided that I don't need to make pockets for each saddle pad for Gilly. I just made a small thin pad with pockets, still has to be open for extra shims, to lay over the pad and under the saddle. Problem solved!

More big tree clean up

2011-10-09T22:12:00.001-04:00

Our neighbor, Randy in the bucket of the backhoe watching Mike getting ready to pull a part of the huge oak out of the creek. This was a couple of weeks ago and we all worked for 5 hours cleaning up some of the mess. Didn't get it all done though.

Mike, Randy and Craig all looking over what is still in the creek. They had just gotten out a big log that had been down in the water. You can see all that is left up on the hill yet to be removed.

Big log coming out of the creek. It's a good thing they got it out cause a few days later we had on heck of a rain storm and it flooded the road and took a lot of the debris with it. I mean cleaned it off and removed some of the dirt on top of the rock baskets in the creek bank. The big log remained and this weekend Mike and I got it cut up and taken to the neighbors. Now the bank is clean again, but there are some holes I have to fill. It was a great weekend to be outside, wish I had been riding Gilly instead of cleaning up tree trash!

I am hoping that the coming week is nice, I wanna ride! Poor Gilly though, he has a lot of winter hair and gets pretty hot real quick. Poor outa shape slug.....LOL....just like me!!!
Jane

2011-09-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

Well, this was my ride today....funny it sure doesn't look like Gilly??? Although it can buck and be cranky just like him! LOL So why was I on this mechanical beast instead of my trusty stead? Cause the dang township guys don't want to seem to do any clean up on the big tree that decided to fall, knock out the power and make an extremely large mess.

This was Monday morning, leaves and branches everywhere, where does one start? Today I couldn't stand it and got the backhoe and my friend and riding buddy, Kim, came up and helped me. We raked, shoveled, used a pitchfork and piled the stuff in the backhoe bucket and made 7 trips back the hollow to dump it on the big burn pile back there. Mike and her husband will get the chain saws out Saturday, if it's not raining and start cutting up the pieces that can be used in the wood burning furnace. Kim and Randy have an outdoor wood furnace so it will go down the road to them.

Mike was going to come home early so we could do more but it started raining before Kim and I got the last load we had raked up. I was actually glad to see it rain....Kim and I were whipped and dog tired. Yes, I am still hurting but I guess when things have to get done you have to put that aside for a bit.....

One more bucket load was left in the ditch by the road but that's another day! It's supposed to rain for the next 3 days, hope they are wrong, more work to do...if I can keep it up. Thank goodness for Sore-No-More!!! Hummm? Maybe I should order a case of the stuff.
Hope I can get out of bed tomorrow....LOL
Jane

Labor Day

2011-09-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

A big tree fell last night, Mike had worked all day putting on a new metal roof on one of our buildings. He had two more rows of roof to put on and it started raining, so we had to pack up and quit for the day.

We came inside, cleaned up, ate supper and were relaxing watching TV when, BAM...then the electric went off. Big tree fell, big tree. Mike went out and looked to see were it was. Right by the driveway and all over the road. This was 9:30, I called the electric company, they came out and restored electric; it didn't take out the lines but bounced them together to short out the power.

Mike worked for several hours clearing the road way so people could get by, one of the township guys came after I called to help with some of the clean up.

So with that said, today, Labor Day I fear we will be laboring with clean up. I am still hurting enough that I probably be much help but I'll do what I can. Township is suppose to come and help with the clean up.....here it is 1:30 and no sign of them yet.

Think I'll take a nap.......
Jane

Gilly meets Messina and Pokey gets a haircut

2011-09-03T13:25:00.000-04:00

It's been a long month since I posted last. I have been trying to get weaned off the prednisone and it's not working too well. I have had an awful flair up of pain, so haven't felt like doing much of anything. It's been hot and humid here, horse flies are still bothering the boys so I only got to ride twice, when we had a few days of cool weather. Once Kim and I trailered over to a stable and rode in the indoor.

Last week I had a fairly good morning and it was cool, I took a chance and climbed on Gilly. I only rode for half an hour, my body wouldn't let me ride longer, Gilly was good so he made it a good ride for me.

The doctor bumped my meds back up so now I am starting to feel a bit better, it will take a while. Right now since the weather is horrible and I can't ride anyway, that's OK. Next week looks like the weather will be cooler and maybe, just maybe I will feel good enough to ride my boy. I sure miss riding him, even when he is a stink bug!

Kim's new horse has a new name, Messina. Nice name and it seems to fit her well. Below are some pictures of when Gilly got to meet Messina and Kim riding her.

Gilly and Messina first meeting. Gilly was really arching that neck to impress her. No squealing in this photo.

Yes, Gilly is a lot bigger than she is, he is a big boy. He must have been getting ready to lick her again, he loves to lick his friends, silly boy!

See what I mean. Here he is grooming her and she thought is was pretty nice. She did spend some time grooming him too. Lacy, she just stayed in the background and wasn't very interested in joining the group. We found out later her back was out, when the chiropractor came a few days later. No wonder she didn't want to play, she was hurting.

Here is a shot of Lacy and Messina finally being friendly and no squealing here. They are much better now, not very much squealing at all now. Lacy used to be the top horse in the pack but now Messina is. All she does is flick an ear or harden an eye and Lacy moves out of her way. The reason Lacy had back problems, she was kicking and striking out at Messina all day, Messina just moved out of her way. Silly horses!

Pictures of Gilly strutting his stuff for the ladies. Poor boy they really didn't pay that much attention to him.

Hey! Why is no one watching me? I was really doing some smooth moves for you ladies......where'd you go? Well, at least someone got it on film!

Pokey got a hair cut and he thinks he looks pretty good! I do too, what do you think?

I was cutting Gilly's bridle path one day and Pokey kept trying to get in between us. His was of telling me he wanted some attention too. So at first I trimmed him a bridle path, not that he needs one but he wanted me to do something to him too. A few days later I saw a picture of another donkey who's owner cut his hair like a crew cut then clipped to the neck about every other inch. Looked so cute I decided to give Pokey a cut like it. He thinks he is quite stylin'....LOL My vet said he even really liked it.

I am hoping that when the weather cools down and my meds kick in that I can do more riding maybe next week. If I do I hope to get more pictures to post. Maybe I won't be so lazy and can post more about the happenings of me and my equine buddies!

Keep an eye out for more posts.......
~Jane~

Gilly's new look....

2011-08-01T08:23:00.000-04:00

Gilly decided to get ready for his new friend coming and she is coming on Tuesday, tomorrow!!! I am excited and Gilly will be too when he meets her.
Tomorrow morning the hoof trimmer is coming then it's off to get the new girl. Her name is Pebbles right now but Kim doesn't like that name and is trying to find a new one.

Hey, anyone have any Appaloosa names for a mare? Please help us out here! :-)
Jane

New Girl in Town

2011-07-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

My neighbor, Kim, has been looking for a new horse since Lacy is lame and she hasn't been able to ride her for over two years. She found Coco, the pony a new home with a little girl and her family. And now started looking for a new horse that she can ride with me and Gilly. This is Pebbles, I think she will change her name. 12 year old mare, really, really nice very calm, laid back, trail ridden, you can open gates on her, she trailer loads, hauls around grandkids and is gorgeous!! If I could have gotten another horse, I would have grabbed her up if Kim didn't!
Gilly is gonna be in LOVE! He loves spotty girls and this one is pretty flashy. She is about 15hh, Kim thinks she is a little big, Lacy is about 14.1hh. I'll tell you I am EXCITED!!! Finally I will have someone to ride with! YIPPEE!!!
I think Kim and I will be going to get her next week.
more later......
Jane

Happy 4th of July!!!!

2011-07-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

Have a Wonderful 4th everyone!!!!!!

Spooky ride or the Terodactyl is going to eat me!

2011-06-26T16:26:00.000-04:00

This thought crossed Gilly's mind today I am sure!!!

Gilly and I went for a short ride today. He was beside himself right from the start, Blue Heron has a nest somewhere on the hill above the barn and it was screaming! I'm here to tell you that it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end! He was snorting, blowing and dancing around like crazy. Took me awhile to get him saddled up, since I knew what was making the noise, after hearing it many times now, it wasn't bothering me today....and we were riding! Here is a link to a recording of their voice: http://www.naturesongs.com/gbhe2.wav
Just as I was ready to get in the saddle it started to rain, just a light rain so I gave up the idea of riding in the hayfield, too slippery for trotting. We rode up the road first away from the barn and Gilly seemed to settle down some but still the ears said otherwise. He was listening for the giant Terodactyl (in trying to find how to spell this prehistoric bird it seems that now there is a "P" in the beginning of it? When did that happen?) that he just knew was going to swoop down and carry us both off for supper!
After about 5 minutes up the road we turned and came back toward home, rode past the barn, now he is getting really nervous again. Pokey is running past us, on the other side of the fence which makes Gilly even jumpier. Thank you Pokey! But I made him go on down the road toward Kim's house. He wanted to turn and run several times but I kept his head straight. I would squeeze first one rein then the other just to keep his mind on something beside wanting to run. I didn't tighten up on the reins either, which I used to do which just made things worse. But I think that by squeezing and releasing my hands on the reins kept him focused on me and not the sounds he was hearing. It was starting to rain harder so I turned and rode back to the barn, again he wanted to run but we just walked along at a good brisk walk. I stayed calm, cause I knew what it was, and that helped him.

I hurried and got the saddle off, raining harder now, went to put Gil in the barn but he won't go, still afraid. So I turned him loose in the field by another gate and he and Pokey are still standing there, 3 hours later. Silly boys!!! But since it's still raining they are getting a bath! LOL
We will work on more scary stuff tomorrow!
Jane

New Helmet

2011-06-25T14:10:00.000-04:00

Gilly and I have been working on going straight and forward. He is NOT a very forward moving horse and so we work. I wanted to learn to sit his trot but a girl that I have working with us said I should concentrate on getting him to go forward and me strengthening my legs. So I post and post and post and it's working, it's also giving me a more secure seat. Yea!

Got a new helmet too a Tipperary Sportage and I LOVE it!!! It doesn't pinch my forehead like the other one and I really love the fact that it has so many air vents in it.....it's COOL, really cool! and light weight, feels like you aren't wearing a helmet at all. I'll use the other one that doesn't breath as much for winter riding.

Last week I saw and killed my first huge horse fly. Dang I wish somehow those darned things would just go away. They will be coming out in force in a week or so. I got some fly spray the other day it had Citronella scent it said. I forgot that Gilly is allergic to. I sprayed him lightly the next day he had hives all over him, HUGE ones! Poor boy, so I start looking at the feed store for a different fly spray that is good, well all of them have citronella in them now. I did find one, an off brand and I can't remember the name now. Today I used it but sprayed it on a mitt and wiped him with it, will have to see if makes him break out. He also has large flaky, dandruff looking patches too. I have been using Vetericyn on him and it is helping. I couldn't ride yesterday because of a sore place at his girth area from the hives.
Have any of you had this kind of problem? I wanted to use Pyranha but that is what had the citronella in it, couldn't find any around here that didn't have it in. I have also tried the home made fly repellent and it doesn't work with Gilly the flies still love him.
Hope everyone is having a good summer so far!
Jane

Gilly having an identy crises

2011-06-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

Gilly is one mixed up guy isn't he? LOL Click on the picture to enlarge. I also got a new hat.

I have some things to do on this one and I will post on it a bit later when it's finished.

Lacy posing with me and my new hat! Gilly thinks it's pretty neat too, and wants to grab it off my head. Maybe he wants to wear it too.

I have been riding some in the mornings, when it's not raining. Have to go early so the bugs won't carry us away! Gilly is doing so much better and mostly it has to do with my attitude. Imagine that? It's really true what they say about the horse mirroring us and if we don't like what we see then we had better change "us" not them. Boy, sometimes that's a very bitter pill to swallow, it's so much easier to blame the horse. Well, not so. I have been reading a wonderful book by Jane Savoie called "That Winning Feeling"......all I can say is WOW!!!! I have only read a few chapters and it's helped me a great deal.

more later........
have a great weekend everyone!
Jane

Gee, it's been awhile!!!!

2011-06-07T17:48:00.000-04:00

I am getting sooooo behind in my posting (sigh) have plenty to post about but just can't seem to get it done.
This morning while at the barn, listening to the boys stomping around, flies or nats something bothering their legs. I decided to try something, a screen door if you will.
Since we have plenty of baling twine I thought I would use it to see if it would help with the problem. (see Gilly's hind foot?)

Gilly peeking out of the barn, he didn't want to go through the twine hanging. I had to put the halter and lead on him to get him to go through but then he still really didn't want to. Not so with little Pokey!

Let me have a go at it he said! Right through it he went and walked right up to me. Gilly is still hanging back in the barn.

Pokey said that was fun!!! (notice he doesn't have ears on his fly mask? Gill pulled them off last year and I haven't made him new ones. I really need to because the flies really get his ears somedays.

Pokey says, come on Gilly it's fun! Those string things kind of tickle when you go through! Gilly finally did walk through them and has been in and out ever since. I was afraid they would chew them up, especially Pokey but so far, neither of them has.

Hope they really do work keeping out the flies, hard to tell today. We had a huge thunder/wind/rain storm this afternoon and got almost 1 1/2 inches of rain! Crazy weather. We also cut our hay on May 30th and baled it on June 4th, it was calling for rain but luck was on our side and we didn't get any! The hay is wonderful, smells so good, 137 bales for the winter.

On May 31st a friend of ours came out and helped Mike put in a new door to our patio. The wood one was not doing so well, the inside of the glass was starting to steam up on both sides and it was not holding a finish well anymore.....time for it to go!!! Our new door is not a slider but a French type door with one door opening in and on the opposite side, the dogs are confused as am I! LOL I keep wanting to go to the other side to open the door, hopefully I will get it figured out!

Door is vinyl clad inside and out, I am sooooo happy, no more painting! See Petey looking out, I see another pet eye glowing but don't know who it is.

My trailer has a new resting place. We tore down a small fenced in holding lot by the work shed and Mike filled it in, since it sloped to steeply to the creek. Now my trailer is out of the way of him working on his equipment; baler, backhoe and bulldozer. This should also be easier to maneuver my trailer in and out of here! I am happy about that!

We also have a nesting barn swallow in the barn. Gilly's ear is pointing right at her. I was hoping that the strings on the barn door wouldn't bother her and it has caused a little concern but she and her mate are getting used to it. They can fly in above it, you can see in the first picture. I need to bring down a mirror sometime and see how many eggs there are in the nest. I love having the barn swallows in the barn; Gilly will have to watch his butt though.......last year she threw out poo from the nest right on his butt!!!

That's about all for now, I will have to try and do better at posting and about taking pictures, I have been lacking in that department too. Oh, one more picture. I took this from our upstairs window when it was pouring down rain today and then did some playing with a photo editing program.

Gilly is standing outside in the pouring rain, it must have felt good, Pokey decided to stay in the barn. Then as I was walking out of the room after taking this picture a bit of fur caught my eye in another room......

Smart Kitty, it was a good day for a nap!!!

Jane~

Friday 13th!!! BAD!

2011-05-13T13:18:00.000-04:00

Blogger wiped out my post on Gilly's birthday and also took away all of the comments that you all wrote! :-(
Please comment again so I can put them on the post. Darn it anyway!
Jane

Gilly's 8th birthday

2011-05-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Green icing on my nose! Gilly's 8th birthday was May 5th, I can't believe that I have had him for 7 years! Wow, how time flies. He gobbled the cookies so fast that I didn't really get a good picture of him eating them. Mike didn't get him turned my way as I snapped the pictures.

These are the two cookies. Pokey was supposed to get one but he said "NO THANKS! those things looks funny and they taste funny!" Gilly said I'll eat yours Pokey, no problem!

Look at the curve of that neck as he was reaching for the cookie, YUM!!! I should have gotten on the other side to take the pictures. The reason they are all sepia toned is because I was looking into the light and you couldn't really see much detail. The sepia shows more detail.

How's that for some funny horse faces? I think the icing got stuck on the roof of his mouth. LOL

I've been away awhile.....

2011-05-06T21:25:00.000-04:00

I have been pretty, hum, well, lazy I guess I would have to say! LOL I haven't done any posting just cause I haven't felt like writing I guess. Oh, I have lots and lots to talk about but just couldn't get motivated to do it.

This winter has seemed like the longest ever and we have had lots and lots of rain. I haven't gotten to ride as much as I would have liked but I have gotten in a few good ones.
I could write about my saddle that I did surgery on. The thigh blocks were so thick that it had bothered my legs for quite awhile so I removed them. Flattened the leather that covered them, trimmed them to fit where the old stitching was and reglued and it feels soooo much better on my legs!!!

This was before, these things were extremely thick and very hard so...

I removed the stitching, pulled off the hard foam pad, that's glue residue that is still on the leather. I picked and cleaned as much as I could, used fine steel wool to rough it up a bit then used contact cement to reglue.

This is before I glued it down. I had just flattened it out to see how it was going to look and I liked it! (I emailed a saddle fitter/repair woman before I did this so I was coached through the whole process)

This is how it now looks with the big thigh blocks out. Still a very nice saddle and more comfortable for me. I did this back the first part of March; at first I debated selling it and getting another saddle but I didn't know if I would like a new saddle as much as I like this one. What if the new saddle didn't fit Gilly as well as this one seems to now and me, what if I didn't like the new one as much. This one has sentimental value to me so I doubt if I will ever sell it.

Then there is this......

I bought this (Beverly Bay) trailer cover, a few weeks ago to help protect my trailer, I don't have a building to store it in so I thought this might help keep the weather off it. It has a zipper where the door is so you can still enter the trailer with the cover on. It's a little hard to do but you can get inside. It has soft rope ties front and back to help secure it and take up some of the extra fabric. It also has three straps that go under the trailer, from side to side to keep it on when the wind is blowing and it has been blowing down the hollow of late!

Here is a view of the back, it also has a zipper so you can open the back up. Velcro strips at the top to roll up the back and secure it out of the road. It is supposed to keep the UZ rays from doing damage to the paint, it's also breathable. Is Gilly afraid of it, NO, he tries to find a loose place to grab the fabric and pull on it, so far he hasn't gotten a mouthful!!!! He would probably rip it!

A week ago one of the dogs had woke me up about 4 in the morning, so I stagger out of bed and go downstairs to take them outside. Thankfully I had left the outside flood light on so I could see, well, that is after I got my eyes to open! After a few minutes they were done and I came back in put them back to bed and I headed back to bed. About 45 minutes later, I set straight up in bed, not knowing if I felt something hit the house or heard something that made a BIG noise! I also saw a BIG ball of bright light, then heard noise that I knew what was coming next...poof....lights out. A tree fell somewhere, somewhere close and knocked out a transformer. When the daylight finally appeared looked up and could see a big tree at the neighbors down. What you can see in this picture the top had been cut off and drug away. Gilly and I went for a ride to check it out.

I stitched this picture together, why the white line in the middle I'm not sure but anyway you can see the tree, the road, top on opposite side. Gilly was checking it out, our house is the farthest away. Power was off for several hours and so far no more fallen trees. Not that it wouldn't happen again, so much rain and wind that it wouldn't surprise me if we have more down cause more rain is coming. Riding between rain drops.

Jane and the boys

Big Moon

2011-03-19T23:18:00.001-04:00

Huge moon in night sky tonight. Got a really good shot of it and just wanted to share it.
more later..........

Trailering and tieing or not....what do you do?

2011-02-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking (I know, scary isn't it?) about trailering and how is the best way to tie a horse or not tie one in a trailer. I was working with Gilly yesterday on trailer loading.

As you know Gilly has his own ideas about how things should be so at first he didn't think he needed to go in. After all, we weren't going anywhere so why bother, he said?

Well, I said, you need to practice so you will be very good at it.

He thought about it for awhile (wheels turning and eyes deep in thought) well, he said what's in it for me if I do?

Then I said, well, only good horses get peppermint treats when they preform well. He nodded his head, sighed and walked in the trailer. Then he got his treat.

We did this a few more times and he did really well and got several treats for being a good horse. We have quite a few discussions like this, Gilly doesn't like all the running around like Clinton and other trainers do, he gets pretty agitated and well....pissed off. And if pushed far enough will jerk the rope out of your hands and run off. So now we discuss things of such importance.

When I trailer Gilly I use my knotted rope halter and 14 foot lead rope and use the Blocker Tie Ring or the Safe Clip so if he needs to pull back the rope will slide some to release pressure. Gilly rides really well, he never moves from where you put him, he doesn't paw, move around, just stands and rides very smooth. I have a stock type slant load but have taken the divider out, Gilly is a big boy and doesn't like to be squeezed. I have heard that some people like to just let their horse loose in the trailer but since this trailer has a front dressing room, I want Gilly tied. The papers that came with the trailer said not to let a horse loose because of putting too much weight in the back. But if you have two horses in the trailer, that would be more weight in the back end....interesting. Well, anyway I prefer to have Gilly tied and really the only room left would be for a Pokey sized animal.

Gilly has no problem with being tied, anywhere. One time when he was not wanting to play let's load in the trailer, I tied him up for several hours. He didn't care, he just stood there. Heck, he was probably napping the whole time!

(did someone say "nap"?)

So the rope halter isn't an issue with Gilly. I have heard a lot of people say that their horses don't like the rope halter, Gilly is one of those horses that is pretty laid back, so much so at time one of his nicknames is "Laid Back Lenny".

But what I really posted this for was to ask all of you what kind of trailer you have, what kind of halter you use when trailering your horse and do you tie or not. Just curious how others do things.
Thanks,

Jane and Laid Back Lenny

I'm still here....I'm just not "here"

2011-02-17T15:00:00.001-05:00

Finally the weather has turned to what seems like spring, it will be short lived I am sure. Mother Nature is like that you know!

I have no new pictures of riding but I have gotten to ride three times; once on Sunday, Monday and yesterday. I have only ridden for about an hour, my legs won't take much more than that. Feels like Gilly must have gotten wider over the winter! Or could it be that I am just out of shape? I fear the latter is probably true. Haven't gotten much exercise except for shoveling snow and poo out of the barn, not the right kind.

I did get a new dressage pad for Gilly, he seemed bothered by the air pad that I have used on him for years. Since his back has changed and the saddle seems to sit better on his back now I found a pad that is very nice.

I stumbled upon this pad in looking for a different saddle, still am not sure I am going to get an all purpose or just keep the dressage. Anyway, read about these and wondered, then talked to a woman who has been showing dressage for 30 years. She said she was given the pad to try and thought it couldn't be as good as they said but when she tried it, she was sold. It's good for the rider and good for the horse.

ThinLine Cotton Comfort Fitted Dressage Pad

this is a wonderful pad, I have ridden in the three times and Gilly likes it a lot. The saddle seems to fit much better and I can feel him through the saddle. The other pad was thicker this one is a close contact, I really, really like it! You can throw it in the washer, then hang to dry, the other heaver pad had to be washed with the hose and it took quite some time to dry.
Go to the link and see the videos and read about these pads, many to chose from both English and Western and really they aren't that expensive.

Check out Thin Line Riders to see some of the top riders who use these pads, pretty impressive list. I am more impressed with how Gilly moves out better and feels under me than anything. It has made a difference.

Hopefully I can ride tomorrow, I wanted to today but had things to do in town. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, 66 here today and the weather forecast for tomorrow is 68 and breezy. Poor Gilly though, he has his heavy winter coat on, we will just take it easy.

Hope everyone else is getting in some ride time! I am thinking SPRING!!!

Snow Globe

2011-02-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

This is what the looked like yesterday morning as the sun was coming up. It had snowed the night before. I had been to a friends house in the evening and it was a white out at times driving back home.
I went out to feed the boys yesterday morning and the sun was shining. A few hours later the snow started falling then another white out. The boys were playing and having a good time. I got a few pictures but missed some good ones.

Gilly had just come flying off the hill, jumped the ravine and I caught this picture of him.

Pokey and Gilly coming to the barn, the snow was beautiful but I am getting tired of the white stuff.

Pokey is saying let's play Gilly as he bits him on the neck. Sometimes I could hardly see them from the house the snow was so thick!

Finally got Gilly's attention so he would look at me as I took his picture. Snowy horse, it was so cold but yet he and Pokey decided to stay out and play in the snow, while I hid in the house and......turned up the heat!!!

Then in a short time the snow had quit and the boys decided to take a nap....on their hay! They did eat it eventually but a nap was in order first.

After the snow stopped I decided to drive out of the hollow and see all the snow. Ok, I didn't decided my husband called me and said get the camera and drive around and look at this snow!!! Glad I did....

This is an old barn that is close to home and I really liked the way it looked against the white snow. Gilly and I ride past this one a lot. I always wonder what, if anything is still in the old barn.

Tall pines along a road that I drive on a lot but with the snow hanging on the branches it looked enchanted.

This picture was taken just around the bend from the last one. Note the small out building hidden among the pines.

Love the dark pines in this one but the sky was what really grabbed me. Cold out but a really good day for pictures.

Thought this tree was really pretty silhouetted against the cloudy sky, with snow stuck on the branches.

I used my Canon Power Shot SD780, would have loved to use my Canon Rebel but trying to drive a car and take pictures with a big camera that you have to look through the view finder, not a good idea! Yes, I was driving but I held up the little camera and just clicked pictures as I drove, not looking until I came home and loaded the images on the computer. Not too bad, huh?

Still no riding, too cold for me....soon, soon I hope!
Jane

Waiting.....

2011-02-06T22:36:00.001-05:00

A summer picture of Gilly. I can't wait, this winter weather is not at all to my liking. Was going to ride today but cold, damp air and a chill wind was blowing so I didn't get to ride.....maybe tomorrow! I hope.

Prayer for the horses.....

2011-01-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Today I saw on my daughters facebook page a post from a friend of hers. She had ask how his horses were, one was barely hanging on and yearling was becoming sick. When I ask her what happened she said they had botulism poisoning from their hay.
I emailed him, telling him who I was and asked about the horses. As of 6:30 this evening he has lost all of his riding horses, 6, and there may be more by now. I do not know how many horses he has.
I have looked on the internet and found several cases of this happening, in 2008, 100 horses died from botulism hay.This can happen in round bales or squares. It can be caused by baling an animal or snake, yes it happens. I have found snakes in our hay, I throw the bale away if I find one! UCK!! Here is a link from the University of Kentucky about botulism. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2001/Aug/spoilage.htm

So if you all can, please say a prayer for the horses that have passed, those that are still sick and for Bobby and his family. This is a horrible devastating tragedy! I can't imagine losing one horse but 6 or more, makes me cry just thinking about it.
Jane

Winter please go away....

2011-01-21T21:35:00.000-05:00

The weather warmed up some a few days ago, it rained and a lot of the snow melted. The yesterday the temperature started to drop, it started snowing a fine wet snow about 11:00 am and continued on into the night. We got about 6 inches of the white stuff....again! It's also very cold!!!

Here is Gilly nibbling on some hay, click to enlarge, he has icicles in his tail and his jaw whiskers. There are also some hanging off his ears and sides. Will he go in the barn, no; I guess he isn't cold....boy, looking at him sure makes me cold!

The boys saw something that spooked them, I looked up the hill but couldn't see what it was. Pokey eventually trotted over to Gilly to stand next to him, he feels safer when he is by his big buddy. This was taken about 3:30 in the afternoon, the sun has already started to go over the hill and it was 17 degrees, this was the warmest it had been all day. Now at 9:10 pm it's -1 and still going down!

Pokey is still concerned about what it up on the hill. Well, yes I do agree that the snow is beautiful but......I have seen about enough of it's beauty for one year. I would love to see some dead brown grass or even some....dare I say it??? MUD! At least that would mean it was a little warmer.

The weather forecast is calling for another inch of snow tomorrow and maybe more on Sunday! ugh.

I am counting down the days till spring.....it can't get here soon enough!!!

Winter....

2011-01-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

My round pen is waiting for me but the snow is stopping me and Gilly from having fun! Well, me anyway, he and Pokey are playing and having a good time in the winter wonderland.

The creek looks cold enough to freeze you in an instant, don't think I will go wading!

Ice hangs from the granary roof.

The pine by the house has ice and snow on it, very cold.

I know spring is coming soon but not soon enough! My hands and feet don't like the cold anymore now that I have gotten older. When I was a kid I was out riding in all kinds of weather.
The snow has melted some and the roads out here are very slick so if I did try to ride I would be afraid of Gilly slipping and both of us ending up on the ground, I would like to stay upright, please.
Maybe soon the weather will warm a bit and I can ride again.
Hurry up SPRING!!!!

I Did It!!!!!!!

2011-01-01T01:50:00.000-05:00

Good Bye 2010

Hello 2011

Yes I had help, Mike was kind enough to take pictures of this silliness!!! But this was a first for me....what a way to bring in the New Year....riding!!!!
Jane

Ride in the New Year???

2010-12-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am sitting waiting for the New Year to come in and I thought I would do something different this year. This afternoon I got Gilly our for a short ride, wow, it was great! I hadn't ridden for several weeks or has it been longer? Oh, well, I got to sit on that big broad back of a magnificent creature and just let him take me down the road.
I got to thinking this was the last ride of this year but.....wouldn't it be fun to ride out the old year and ride in the new?
Well, that's what I'm gonna do!!! Gilly is in the barn now with Pokey quietly munching some hay, and he is still CLEAN, imagine that??? Well it's only about 5 after 11 as I write this so in about half an hour I am going to saddle up. Mike is going to take some pictures and I have the date and time stamp set on the camera so you will know it's the real thing!!!
Will post these pictures (they'd better turn out!) later!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Jane

Archie, my daughters puppy

2010-12-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

Archie, my daughters puppy got to come home today! She said he was very happy to be home, he was wanting to eat some, play with his toys and bark!
I told my daughter the type of dog she has is going to have SOME bark. Half Walker Coon Hound...oh, my!!!

He will have to go back in a few weeks to have more shots and more worming. He had a LOT of worms, poor little guy....well, he's not really so little. I think he is going to be a big boy when grown.

We have been working on our downstairs bathroom and got it nearly finished! Over the weekend my husband got the drain and water lines run. All work that no one can see, glad he knows how to do it, he is quite the handy man to have a round.
Today we went grocery shopping, he has been on vacation this week, it was more fun to go to Lowe's and shop! We got some paint, this is exciting...LOL...the ceiling paint we bought is purple! You heard right, purple but it dries white. This is so you won't miss a spot. I need all the help I can get!

I will be posting some pictures of it a little later. Molding to put up, then I can paint the ceiling. There is still a linen closet to build, that will be awhile.
Kicked back now drinking some really good raspberry wine that a good friend made and gave me! It is YUMMY!!!
Jane

Sick Puppy

2010-12-28T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a grand Christmas! Ours was starting pretty good until my daughters puppy had to be rushed to the emergency vet Christmas morning. We had had our Christmas on Christmas Eve with some dear friends and my daughter and her boyfriend.

They had left their new puppy, Lab/Walker Coon hound mix at home because he was not feeling well, they had had him 4 days. They didn't want to bring him for fear that he had something contagious.

They were here about 3 hours then went home; she called and said they were taking him to an emergency vet clinic about 30 miles away. This clinic is open when regular vets aren't....thank goodness for them! The puppy was vomiting, had very bad diarrhea and seemed very depressed. Turns out he has Parvo! and has a 60% chance to pull through.

Wow, this stuff is nasty and can hit a puppy pretty hard in a short time. While at the emergency clinic he was on IV fluids and antibiotics. Yesterday morning, Monday, they took him to their regular vets office. He has improved a little but still not eating. The vomiting and diarrhea have stopped but he is not wanting to eat. He seems somewhat happier, tail wagging and seemed happy to see them last night when they went to see him. However he is not out of danger yet, they will see him tonight again and see how he is doing. They call the vet periodically to check in on him and will see him again tonight.

Hope he pulls through! I have never had a dog with this horrible virus and hope I never do; this is some bad, bad stuff!
Jane

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

2010-12-19T21:42:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas!

I added some bling to this very special card for all of you, my blogger friends. All of us here at Liberty Homestead Farm want to wish you and your loved ones good health, much happiness and love at Christmas and all year long!

Snow and cold

2010-12-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

We have gotten some snow, not a lot but it's very cold here too. Gilly and I haven't been out doing any work, cause I can't take the cold. Gilly and Pokey don't seem to care though. A few nights ago it was 7 degrees with the wind chill of -11, wow that is cold!!! Now, Gilly and Pokey can come and go as they please but that night, that cold night, they slept on the ground outside!!!! I know because I found a big spot on the ground where the snow was melted where they had been. In the barn there is a bed of thick sawdust for them to sleep on, I guess they weren't cold. I gave them lots of extra hay and have been since it's been so cold, they seem to prefer to be out in the weather. I check them to make sure neither are cold, both have thick long hair and are toasty warm.

Here is Lucy our Australian Shepherd who also thinks winter time is great! She has a double walled insulated dog house with lots of cedar bedding but a lot of time she too will sleep outside on the ground. One night she, this was a few years ago, slept out all night in a flower bed and was covered with snow. See? What a silly dog I have! She has a very heavy coat also and loves to play and roll in the snow. Not me, I'll stay in the house and keep warm cause I don't have a hairy coat like the critters do!

So Gilly is getting a break for now, it's too cold for me to be out to even do any work with him in the barn. I can't keep my fingers warm, I will have to look for some really warm gloves or mittens to keep my hands warm. I have some Mountain Horse gloves for winter but they aren't doing the trick.
What kind of warm gloves do you have for frigid weather???
Jane

Santa Rug on Ebay

2010-12-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

I have this Santa and Reindeer rug listed on eBay just in time for Christmas. Here is the link to see it there. Rug measures10.5X14.5 inches.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360327736363&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Most of the snow we got the other day has melted but tomorrow we are supposed to get about 2 inches of the white stuff! Will we have a white Christmas? Who can say; I myself would rather have a warm Christmas so I could ride!!! I haven't gotten to work Gilly on the long lines since I posted about it but we have done some work in the barn. He can be pretty pushy at times so I started making him do some foot work inside. The end of the barn he and Pokey occupy is about 14 by 24 feet so he can move around pretty well. We work on backing up, moving his butt around, this is a spin around on his front feet, stepping over one hind leg in front of the other and really moving that butt FAST. Now I just have to crouch down and look at his butt and he moves around in a hurry. He used to move at a slugs pace and have a very Ho-Hum look on his face, now he is very alert and hustles those feet for me. I have also been working on him lowering his head to put the halter on. He wants to hold his head up in the air, but now he is starting to lower it and be more respectful. This is something we work on everyday, rain, snow or sunny he can do this little bit of work inside; Pokey too.

I have to give both boys some worm paste the other day. I was hoping that Gilly would remember the work we had done with taking meds and he did. He still was a little resistant but then I got out a peppermint candy that was in a cellophane paper, it rattled so he was very interested; took his meds and I gave him his treat. It worked great. Pokey you just open his mouth, insert the tube and squirt it in, he makes a little face and that's it, he's a good little boy!!!

Has everyone gotten their Christmas shopping done yet? I haven't ...... still have a few more things to do; think I will shop the internet. So much easier, no crowds, no traffic, no standing in line.........I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Jane

Hoof print in snow

2010-12-06T11:40:00.000-05:00

We got snow last night; I thought we were only getting flurries but the flurries turned into about 2 inches of snow. Yes, it's pretty but.....seems like just yesterday I was shoveling snow off the patio! Wow the summer went fast, fast, fast!!!

Anyway, when I went to feed the boys, Gilly came into the barn while I was getting their oats. I feed them outside so he turned and went back out and to the feeder by the gate. When I came back to the barn to fill up the water bucket and get hay, here is what I saw laying on the barn floor.

I picked it up and carried it to the yard by the patio so I could get my camera and take a picture. This is a cast of one of his hind feet, I can tell because they are have a more pointed toe than the front feet. I was looking at the long marks the bars of his hoof left. When he first started getting the barefoot trim almost 4 years ago he hardly had any bars but not look at them! Almost to the end of the frog! (click on picture to enlarge) There is also a large snow flake on the left side too!

Since it's cold outside and I am a wimp about the cold today I am staying inside and addressing my Christmas cards and am going to watch a movie, "Tombstone". Lots of horses in there to watch and Sam Elliott too (sigh) one of my favorite cowboys....my number one favorite is Tom Selleck (bigger sigh) and I have a lot of his movies too. So I'll be in front of the TV all day! LOL

My two favorite cowboys!!!

To get a new saddle or not???

2010-12-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

I had been thinking of getting a new saddle, an all purpose instead of the dressage saddle that I now have. But now??? not sure what I am going to do. I thought of taking the large knee block off of the under flap of my saddle so I had a little more knee room. I really like this saddle, the deep seat is really comfortable, so I was almost ready to get my seam ripper and take the stitching off the leather and remove it. Then I thought, well, maybe I should call someone who knows something about saddles before I do this.

I called Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop and talked to Kitt Hazelton the saddle fitter there, check out her blog for tons of great information, Saddle Fitting-The Inside Journey. I wanted to know if I really could take the knee block off, she said yes. But then she said maybe what I wanted was to get an all purpose and sell the dressage saddle. If I take the block off, no one else might want it. So another thought but since Gilly needs work on his back, I will wait and see how he looks in the spring. What Gilly is doing in the picture above is what I have heard called long and low, he needs to do this to work those big back muscles.

Monday before I started working him in the round pen I put his saddle on him with only a thin quilted pad that I had made for him so I could see just how the saddle sat on his back. It actually looked pretty good.

Gilly looks like a big butter ball with his velvety winter coat, and he isn't done growing it in yet. When I put the saddle on him I didn't tighten the girth all the way up at first and just let the saddle find it's own place to sit. When I did tighten it up this is where it wanted to be. As you can see though it is still a little high in the front. I hope that with work his back will come up and it will be fine.

View of saddle from back, this one was a hard one to get. I had to stand on tiptoe and hold the camera up and just click and hope I got the shot. That's one big butt to lean on, and pretty fuzzy too! LOL

View of saddle from front, looks like he has room there too. This is a wide tree for a wide boy. So now I will just have to work Gilly when I can and weather permitting to build up his muscles. I ordered a couple of books from Amazon.com (my favorite place to buy stuff) Longeing and Long Lining The English and Western Horse: A Total Program by Cherry Hill and 101 Longeing and Long Lining Exercises English and Western: A Ringside Guide by Cherry Hill They both sounded like good books, lots of pictures it said. I like lots of pictures!

Will let you know how it goes when the books get here. I love doing ground work with Gilly boy, he is fun to work with. Maybe Pokey can learn something too. Then he will be a smart ass! heehee

Jane and the boys

Long lining

2010-11-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today Gilly and I worked in the round pen with the long lines. I am not really sure just how to do this with him so.....anyone who reads this if you have any tips, pointers or good books on long lining please feel free to help me! :-) In the next few pictures we are just working on having him drift across the round pen to go in the opposite direction.

He does step over nicely. Sometimes he does really well then we have a few problems, I am sure I am not giving him the right signals and he is confused. He does try really hard for me. I need a long whip so I can reach out and tap him when he starts going the wrong way or when he backs up. He backs up when he doesn't know for sure what I am asking him.

I also saw when working him this way why he has such a hard trot to ride. He really, really needs to round up his back!!!! When trotting on the way up his back is more straight and when he comes down his back is really hollow and he is really strung out. Almost looks like he is pulling himself with his front legs....ugh...Gilly we REALLY need a lot of work!!!

I notice that his neck is really stretched out too. Looks like an old sway backed work horse.....poor Gilly!

This looks a little better, head and neck are looking much better. I am also thinking of getting some trot poles for him to work with. With winter coming and sometimes riding is not going to happen but I am hoping that I can still work him in the long lines, even if it's just up and down the road.

So now if any of you have any thing you can tell me to help me out with this I would greatly appreciate it! :-)

The End

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

Finished a rug

2010-11-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

Got an order for his rug Sunday night and just finished it today. Rug is 11x20 inches and one of my favorite patterns that I designed. The date on the rug represents the year my grandmother was born, the one I am named after. She was very talented, an artist, milliner, and had studied to be a concert pianist.
I am saving for a new saddle so this will help. I have decided that the dressage saddle has to go. I like the saddle but Gilly's back has changed and now sitting in the saddle is putting my legs in a different position and it hurts! I want an all purpose English saddle, my legs won't be so straight down and long stirrups. With the all purpose, my stirrups can be a little shorter and my legs a little more forward. Better for jumping too!!!
Jane

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

My brother; United States Marine Corp - 1954
In Honor of all who have served and continue to serve,
Thank You!

Gilly in the indoor

2010-11-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

Gilly and I went to Stanleyville on Friday for another lesson. (only have two photos that were good, it was a dreary day and camera didn't like the lighting, I guess) He has been loading up just fine in the trailer and seems to like going for a ride, it's only about 11 miles over there from home.
My friend telling me what she wanted me to do with Gilly and he was very intent on watching her. What a personality this horse has!
We worked on me getting a better seat riding this big boy. I had to ride with no stirrups for awhile, boy was that hard work. I did hold onto the grab strap for support, I felt like I was bouncing all over the place but she said I was staying in the saddle.

Learning the feel of having my legs in the right place, she placed them correctly so I could feel where I needed to be. She was really helpful, to have a person on the ground to watch and correct things that I can't see I am doing wrong and that's a lot. We worked on riding without reins, scary at first but Gilly did really well. We had an hour lesson, when I got off I was pretty sore from using muscles that didn't used so much in awhile.
I don't know if I will be back at the stable arena again, my little friend is leaving and a new manager is taking over on Monday. My friend will still be in the area so hopefully we can still take some riding lessons at home, weather permitting. It sure would be nice to have an indoor....sigh...only if I win the lottery!!!

Saturday morning I was sooooo sore from all the work that Gilly and I did. Today my husband and I are just hanging out and taking it easy, enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon. A real treat, we don't usually take days off, always something to do around the farm. We did a lot yesterday so today is a good day to just put things on the back burner and do nothin'!

Lacy update. Lacy is still lame the new shoes don't seem to be helping. At first the farrier was going to put some pads on but decided to wait and see if just the shoes would help. He is coming again on Tuesday and will put the pads on then; if this doesn't work then she will probably have to be retired from riding. I don't know what Kim will do then. So sad she is only 12 years old and that's still a young horse, I hope this works.
Jane

Gilly's jumping video

2010-11-04T20:39:00.000-04:00

Here is a short video clip of Gilly and I jumping. This was our second time over the jumps. I have no idea if I am doing this right or not...LOL...but hope with more practice I will get better. I look like I am bouncing all over the place but remember Gilly has a BIG LOFTY trot. So here you go, any helpful tips would be appreciated!
When I jumped before I was always bareback and much younger, I wouldn't attempt jumping bareback on at all, at least not on Gilly.
Jane

This is what me and Gil did today!

2010-11-03T21:18:00.000-04:00

Me and Gil had a blast today! I haven't jumped in over 25 years but today I decided to give it a try. WOW....what fun, it's addictive too, these were small jumps but.....must do it again with higher jumps.
Will write more later......
Jane and Big Gilly

Halloween

2010-10-31T17:47:00.000-04:00

Halloween, a night for clanking bones, scary noises and the headless horseman!!!

Be safe my blogger friends!!!

BOO!!!

I've got a GREAT horse!

2010-10-27T18:31:00.000-04:00

Gilly and I have been doing a lot of work with gates and working with me just moving him around with only my legs. He is doing great at it and I can just turn my body and he will follow that feel. So far we have only been working with walk and trot but it's a start.

These pictures where taken last year and I have none when I was working with him alone on Saturday. But I needed these pictures so you can see how my old round pen gate is. I also was riding in my dressage saddle in these pictures I am riding the western saddle.
We have been opening and closing this gate for two years now and everything has been fine but....

See the bottom of the frame holding the gate, well the weld broke at the bottom corner below the gate pen a few weeks ago. I didn't think anything of it, it still opened and shut but the gate didn't swing open as far. Still we had been through it several times with no problems.

The gate didn't open as far as it is in this picture but Gilly will push it with his shoulder to walk through, we were going into the round pen when the unthinkable happened!
My stirrup caught on the pen area was we walked through because Gilly moved toward it instead of the gate. OH....SHIT!!!! My stirrup is hooked on it and we are pulling the ten foot panel into the round pen behind us! He jumped a little and I do mean a little and curved his body around my leg that was hooked to the gate.......we pulled it in about 4 feet before my foot was released. Gilly continued to turn and face it but when I was free he stopped. I had to sit there for a minute to soak in what just happened!!!
Yea, my horse just drug the round pen several feet and DID NOT lose his mind in the process??? Really???? I leaned forward and gave that big boy a HUGE hug around the neck....he let out a loud long sigh and just stood there.

I got off to put things back in order and shut the gate. Had to go out to get the step stool so I could get back on. I came back through the gate, since there is grass in the round pen he was eating when I came back. I walked to the center of the pen, got up on the stool and said, "Hey Gilly, come over here." He raised his head from the grass and walked over to where I was, walked around the stool, stopped so I could get back on his back. Amazing!!!!

We did about 15 minutes working with some poles, backing, side passing over them then.....yes, I opened the gate from his back and we walked through the gate, this time with no mishaps! I did swing the gate open a little farther with my crop so we had more room. He never batted an eye, he just walked through it like nothing had happened.

Now I ask you, do I have a GREAT horse or what????? What would your horse have done? (yes, my husband will be fixing the gate or maybe I will be getting a new one. one what will stay open better!)

Pokey and the feeder

2010-10-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

Pokey, hey Gilly! HEY GILLY!!!!

Gilly, uh?

Pokey, HEY STUPID!!! WAKE UP!! (whacking horse on jaw) Look what I got!

Gilly, huh.....what????

Pokey, look....look....LOOK!!!! Look....in...the....feeder!!! (heeheehee)

Gilly, OH POKEY!!! you brought me some food??? yum..yum!

Pokey, here let me hold it down here for ya!

Gilly, well, but.... hey....where is it??? I can't find it....lick..lick...lick!!!

Pokey, come on....keep looking....heeheehee (shaking the feed tub)
Gilly, I don't see it Pokey......where????

Pokey, (drops tub on ground) snort, snort, heeeheeehawwww!!! Stupid horse.....baahaaaaa....snort...snort!!! You fell for it......heeheeehaawwwww!
Gilly, Pokey you are a mean ass....I was really hungry too! (sob sob sob)

What characters these two are! LOL This was caught out the upstairs window this morning before breakfast. That Pokey is a stinker!!

Gilly gets a hair cut and Pokey is nosey....

2010-10-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

Pokey says hey, what you doing with that camera??? No, no don't look at that horse I am much better looking than he is....he doesn't have a cute pink nose like me and just look at these whiskers, cute huh????

Gilly has been into the burs so much that I finally decided to trim some of his mane off because he will just get into the burs again....so here he is with a trim and a big chunk out of it by his withers that he rubbed off or Pokey chewed off, I am not sure which!

Gilly was giving me the eye for taking his picture, he thought he needed another treat. Not sure if this trim is correct but it still is long enough for me to grab if I need too. Speaking of grabbing mane let me tell you all what Gilly did this evening when we were riding.

After mowing the yard I decided to go for a ride. It was pretty hot today, yes, I said HOT so I didn't ride earlier thought I would wait until it was a little cooler for Gil since he has a lot of winter hair already. So about 4 this afternoon I saddled up and started riding. We just rode around the farm, back the hollow, up on the hill to check the water overflow. Just some easy riding first, then we went to the hay field to do some trot work. I had mowed a track around the field (this field would make a really nice arena but right now it's a hay field, it works)

We did trotting, with me posting sometimes and sometimes working on my sitting trot....this one is still hard for me to do on this lofty moving boy. Of course Pokey had to run along side us by the fence, but he had to add a little buck or two as we went past. Gilly paid not attention except for the turn of an ear toward him, he didn't speed up or spook when Pokey did his shenanigans.

We had been working for awhile and I decided that we could do a canter up along the fence and when I asked him to he decided to do a crow hop, brat, well I am happy to say that he didn't unseat me, I didn't grab the grab strap, I held the reins steady and rode it out, didn't stop, made him continue on at a trot. I should have asked for the canter again but didn't we just trotted and trotted some more. Since he wanted to be a bugger he had to do a lot MORE work, and some side passes too. Wonder if he knows he could have gone to eat his dinner a lot sooner if he had been good and did what I ask him to do. No, of course not but it made me feel good to make him work some more! LOL

This is a huge boost for my confidence and tomorrow we will work on the canter again! I think tomorrow I will have the dressage whip handy, sometimes a little smack on the butt will get him thorough the hip hops. Now here is a question I have; I have been told that lazy horses want to buck when they don't want to do something? I wonder why? That seems to me a lot more work to kick that big ole' butt up in the air than just popping into a canter.

Pokey says one more look at my cuteness; this is me trying to bite a new Himalayan salt/mineral rock. No luck, it's hard as a rock but it sure tastes good!!!!

More later!!!

More about Lacy.....

2010-10-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

Above are Lacy's X-Rays of her right front foot from the vet in Lancaster.In the first one (side view) you can see the navicular bone, the small one above the hoof. The vet said it had some deterioration and some small cracks in it. I looked and looked but I don't see them but then I don't know what I am looking at.
Second one is from the back of the foot; what her foot is on is a thick piece of plexi glass so the xrays could pass through. Do click on each one to enlarge. Fascinating photos.

First he watched her trot, which she couldn't do very well and was really limping. Then he did a nerve block on the right front; waited a few minutes and had her trot again. No problem and no limping! So he said it was in her foot not in her shoulder as we had first thought. Well, this isn't good news.
Next he gave her two injections for her arthritis, one in the left knee and one in the coffin joint of her right foot. When he had the needle in the coffin joint he pushed on her skin at the injection site and a very dark fluid appeared in the needle. We asked what it was and he said the fluid in the joint, the reason it was so dark was because it had a lot of blood in it caused by inflammation! Oh, ouch! He said that the fluid should look like Karo syrup. I am not sure if it was Hyaluronic acid or something else he injected her with (so much information that I now can't remember...I will try my best) to help her joints.
It was supposed to help her within a few days, it really didn't. The other thing he said to do was to put shoes...ugh...on her front feet. Egg butt shoes so it would elevate her heels to take some pressure off her coffin joint and to stabilize and support her foot. He said her feet were in really good shape, her trim was excellent and she was balanced....but....she needed to have higher heels to help the navicular area and relieve some pressure.
Kim didn't want to hear that because for three and a half years we both have had barefoot horses and both have done very well. But what is going on inside her foot that we can't see needs support so Kim said she will try the shoes.

Lacy's front feet, a little dirty! yes, they are a little long because they hadn't been trimmed in 6 weeks and it was time for a trim. But still they are in good shape.

Kim called a farrier, Bryan Farcus, (click on his name to read more) he is an excellent farrier and taught at Meredith Manor for years. The chalk marks on Lacy's hoof are the angle of her hoof, the rasp is in the angle he wants her hoof to be to relieve the pressure on the joint.

In this photo her right hoof has been trimmed and the left one hasn't yet. Can you see the difference in the angle? She now has a higher heel and a shorter toe.

Here Bryan is showing how her shoulder is angled, very steep and short, Lacy tends to be short strided in the front. Gilly on the other hand has a very long shoulder and has a very long reach when he trots and canters.

Here is Lacy's new shoe, looks funny to me but this is what she needs. It's aluminum and light weight.

It sticks out in back, I asked if she would step on it with her hind foot and Bryan said she might but he thought she wouldn't.

Putting the finishing touches on the foot. I never had a horse that had to have specialty (corrective) shoes before so this was all new to me too, as it was to Kim.

and.....here are the new shoes on Lacy. She seemed to walk much better still the turning was a little ouchy but now she needs to see the massage therapist next. Having a massage will help work out the kinks of trying to compensate for the pain she was in.
When turned loose Lacy started running did some bucking too, we could tell that there was a slight improvement in her movement. She didn't over reach and hit her shoe either.

I might also add that Bryan explained, showed diagrams and talked to us for a long time. the actual time to put the shoes on wasn't long at all but he was there for three hours. He said he always makes time for new clients to go over everything very thoroughly; Kim had a lot of questions and he answered them all. He really knows his stuff that's for sure!

I talked to Kim today and she said that yesterday she worked Lacy on the lunge line and there was NO limping at all, at the walk, trot and canter. She still seems a little stiff but the gal is coming this week to give her a massage.
This is GREAT!!! Now in a few weeks she will probably be able to ride and that means me and Gilly will have someone to ride with!!!

Happy, happy!!!!! I am really happy that Lacy is feeling better. I have arthritis in my feet, one is worse than the other so I have some idea how she must feel, it hurts.
I will post more later and hopefully have some photos of rides!!! :-)

Long time missing.......

2010-10-06T19:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have been missing in action for a long spell. What have I been doing, not much, been pretty lazy or unmotivated to write....a little of both. Fall is here and with it a lot of soggy weather this last week, rained and dreary for four days...ugh, not much to my liking.

But some things have been accomplished since I was last on here. Lacy and Gilly both are much better at trailer loading! And it wasn't because of any clinicians tips or tricks, we just kind of stumbled on it ourselves. My neighbors mare, Lacy, had an appointment at a vet's in Lancaster, Ohio a two and a half hour trip from our house and we needed to get her to load onto the trailer preferably without being drugged, that worked before but I had the feeling it wouldn't work again. So the week before we started working again, with the trailer. Lacy will go in the trailer, stand about 5 seconds and rush out so fast she almost falls over backward. Not good! She would go in stand and seem fine then up would go her head, eyes huge and fly out backward. We had tried all the things all the TV trainers have said to do and it didn't work on her, or Gilly for that matter....but that's another story.

One of us would stand inside the trailer, in front of the chest bar and try to calm her, feed her hay or what ever. After having the rope pulled out of my hands so many times and my hands hurting I thought why not put the 14 foot lead through the Blocker tie ring on the loosest setting? This put a little pressure on the lead as Lacy would rush out and it slowed her down somewhat. When Lacy was asked to come back in the trailer I would just pull the slack out of the rope so she didn't step on it.

Then Kim said I think she may be nervous about the noises the trailer makes. The clanging of the divider, the door squeaking and such. So, we started banging on the door, sides of the trailer, the divider and opening and closing the door. Well after while Lacy would stand inside the trailer longer and longer. Finally she would start eating her hay, sighing and resting one foot. We kept here going in and out of the trailer while we made noise; after hours of this she was standing in there eating and not trying to back out. Do we dare? Should we? We did, shut the door and took her for a ride, got to a place where we could get her out and let her play in an arena. We sit and watched while she visited across the fence with some other horses.

OK, now comes the real test can we get her to go back in the trailer to go home? Yes, we did!!! Applause, applause!!! But now will she load up when it's the critical time.....to head to the vets? Again, yes, she did. So we think that she had some fear issues with noises the trailer made.

View from inside the tack room looking into the trailer. Lacy munching her hay. We have also been leaving the divider tied to one side to give her more room and to feel a little more comfortable in there. Kim also put on a fly mask to keep any dust from getting into her eyes.

We stopped at a rest area for a break and to eat a bit of lunch. Lacy ate her hay and only got a little fussy once but then went back to eating. Kim has such a nice trailer, wish I could get to the horse area from inside my trailer but can't, oh, well, at least I have a trailer now! :-)

We passed this on the way to the vet's office.....PUMPKINS, lots and lots of pumpkins, (click on pictures to see them better).
The reason we went all the way to Lancaster to a vet was because of Lacy's leg problem. The shots for arthritis in her knee and coffin joint didn't help the lameness. We were hoping that this vet could tell Kim what was going on with her.

I will post again later on what his findings were and what is to be done about it. I promise I won't be gone for weeks and weeks!

The End....for now!!!

Taking a Break.....

2010-09-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am still around but me and Gilly have been taking a short break. We'll be back in a bit!

Finally the mats are in the trailer and...

2010-09-06T22:08:00.000-04:00

Finally the mats are in the trailer!!! Husband got them cut and in for me, I helped a little but he did all the cutting, what a pain but....now they are in! He also made a new piece to hold the divider wall. The original one had a piece that I was afraid Gilly might get hooked on, maybe not but if it's something to get hurt on a horse can find it!

Here is peeking into the tack room, Gilly's H2O container and bucket right by the door. It only holds 7 gallons but it will be enough for now, we aren't planning on going anywhere where we need more.

Above the water container; flat halter and lead and extra one, flat lunge line, fly mask to put on Gil while he is riding in the trailer to keep stuff out of his eyes (thanks Kacy for the tip!) some baling twine, one never knows when that may come in handy! and a safety snap.

Bag chair, step stool, tire changing "thingy" ???? can't think what it's called....LOL then the tote with all the rest "stuff"!

Here is a shot farther back. (looks like I need some more stuff in here!?)
See all the dust on the saddle racks? I am hoping that by putting the mats down some of the dust will be gone because the cracks between the floor boards was wide in some places. Now I have to find something to stuff under the move-able wall to keep Gilly from knocking sawdust under it.
Oh, yes, I have gotten to ride every day last week, it was great and Gilly did well. We worked on neck reining some more and he is really getting it! I used it when I was working on sitting his trot; holding onto the grab strap with my left hand and had the reins in my right. before it was hard to steer him but now just some pressure on his neck and he turns and pretty darned good too! What a good boy he is; he was pretty easy to train too, I just put the rein on his neck with some pressure and used some pressure with my leg, he caught on quickly!
Only a few darned die hard horse flies left and even fewer cause I killed more, mashed those suckers, dead!!! LOL

Lacy comes for a visit.....

2010-08-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

Lacy was coming up the road when I snapped this shot of Gilly, I love this picture of him. I changed it to sepia tone and it really popped out. He is standing by the fence looking through the trees and down to the roadway.

Lacy is watching Gilly run down off the hill behind the barn. She had been whinnying to Gilly as he came to the fence. This is the first time Kim has ridden her in awhile, she was pretty happy to see Gilly and Pokey.

Now to the problems with trailer mats! I thought they would go in easily, NOT!!!! They are six feet and my trailer is supposed to be six feet wide but NO it is five feet eleven and a half inches! So every one of them has to be cut in some way. The first one had to have notches to fit around the back posts by the door, plus the half inch off one side. Second one has to have half inch off one side but then were was another problem. Just past the escape door the trailer wall is not as thick as the back of the trailer so it is over six feet......ugh.....now I think we will have to run the mats from the nose back then trim the long sides. I will have to take pictures to show when we are finished. We have found that using a saber saw works pretty well but boy is that rubber hard to cut.......
Rats, if it's not one thing it's another!!!!!
Oh, tried to move the trailer around, did some backing......oh, my!! It was ugly; sigh, I see lots of practice in my future before Gilly and I hit the road! :-(

What's in your trailer tack room???

2010-08-27T13:14:00.000-04:00

Before I get to the trailer topic, let me say this......Gil and I went for 1 1/2 hour ride this morning! Ahhhh....heaven!!! The temperature was in the mid 50's...can you believe it??? After we have had temps in the 90's for so long this wonderful cool fall like weather has graced the hollow. (picture is from another ride) I didn't take the camera, I just wanted to ride and enjoy being on horseback again. I have found that I don't have to work Gilly in the round pen like I thought I did, well, so far anyway. We may do a few small trot laps on the lunge line just in the yard, back, sideways, come to me just to see if his mind is with me. If it is then we do a few neck flexes, ground work, as we are doing this I snug up the girth three times, then to the mounting block and we are off. I have done this with him the last 4 times I have ridden and he is fine, overdoing the round pen and lungeing tends to make him a little upset with me, he keeps telling me, alright already....I KNOW THIS STUFF....let's get on with ridin'!!!!
We had a really good ride, just up the road and turned at the bridge then back down the road, turned in the hay field crossed the creek and went up the old road for a ways, back down the hill across the creek, past Kim's and into the next township turned and came back home. We did some trot work in the hay field (I ride in it when the hay is finished...wish I could turn it into an arena, it's large enough!)
Such a nice cool morning Gilly didn't even work up a sweat. I enjoyed it so much, just a leisurely quiet ride with my boy!
Only one horse fly tried to ruin it for us but......I killed him! LOL

OK, now to the topic of "What's in your trailer tack room???" I went shopping yesterday, mostly for groceries but got some things for my trailer too. Here's what I got, first from Dollar Tree; everything in there is $1.

Love the little bucket with the rope handle! No kidding each of these things was only $1!!! The two little square blue containers have metal handles, plates, cups and plastic utensils for lunch time! Bungee straps, kitchen utility scissors, micro fiber cloth, bottle opener/cork screw/knife, little clips with magnets on the back.

This all came from WalMart. First aid kit for me, Gilly has one in the barn that I will take when we travel, paper towels, hand sanitizer, two magnetic hooks, bottle of alcohol and a small tube of toothpaste? Why toothpaste, after getting stung last week I read that toothpaste was good for bee stings, so it's going in the first aid kit too.

This was waiting on the front porch when I returned from my ride from State Line Tack. Trailer Aid for changing a flat (hope I never have to use it!), two The Clip ties works similar to the Blocker Tie ring, there is only one panic snap, UPS lost the other one, the box was tore up when it arrived, a mit to put fly spray on Gil's face, Swat fly repellent ointment for sores and such, a brush to clean buckets and his favorite color for his hay tote. I have a pattern and was going to make him one but I saw this one in State Line for $9.99 and I can't make it that cheap so I bought it!!!

Stopped at Lowe's for this nice big heavy duty 95 qt container to keep my "stuff" in! Also a step stool to climb up on the horse with also something to sit on if I need to change boots or something. Industrial strength velcro and three hooks that stick on with sticky stuff, they hold up to 5 lbs. The velcro is for the ends of some straps I will make to hold the poo fork to the wall so it doesn't bounce around. I still need to find some heavy duty magnet hooks to hand my bag chairs on. Or maybe I will use the velcro and strapping to hold it up.
There are still things I want to get to put in the trailer and still some things I already have that will go in; like a water bucket, a 7 gallon water jug, fly mask for travel, brushes, hoof pick, extra halter and lead, flat lunge line, half bale hay bag for storing extra hay (I am going to make this out of heavy canvas, and more stuff I can't even think of yet! But before I can add anything to the tack room I have to get the mats in. We got them the other night but three of them will need to be trimmed to fit in. the first one will have two notches cut in by the door posts, second one if ok, third one about 6 inches will be in the nose curve front and the forth one will have to be cut in half to make it 2'x5'9" to go in the rounded nose of the trailer. I am not sure just how we are going to cut 1/2" thick mats ......some kind of power tool....scissors sure won't do it! LOL

So now I ask you what's in your trailer tack room? I am really interested cause you all might have things I need but haven't thought of.
Your turn, post away!!!! :-)

…..

Something BRAND NEW for Gilly

2010-08-21T20:43:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago my and Kim went to look at horse trailers. This one sure caught my eye, oh, pretty and red!

This is a Corn Pro two horse slant combo stock trailer, 14 feet bumper pull. This is the tack room, has hanger for 4 saddles and 4 bridles. The saddle rack cam be lifted out and the door swung back to open the trailer all the way to the full 14 feet if you want.

This color is called Arizona Beige and is a little lighter and brighter, I'm liking this one too. Whole door swings open to the right. Has a double latch, one when you shut the door hard it catches and then the swing over catch latch.

Side view, has two tie hooks on both sides. I like the aluminum on the front and the pin striping. I looked at these trailers several years ago and didn't like them at all but they have prettied them up a bit since.

So.......on Friday my hubby took half a day off and we drove to the trailer place, about 45 minutes from home and.....it followed us home! :-) Now we live a mile and a half from a blacktopped road so that's a lots dust that gets stirred up but this color is good cause you can't tell it's really dusty! My husbands grey truck is sure dirty though!

Gilly was watching intently so I got in the trailer and waved to him, he would whinny and Pokey was watching too.

See that happy smile? Yes, I am happy we have wheels, but I have a lot of practice to do, hooking up, driving and backing up, ugh, but....since the hay is up and the fields are mowed this will be a good place to practice backing and I have Kim to help me. She has been driving her trailer around and backing for some time, practice, practice, practice.

See Gilly the dogs load up really well!!! Gonzo says he isn't so sure about this, Sophia says, hey this is pretty nice! I have to get some mats before Gilly goes for his first ride but we can practice loading for now without them.

I don't have any use for the slant divider, don't like them and neither does Gilly so I will take it out and it will open up the air flow too and let more light in, Gilly will like that. There are also slots for putting in Plexiglas to block the air in colder months.

Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly!!! LOL Gilly says OK I got two feet in is that enough? Maybe I'll just stand here and check it out first. He did smell it all over, ahhhh, the "new car smell"!

How fast can your hind legs run behind the trailer, Gilly? He was still smelling and chewing on things in there. Not real sure if he wanted to commit to getting in all the way.

Kim took a turn with him and finally he walked up in after we opened the divider wall and the escape door, it let in more light. I think he felt a little closed in before but we will keep working at it slowly until he feels comfortable in it. The trailer does have a light in the back up on the left hand side and one in the tack area that you can turn on and off.

He was a pretty good boy, he got in four times but he still doesn't want to stay in for long. We will get it and then we will be off for trail rides in some of the State Parks. I also know some other places that has some really nice trails that we will have to trailer to. Fun times ahead for me and my Big Bay Boy!

And of course things wouldn't be complete without some comments from the ass!!! He was snorting, whined, grunting and farting because Gilly was getting all the attention. So.....I got him out so he could see the trailer too.
He sniffed and chewed put one foot in and then jumped back and said OK that's all I wanna see, how about lets eat some grass and forget about this trailer stuff, I see no need for it!

I see lots of work ahead of me! But that's OK, we have plenty of time.
Gilly's got wheels!!!

…

Bad day on the farm!

2010-08-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

Monday I mowed the yard and started weed eating but ran out of string and couldn't get the head off the weed eater to replace the string. Had to wait for husband to come home so he could do it for me. By that time it was too late to do any more so I decided to do it on Tuesday morning.

After feeding the boys and cleaning the barn I got my tall rubber boots on, didn't want to run into a copperhead while mowing along the creek. Didn't have to worry about that!

I finished around the house started along the fence by the back of the house. When I got to the end of the yard I started around behind the propane tank. The tank sits about 3 feet below a hill that runs up the the fence. There are two lilac bushes, a spice bush and some Peony's along the hills edge right behind the tank. I had weed eated right behind the tank at ground level and started from the Peony's up on the bank cutting the tall weeds. I felt the string hit the trunk of the smaller lilac bush....THEN...
I see a black cloud appear and time seemed to stop....no sound nothing but this black cloud.... HORNETS!!! The black cloud was hornets right in front of me about chest level, OK I must have run but I don't remember. I was at the end of the garden about 20 feet away and was being stung, a lot! I was trying to get the snap unhooked from the weedeater that was still running, finally got it off. I didn't through it on the ground but laid it down gently being stung the whole time????? I should have thrown it down and run! 15 more feet away from the still running weedeater, finally got the stinging hornets off me, turned to see where the rest of them were. Thank goodness for the propane tank, I couldn't believe it the hornets were attacking it. I grabbed the weedeater, shut it off and made a WIDE circle away from the garden, actually I was in the road walking to the other side of the house to see just how bad they got me.
this is what stung me, bald faced hornets....(picture taken from the internet)

I knew they stung my elbow, little finger, leg and stomach but how many times I didn't know. Talk about stinging, burning and itching....Holy Cow!!!! Put the weedeater on the patio went inside to strip off my clothing that was covered with grass and stuck to my skin because I was sweating, OUCH!!!

This is what I saw when I looked out the window after about 20 minutes, they were still after the tank. Damned mean hornets!!!
I counted 5 stings but there were two more I over looked. I got stung three times on my elbow. I couldn't find the Benadryl then remembered that I had given the last two to Petey when he got snake bit!!! But I did have some generic severe sinus and allergy meds, looked at the ingredients and it was the same as Benadryl. I took two! Then hit the shower, a very painful shower! Thank goodness they didn't sting me back or my face.....I am REAL lucky that 7 stings is all I got with the amount of hornets that must be in that nest; the nest is larger than a riding helmet!!!!!

Another scary thing is I have been mowing with the big riding mower right past that nest on the hill and have come so close to hitting it with the blower guard on the mower!

Yesterday there was a very large purple spot on the side of my finger right between the first and second joint in that finger. There is a large red spot around the top of my hand and around me thumb too.

My arm and elbow are really swollen and you can see the red where the poison has spread. I have put Benadryl cream on the stings, something called SkeeterStick and an herbal spray and still the itching is driving me CRAZY!!!! Where the redness is it's pretty hot too. I read that hornets sting is like a mix of honey bee and wasp......Holy Crap...This is my first hornet sting and I hope I never hit one of these nests again. I thought yellow jackets sting was bad.....this is about 4 times more painful and itchy!!!!

I'll tell you what, from now on when I am running the weedeater I am really going to scout out bushes and overhanging trees and look for these gray nests. I do have to admit that the hornets are beautiful a black and ivory body and the nest has the most beautiful swirls and silvery colorings I have ever seen but I think that I prefer to see them on the internet......definitely NOT in person!!!

Where have I been???

2010-08-17T10:21:00.000-04:00

Week before last it was hot, humid and miserable (dog days are here) outside so I pretty much stayed inside....ugh! Flies are still horrible for the boys, even going out to take the dogs to the bathroom is bad, the B52's dive bomb you. I swear I can see no earthly reason for them to be alive, bastards!!!

Now on to last week, still miserable outside and Friday I mowed for almost 2 hours then picked beans to can. I also pulled the bean plants and picked off what was left of the beans so that took a lot longer. My back was killing me when I got finished, came in the house and fell on the floor trying to get the muscles to relax. Then had to cook supper so I was beat, decided to work on the beans on Saturday.

Spent all morning snapping and cleaning the beans then the rest of the day canning. All that work for 18 quarts of beans....I am starting to think that buying them in the store is sounding better and better! That evening a friend of hubby's came and mowed the hay. Husband was going to be had another inner ear infection or something that was making his balance so that he could hardly walk let along get on the tractor.

Sunday I picked tomatoes to can, not too many to pick, for some reason the tomatoes aren't doing so good this year. Only had one canner full so it didn't take too long.

Monday husband decides he is going to tedd the hay, still dizzy but sometimes husbands are very stubborn and do things they shouldn't. He had to stop several times because of the dizziness but did get it finished. We did stuff outside all day; when I was finished cleaning the barn and feeding I started for the house, got all the dogs gathered up to go in. I headed for the shower and noticed that Petey was acting funny and had something on his face. I wiped it off, got in the shower and didn't think any more about it. When I got out I noticed he had something on his face again. On closer inspection it was a brownish liquid that seemed to be leaking out of a spot where his whiskers are and he had what looked like a scrape by his nostril. Hum, his face is swollen too and it kept swelling....either a bee sting or what I thought more likely a snake bite.

Called the vet she said it was probably a bee sting to give Benadryl and the swelling should start to go down in about an hour. Nope, still swelling......

Poor Petey he was really hurting but never made a sound. By this time it's almost 9 p.m. I called the vet again and she said to bring him in first thing in the morning. Now I can see what looks like at least one fang mark on his nose, more Benadryl and a Prednisone too.

Early on Tuesday morning off we go to the vet. Petey had to stay so they could give him IV's of fluid and some antibiotics. He did NOT want to go with them when they tried to get him to the back room, he was saying, no, no, I wanna go home!!! On the way home, I forgot to mention this, we stopped at a stable to feed, water and turn out two horses, a pony and two donkeys. Me and another gal were helping care for them for a week. The owners of the horses were on vacation and the stable manager had to go out of town on an emergency. Me and my neighbor were taking turns going over there doing the chores.

We get back home rake the hay and wait for an hour or so check it and decide to bale the first field. Husband is feeling a little better so out to the field we go. As he bales I am picking up bales and stacking them for pick up, I go get the truck and trailer to start picking up the hay bales. We only got 33 bales but when it's hot and humid it feels like a hundred. After many breaks and lots of water we got it in the barn. By this time it's 2:30 he has a doctors appointment at 4:00 so we can't get the second field baled. Head for the house and get cleaned up to leave. Just before we are ready to leave our mailman, who is a friend, stops by and says he will come back in about an hour and bale the field if we want! Oh, yes please! We figure we will be back home about 5:30, we have to pick up Petey from the vet afterward.

Things are going pretty good, the doctor says that all he can do is keep taking the medicine for dizziness and it should be gone soon? We hope....but that's another story. Pick up Petey, boy, is he glad to see us and can't wait to get in the car!!! His face is still swollen but now we have antibiotics, Benadryl and Prednisone to take for a week.

Heading home, fast....when we get here neighbors are here helping the mailman, all hay is baled and loaded onto truck and trailer. We change our clothes and help get it into the barn! Thank goodness for good friends!! Hay is done for this year, I am SO glad....even if it does grow really good and we could get a third cutting......NO WAY!!!

Petey is doing great, the swelling is gone but you can see where the bite makes are. He is back to his old self and liking to take his meds because he gets extra canned dog food to take his pills. Hope he remembers where he got bit and doesn't go there again. We have lived here for 13 years and have never seen a copperhead so where he found this one???? There are water snakes, black snakes, milk snakes, garter snakes, black racers and many more I imagine but have never seen a copperhead. After reading info on the net about copperheads and poisonous snakes in Ohio I found that there are also two kinds of rattle snakes here too!!! YIKES! Timber rattlers and a smaller one that I can't think of the name at the moment, oh, great more bittey things to look out for! :-(

Petey three days ago with some fluid in his neck and chest. All gone now!

Petey jumping for a potato chip, he caught it and it's in the corner of his mouth, yep he is feeling so much better.

I am hoping that in the weeks that follow, I don't have to do that much work again!!! Took me three days to recover but I'll make it. I am looking forward to fall and some riding, lots of riding in new territories, new to me anyway. Why is the word territories in bold, well that's another story to be told in a few days, stay tuned!!! :-)

Gift from a special friend.....

2010-08-13T18:22:00.000-04:00

A magnet that I received from a very special friend today; love the saying on it, so true!! (a horse friend of course!!! hugs to you, dear friend, you know who you are!)

I have been absent from blogville for awhile, so much going on right now. Will post about it later on. Just wanted you all to know I am still here! :-)

Finally a short ride

2010-07-30T20:48:00.001-04:00

All of the pictures in this post are from another ride last year. I didn't take any pictures today, ride was too short.
The weather was perfect today, it was 61 degrees at 9:00 this morning when I went to the barn to feed. After Gilly had eaten his oats I decided that since the weather was so cool and I didn't see but one or two killer flies that a ride was in store. Gilly of course didn't agree with me but.....who cares, you lazy horse, you haven't had to work for weeks and weeks!!! I hurried back to the house, changed into riding clothes and set about preparing for my ride. I knew that it probably wouldn't be a long one.
I rode only about half an hour, we did some trot work just on the road but didn't really have time to really get warmed up before, you guessed it the swarm attacked.
I had my crop with a shoo fly attached so I was swing away at them. I got bit several times on the back. They got Gilly on the chest, hips and rump. I probably looked like a crazy woman swinging the crop around and around and finally my arm wore out, I couldn't do anything with any kind of training. How can one, horse or human, try and concentrate with all the blood sucking/biting flies after us.
I gave up! When I put Gilly back in the field he ran to the safety of the barn....sigh...well, it was fun for the short time that it lasted.
The pictures like I said were taken last year but I did some altering them to make them look soft. Yes, Gilly has a bit on back then and I had the western saddle on him that I no longer have.
Enjoy............

Splash!

Can I splash just one more time???

Cool drink.

Yep.....The End!

Flies from Hell

2010-07-22T16:31:00.002-04:00

Here is one of the reasons that I am not riding now, we have these huge horse flies that the horse can't tolerate, me neither! Oh, one or two won't be so bad but there are countless numbers of them attacking Gilly when he comes out of the barn......I am not kidding with the numbers of them either! We live in an area where they love to live and breed. Down in a hollow, lots of foliage and trees, a creek and apparently us to feed on!

Those things are like razors cutting through skin, clothing and really HURT when they bite. I have had them cut (no lie) through my blue jeans and bit me! Putting a fly sheet over Gilly wouldn't stop the bites at all, they would cut right through the thin material....I mean if they can cut denim...scary thought!

The life span of these flies is from 30 to 60 days some a year. They seem to appear as early as May and last as long at into October! UGH!!!

Horse flies lie in wait in shady areas under bushes and trees for a host to happen by (me, Gilly and Pokey). Sight is the main host finding mechanism, but carbon dioxide, body heat and odor also play a role; and moving objects especially dark colors. (Poor Gilly, he smells good and is dark). Attacks occur during daylight hours with a peak beginning at sunrise and lasting three hours. A second peak is two hours before sunset and commences shortly after.On overcast days they seem to not want to feed (clouds, I need clouds!). Horse flies inflict deep wounds that cause a flow of blood. the mandibles and maxillae penetrate the skin in a scissor-like action. Anticoagulants in the saliva are pumped into the wound and the blood is ingested through a sponging labella. Pathogens may be transmitted from flies that are disturbed while feeding on one animal and begin feeding on another. Horse transmit Anthrax.There are NO effective biological control programs for controlling horse flies! (Oh, dang!!!) It says that cattle Egrets and Killdeer feed on horse flies......can I import some around here???

This is a horse fly trap that they say works? It only costs $295 and you have to provide the T posts! Think I'll get two!!! Well, they may work but I don't have that kind of money to throw around. Here is the link in case any one wants to check it out EPPS Biting Fly Traps

Where we live seems to be one of the worst places for these things, some of my friends how live up higher and more open don't have even half of what we have here.....so Gilly and I will have to wait until these beasties clear out. He can't concentrate on what I am asking him to do if he is being eaten by these flies, all I do is swat them off me and him. (sigh) so it's no fun for either of us. The other flies I can handle and the fly mask helps but these...the "Flies from HELL" they are unstoppable!!

I sure hope that all of you out there with horses aren't plagued with these flies. Guess me and the boys will be waiting for fall rides!

Hess rug finally finished......

2010-07-21T19:39:00.001-04:00

I finally finished this rug, been a long time getting it done. Not in a real hurry, it's not a commissioned rug and I hurt my hand a few weeks ago so it made for slow hooking! But now she is finished and I am thinking of what to hook next, another horse, a dog not sure just yet.

I don't usually think to take pictures of the back of a rug but this one is very pretty on the back also. Hess is such a pretty girl that I really enjoyed this work. Click on pictures to enlarge, if you wish.

I haven't gotten to ride in awhile, it's been soooo hot and now the horrid flying biting vampire horse flies are back. Not only do they bit Gilly and Pokey but me too if I venture out. I don't see the boys except to feed them, they pretty much stay inside the barn in front of their fan all day.
Sometimes I wish we lived out of this hollow, up higher where there aren't so many BUGS!!!! .....ugh!!! I sure do wish I had an indoor arena to ride in....guess I'd better be buying some lottery tickets, huh???

I am counting down the days until fall weather!!!! Hope all of you are getting to ride.

Lawn Party

2010-07-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

Since it's been sooooo hot and humid I haven't gotten to ride or do much with Gilly. He hides in the barn with Pokey in front of their fan. So with that said.....

A few weeks ago when the weather was nice and cool (cool what is that?) Kim had a lawn party down at her beautiful house. There was a really nice breeze and at times it was almost like a fall day, wonderful!

Just on the other side of the road is the creek that was rushing over some rocks that made a waterfall, the sound was so soothing. The flowers on the table, Kim had picked that morning, all wild flowers out along one of our country roads.

We had artichoke dip, herbed crackers, lemonade, fresh fruit salad, hot dogs, homemade sauce and macaroni salad. After we ate and sat around talking, there were 7 women, (a real hen party!) One gal had brought strawberry, blackberry, exotic fruit, and several other kinds of Amish wine. I sampled some of all of it, sampled I said! If I drink too much wine I get a bad headache, not fun. We all had a great time, I left about 8 in the evening, had been there since noon!

We did take a break and walked up to my house to let the dogs out to pee and to see Gilly and Pokey. Pokey was fascinated by one of the gals feet, she had on sparkly green nail polish on her toes. He just kept putting his nose down to smell her toes and just kept looking at them....LOL...I had had a few glasses of wine so of course I didn't get any pictures of this...and...I had my camera clipped onto my jeans! Blah!!!

Here are some close ups of the beautiful flowers.........with a visitor or two!

A bee.......

and a butterfly came by to sample the flowers!

One of Kim's friends brought this beautiful bouquet! All these flowers were from her garden! Wish I had gotten a better picture of them.

I liked this picture with the pines across the creek as the background. I wish I could bring back that cool breeze that was blowing down the creek that day. It would be much appreciated by everyone, including the animals!

I thought that maybe by posting about a nicer day it would make me forget about the heat and humidity...(the AC really helps!!!) ;-)

Keep cool everyone.................

Work in Progress

2010-07-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

Since it's been so hot and still hotter today, I thought I would get back to work on this rug. I know it's made of wool but inside in the AC it doesn't matter. I bought a DVD awhile back called "Appaloosa" that I heard was really good so I think I will take the rest of the afternoon and watch it while I work.

For some reason I have been a slow pokey on this rug, it's not a commissioned rug but I am hoping that the owner of the horse will decide she wants it after it's finished and she sees how good her horse looks as Folk Art! Hess is one gorgeous girl that's for sure!

This is the photo that I took years ago of Hess and the one that I used for the rug. Where she is standing is in the old arena; now the CoverAll arena is there. Boy, I hope they have lots of fans running there today, because with the temps in the mid 90's I'll bet it's hot in there!

Speaking of hot, I looked out about an hour ago and Pokey was laying out in his dust bath spot!!! Wow, I don't know how he can stand the heat but then donkey's come from hot arid regions so I guess he thought is was OK to be sunning himself. Even worse with the temps so high the township came and chip and sealed the road out front. First they came by with the black stick oily stuff then came along with the stone but it's so hot the tar stuff is running off into the grass. I am keeping the dogs inside and leashing them when they need to go out. Lucy so far has been staying out of it but I am sure she will run across it at some point. I don't keep her tied because it's so hot she couldn't stay in her dog house, she would boil! She spends her time down at the barn, under it in the cool dirt. If it were me I think I could find somewhere else to stay cool, under that barn are all kinds of creepy things! Spiders, mice, snakes and who knows what else may be lurking under there!!!! I am sure not going to find out!!!

Another picture of Hess that I antiqued.

Well, that's all for now............stay cool!!!!

A Ride and a Recipe.....

2010-07-03T18:13:00.000-04:00

Gilly and I went for a ride yesterday, this isn't one of the pictures but it's from the other day. I didn't take the camera and there was no one home out here to take any pictures. But I wanted to show my neighbor, Kim's flowers by her garage and also the lion head fountain.

Gilly and I didn't do much any different than normal, except......I didn't work him in the round pen. We did some walking over poles and side passes over things laying on the ground. He did perfect! Now when I got on his back he suddenly forgot how to do it and was telling me "no". We worked on it anyway and finally he cooperated. Sometimes when I ask him to flex from side to side and at the poll he gets pissy about it. I wonder if he is telling me that he already knows this and why am I making him do it again? I still think that he needs to be in the thinking mode before we ride but it's up to me to read him and see what we need to do first. I think he is much happier when we play games on the ground that is fun for him instead of the moving his feet in the round pen.

We did have a good ride, a couple of times he said he wasn't going to go where I ask him to but I said oh, yes we are and he gave in and went along quietly. He can be very strong willed at times and I just have to be a little stronger. He is funny at times, last year if he didn't want to do what I was asking he would back up, now when I ask him to back he won't and then we have to go in some circles, then he says, sigh, OK, I will!

It was a good ride and a gorgeous day, wish I could have ridden all day but I had other things I needed to do.

Like make this Artichoke dip.....YUM!!! It's real easy too. Here are the ingredients.

2 cans of Artichoke hearts, drained

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, give or take, to suit your taste
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, squeezed again your taste, we love lots of garlic

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

I mash the Artichokes with a fork, blend rest together really well, put into baking dish (souffle dish works well)and bake in preheated oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

(yes, I know my thumb nail looks bad but honest it is from picking suckers off tomatoes and being in the garden, uck!) I love this dip, have had the recipe for years, I use Wheat Thins for the crackers but use what ever you like. Very easy and quick and is really good.

While out in the garden I also found three good sized cucumbers, what a surprise! I pulled some large green onions and cut some fresh dill in the herb garden. I then sliced and layered onions, cucumbers and some dill in a dish; added Olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, mixed well and poured over the cucumbers and onions. Let set for 3 hours and oh, boy did that ever taste good!!! I had never put in fresh dill before, gave it a really good taste!

If you try the Artichoke dip let me know if you like it!
Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July, we are just taking it easy today here at home. May have to go to Lowe's though and get some things to do some more work on the bathroom!

Great day for a ride........

2010-06-29T21:12:00.005-04:00

I had ridden Gilly up past our neighbors when I first started to ride and snapped this picture of their building with the new porch. The little building is where my neighbor works on 4 wheelers and dirt bike, he has a back door for getting them into the building. They recently added this neat porch, awning and decorations. I thought it was neat too that she added horse shoes, in various sizes too! Looks nice doesn't it?

Gilly and I rode on but I didn't get any pictures as we rode. We went past another neighbors, they have cows and Gilly was looking around for them but they weren't to be seen. As we approached the bridge and a Blue Heron flew up and over the bridge, Gilly stopped and watched it, we were back far enough that he didn't spook. We crossed the bridge but Gilly was a little concerned that the bird was somewhere around. I assured him that it flew off and horse wasn't in it's diet so he was safe. As we rode on I thought to myself that as soon as we got to the next electric pole we would turn around and head home. I think Gilly picked up on that thought but a little early because at about 10 feet from the pole he started to turn. I turned him back and went to the pole and had him turn on his haunches, which he did and did it well.

Lucy and Gonzo were with me and another neighbors dogs were barking so I am glad we turned around. Gilly isn't much bothered by the dogs but I didn't want to put my dogs are risk. Gilly was watching the bridge again still concerned about the bird but he was long gone.

When we got closer to home I could hear Pokey calling for Gilly. He was standing at the end of the field waiting for us. As we came closer he started trotting up and down the fence, Gilly pays no attention to him.

As we came closer to the house I heard a tractor coming down the road our way. I turned to see a really big tractor coming with a big round bale trailer behind it. Gilly and I got off the road by our barn and turned to watch it go by. He just watched and as it went by I turned him toward it and we started following it down the road. Gilly just trotted along behind it until it speeded up and got away from us.

I stopped at Kim's and the pictures you are about to see she took with my camera. To get the camera to her I had Gilly sidepass over to her deck railing and handed her the camera. Gilly did just what I ask....good boy!

We had moved sideways up the hill a bit from her deck so she could get some pictures of us. Gilly is getting really good at moving to the side or backward if I ask.

Lucy was across the road barking at something so Gilly had to stop and look. Gonzo had walked up on the deck and was taking a nap in the sun. What a lazy dog, if Kim's door had been open he would have gone into the house and got on the couch to take a nap. Kim's house is his second home, since he stayed with them three years ago when Mike and I had to go to Columbus a lot.

Here we are moving sideways down through the yard.

Kim's husband just came out of the house and sit down on the steps and has a big mug of coffee, Gilly is watching.

Now he is really watching and kept nodding his head as if asking if he could PLEASE have a drink of that yummy coffee? He will drink cold coffee, just straight black....uck! Oh, don't worry he has only had some a few times, I am sure coffee isn't good for him.

Here is a picture of my new stirrups, well, Ok, just the one and the horse hair shoo fly isn't attached to my boot either! Yes, the stirrup is a little larger than the English one's I had but boy is it comfortable! The wide foot bed felt great on my feet, it has put my foot at a little different angle so it will take some getting used to.

Here is a close up, it has a leather rough out piece with Velcro holding it on. It is also padded for more comfort. It made for a really nice ride, my feet are happy!!! :-)

After the ride I let Gilly eat grass where Pokey is now. Well, Pokey had a fit running back and forth along the fence where he could see Gilly and he wanted out to eat too. So I put Gilly back in the field after he had eaten about 10 minutes and got the little whiner out so he could have a snack too.

I do have some Sweet William ground cover growing in this mess but the Bermuda grass has taken over. The boys do a really good job of picking it out. I would like to put some cut sandstones at the sides and fill in with some good dirt and have a space for lettuce, carrots, radishes. this is close to the patio and kitchen. Some day!

This is a hind shot of Gilly when he was out there. Hey, Lisa, now this is one BIG butt, I would say bigger than Atta Bay's!!! LOL Looking at this makes me think of how I used to run and jump on my first horse from behind.........not on your life now!!! I bet all I could manage to do is just run into his butt and fall down.....naa, don't think I wanna try it....anyone else want too? Maybe if I back him up to the front porch?

Peek-A-Boo

2010-06-29T16:04:00.002-04:00

Got to go for a nice ride today. The weather was sooooo beautiful, not many flies, cool breeze... Gilly did have to wear his fly mask.
I got my new stirrups yesterday and wanted to try them out. This is just a sneak peek though, just of Gil...LOL....
Will post more later with more pictures...
Off to fix supper! Be back in a little while!

Take a peek.....

2010-06-25T15:22:00.004-04:00

(I swiped this from Misha's blog, cause it's so pretty!)
Hey everyone! Go take a peek at Misha's blog, From My Front Porch in the Mountains! Misha has had guest bloggers on her site, I am the second one and more to follow, writing about our life with horses. The good, the bad and the ugly, pretty neat....you can read about me and my experience with my 3, yes, all of three horses in my life. Oh, will then there is the ASS....little precious Pokey! What an experience in donkey-dom he was given me! LOL

I know, if you don't already read Misha's blog, you will become a fan. She lives in a beautiful place in the mountains of east Tennessee with her wonderful husband, gorgeous Arabians, little Annie will steal your heart away....plus a whole lot of wonderful critters! You can tell Misha is a kindred spirit will all animal life!

Misha, thanks again for asking me to be a guest on your wonderful blog!!!

Laverne....

2010-06-24T20:46:00.003-04:00

Our little 5 year old Chihuahua, Laverne was diagnosed with Cushings disease this week. This is a picture of her last spring and she is much chubbier this year. She really doesn't have any of the symptoms except the over weight and some hair shedding.

My vet did a blood test to find this, I thought maybe she had hyperthyroidism. That would have been much easier to treat than Chushings.

I have been doing a lot of reading about this disease and it's not good. The meds, well, I'm not in favor of the most popular one, Lysodren, is a chemo type pill that kills some of the adrenal gland and has some harsh side effects. Lysodren has to be really carefully monitored so the dog doesn't get too much of it which and throw them into Addison's disease.

Laverne would have to stay at the vet's probably overnight, have lots of testing, poking with needles. I would have to take her in several times a week and the bloodwork, medicines and trips to the vet would be very, very costly. Laverne is a very sensitive little dog this would highly traumatize her, she sure doesn't need that! Also a specialist is needed to treat this properly and I don't know of any around here; Ohio State University would be the ideal place, except it's 2 and a half hours drive, one way, from here. Not an option.

From what I can find most of the dogs that have Cushings are older dogs, at least 4 to 6 years older than Laverne. Also the research says that they only live two to three years after being diagnosed. I am going to try an herbal remedy on her that has had good response. I am also going to work on feeding all the dogs better. Yes, I mean cooking meals for them, chicken, beef, vegetables, rice, good stuff; even healthy doggie cookies!

It's been a long week and a mental tiring one for me. No riding been way too hot and humid outside ....Gilly and Pokey won't come out of the barn during the day. Flies are eating them up, we are all miserable, thank goodness for AC and the fan in the barn for the boys.

Hoping that next week will be a better one.

A Ride and other stuff......

2010-06-18T16:56:00.007-04:00

I needed to make some new address labels the other day and was playing with pictures of Gilly and came up with this. I think he looks quite handsome as an antique picture. What a handsome face, you would never know that there is a stinker hiding behind that innocent look, would you?

I rode yesterday after working in the round pen for awhile. We are working on him staying out of my space, backing away and staying put when I tell him to. He is really doing pretty well, it's me that feels bad about making him stay away. I know, I know, the horse that is the leader would not tolerate another in his space if he said stay out! I just have to be firm and not mean about it like the horse would (sigh) I can do it and we will get through this and be a better team for it.

I rode him in the round pen for a bit. We worked on giving to pressure. He is still a bit resistant but did much better this time. When he would start to get bracey I would bump, bump, bump on one rein and then he would soften. We worked on leg yields, moving his haunches and forequarters with my legs, backing and some trotting. Can't really do a lot of the trot work in the round pen but some. I don't work in there for long, maybe 15 minutes under saddle.

I moved him into position by the gate so I could reach down and lift the pen to open it, backed him up so the gate could swing in, did a turn and headed out. Stopped and backed up so I could close the gate, inched him forward and sideways so I could reach down and lock it. Then backed up more so I could pick up this halter and lead off the hook on the fence. Then we were off to drop it off at the saddle building.

Finally got him to cross a ditch he has been afraid of, why I don't know it's a really small step and he goes over ditches much bigger. I mow a path in the hay field around the gas well there so we walked around it both ways, keeping a bend to the inside as we went. Then trotted up along the fence, with Pokey running, bucking, farting and whining because he wanted out too. I should have gotten some video of his shenanigans, he was doing some pretty spectacular turns and rollbacks! He must have thought he was in training to be a reining donkey! LOL
I used anything I could, the car, the satellite dish, trees to do training. We backed around things, went sideways nothing really great but it was all good to have him move when I asked.
He was a good boy.

This is my dressage saddle, Thornhill Vienna II, and I am finding that I really like it, a lot! I like it's deep seat and big knee rolls. I sold my western saddle, I loved it too but didn't use it much, the dressage saddle fits Gilly better. I would still LOVE to get an Aussie saddle but will wait and see. I did order something new today for my saddle. These......

They are aluminum, an English version of the Aussie safety stirrup. It has a wide foot base, and has a 5 degree camber to keep your heels in a down position. Since it is wide it gives you foot plenty of support and it says it helps relieve pressure on ankles and knees. Good; I have been having a LOT of trouble with arthritis in both my feet but my right one is the worst. The English stirrups that are on my saddle, peacock safety stirrups, hit my foot right where I have been having a lot of pain in the ball of my foot and they are narrow. These stirrups look like they will be comfortable, I hope! I will post a picture when they are on the saddle with my feet in them.

No, I didn't get any pictures when I rode, no one around to take any for me. It was such a nice evening I wished I could have ridden longer.....but the kitchen was calling.....had to fix supper. Next time I will have things ready and in the slow cooker....I wanna ride not cook! LOL

Resting and thinking......

2010-06-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

I was looking through some of my photos and came across this one that I got from the internet. It's a painting by George Stubbs (1724-1806), an 18th century painter, called "Bay Horse and White Dog". I was thinking of how much it reminds me of Gilly and Lucy; the horse really looks a lot like Gilly, big stocky built horse. It also reminded me of how kind and gentle Gilly is, even if he is a stink pot at times. His attitude is partly my fault too because I have spoiled him over the years and the type of horse he is. He has a strong desire to lead.

It was a rainy, dreary day here today and I am glad because I am so tired from me and Gilly's wrestling match yesterday. I'd say he pretty much wore me down and I need a day to rest. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer and I think we will have more work to do. Not with the trailer but with moving body parts, his, not mine. He seems like a naughty child that needs to be set straight on who is running the show here. Although I wanted to skin him alive yesterday, he was just being a horse and no meanness was meant by him, he was just trying tell me he thought he was running things around here; just like an unruly child. He also need a job to do to keep his mind occupied and focused on something other than being the boss.

I have been reading a lot of Mark Rashid's books of late and it have given me food for thought about the horse. Mark's book are really great reading and lots of information in them. They aren't training books just his insights on life with horses and the lessons they have taught him.

So I have come to the conclusion that I need to just step back and regroup my thoughts and come up with yet another way to work with Gilly on just who is in charge here.

Mind reading horse.......

2010-06-08T18:28:00.007-04:00

After Gilly's backup experience I was hoping that we had the trailering issues all under control. WELL....NOT....SO .... This horse is the most exasperating animal I have ever worked with in my life!!! I so wish I could climb inside that head to see just what is going on in there. I swear he can read my mind.

He has loaded consistently since we had our problems the other day. Walks on, gets a bit to eat, stands there resting on hind foot just as relaxed as can be...not a care in the world. You can bang and clang around in the trailer and he could care less.

Today I had a riding lesson scheduled eight miles from here at the really neat Coverall arena. Kim came up with the trailer, Gilly was standing tied and we started loading up the trailer with his tack. (Now Gilly likes to go and visit, even if he does have to do some work, he very much likes to socialize. He has never been worked that hard anyway, so I can't think there is a problem where he is going.) He is just standing not a care in the world, I untie him ask him to back up and we do some work backing before I ask him to get in the trailer. No one was in a hurry, we had plenty of time so there was no pushing him to hurry. I walk him up to the door and "you think I am going to get in there, not on your life lady!" I so wish I had gotten a picture of his face when he decided to do this! I will describe it the best I can.

Nose wrinkled, lower lip hanging, teeth clinched, eyes half shut, head flexing back and forth at the pole. Reminds me of a 6 year old kid that is getting ready to have a real fit and saying, "No, no, no, I WON'T, I WON'T, I WON'T DO IT, you can't MAKE ME...the only thing missing was stomping his feet....like Pokey!

We backed, we worked in the round pen, we moved his feet, backed some more, through ditches, up road banks, he almost fell down a few times. I moved him like I was a horse cutting a cow.....grrrrr....he did everything I asked him to do except get his big ole' butt in the trailer. We worked for 3 hours, needless to say we didn't get to the lesson. Yes, I know you aren't supposed to stop until they get in the trailer, well, any of you are more than welcome to come here and work with this bugger. I had to quit, I was hurting so bad from trying to get him in there. He didn't get to go back in the field with Pokey though, he got to go to the round pen, in the sun for about four hours, with nothing to do. It was hot and the flies were having a picnic on him, I thought he deserved it!

I came in the house, I had things to do. Got out of my riding clothes and tried not to think about the naughty horse. Then about three I decided to just see what would happen if.......
Kim had moved the trailer back to the field by her house, I went out and got Gilly and led him down to the trailer. Kim was there with Lacy, she isn't loading either but that's a whole other story! Anyway she opened the doors, I walked Gilly up to the trailer, stopped beside it, pointed inside and that @#%&@@ just walked into the trailer, cocked one foot started eating hay out of the hay bag!!!!! What the?????? We did this four times same thing. No hesitation at all just walked in as big as you please!

I swear I think this horse can read my mind, he knows when we are going somewhere and decides "nope, I ain't gonna no where!" I know Gilly is smart but man oh, man how in the heck do you deal with a situation like this one???? I am just about out of ideas as to how to deal with this one. Any suggestions?

Gilly was one BAD boy...........

2010-06-04T20:05:00.004-04:00

Wednesday I decided to work with Gilly and his trailer loading, since we hadn't had time to work on it since the clinic. Kim had the truck hooked up to the trailer so good time. I put on his halter and lead and down the road we went, the trailer was out in Kim's field that is at the end of our long hay field.

I thought this is going to be easy because of how good he did after the clinic. I walked him up to the open door and he say NO NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! I noticed the gritted teeth and the wrinkled nose, oh, boy this can only mean trouble ahead! OK, so we will play the squeeze game and I had him pass between me and the trailer. I was only asking him to walk through but he insisted on trotting and turns were really fast and sometimes there would almost be a buck as he charged through. Was he scared of doing that? No, he was getting himself wound up for what was to come. I asked him to go in the trailer and again the answer was NO! So I worked him some more on the second pass he started running sideways....well, I know what comes next! He starts jumping to the side turns his head to look at me the quick as a whip slings it the other way and the rope snaps right through my hand, giving me a rope burn (I didn't have my gloves on)....then off he charges running as hard as he can go through the hay field! We were about 1/8 of a mile from home and I watched him shoot through between the granary and the sawdust bend, up the road then a quick turn and into the yard! He hasn't done that trick for a long time, BAD HORSE!!!!

I just stood there in disbelief, thinking, oh, great now I have to walk all the way up there and get him. So off Kim and I go to retrieve the bad horse. When we got to the yard he was there just eating like nothing happened. Ho-hum, well, hi mom what are you doing here, I'm just eating, that's all!!! (Grrrrrr!) So I walk up and pick up the rope (still didn't put on my gloves!) down the road we go again.

So we start over, it just escalates to the in a short time to the rope snap again and he is off and running! Years ago when he did this I could see it coming and run toward him and snap that head around and stop it. But now with the PMR crap I have I can't do it and he obviously knows it and takes advantage of it. Had I been able to run at him I would have put his butt in the creek to see what he thought of that. Once I somehow knocked his feet out from under him and down he went. After that one he was so good you wouldn't believe it!! "You win, you win, I'll be good now" For two days you couldn't have asked for a better behaved horse. LOL

I couldn't think of anything to do to him when I caught him again except just tie him up. He wanted to eat grass or go back in the field with Pokey. But he didn't get what he wanted, instead he got to get tied up and stand in the sun for two hours. A time out as it were, did he care? Didn't seem to, he just stood there. As you can see from the pictures he did find something to do. The door was shut but he opened it, chewed on the wood, picked at his rope would look up at the house where I was sitting on the patio, crying cause I was so mad at him.
I fed Pokey his oats and Gilly could see this, but guess what, no supper for a bad horse! He just stood there swishing the flies off and looking up at me like, hey, come here, why am I just standing here? He didn't paw or fuss around, just stood there patiently.

He has also been really fighting pressure from the reins. If I asked him to flex he would stiffen his neck and grind his teeth, now remember we are bitless so it's not his teeth bothering him he is just resisting pressure instead of giving to pressure. So after this blow up I was starting to get pretty worried about what was coming next. I can't ride the crow hops and other things he may start doing so I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to correct this new wrinkle he was throwing at me. If I couldn't get it worked out, were we going to have to get a divorce? This was breaking my heart, I love his horse but how could I be a stronger leader and have him be respectful to me?

Then yesterday while I was in town doing the dreaded grocery shopping it came to me. Backing up. Horses don't like to back up, it is a submissive gesture and they really aren't in control of their feet if they are being made to move backward. Yes, this just might work!!!

When I got home I called Kim and told her that I was going to work Gilly in the round pen (I had put it back together, had to take it down to do hay; took out my frustrations on the round pen cause Gil had really gotten to me) We worked, I really made him work up a good sweat too. Many turns, side ways and backward and he did this all off line. I think he knew that I had an agenda and I wasn't backing down and not taking any more of his sh@t!!! After about 20 minutes we got out of the round pen, backward I might add and backed all the way down to Kim's about 1/8 of a mile away. He was moving his feet pretty quickly too or he just happened to run into the stick. When we got there I let him rest by the trailer, he put his head inside and stood there puffing. When he got his air back we did more backing, around the truck and trailer, I asked him to go in again, only his front feet went in. Ok, that will do for a try, back around the trailer and truck again a few more times. No going forward only backward, finally he decided it would be a real good idea to get in the trailer! (wow, it's nice in here and I don't have to work, I can rest!) We kept backing and backing and backing, he got in two more times, good enough now time to quit on a good note!!!

I wish I had gotten the camera to take down with me, he was so tired his lower lip was hanging and his eyes were about half shut. He was pooped! When we headed home he got to walk forward this time. A hard lesson for him but hope he will remember what happens when you want to be a bugger. This should also help round up his back too so it has some other good points with it.

I worked him in the round pen this morning and then went for a short ride before it got too hot out. He was still wanting to be a little resistant to the pressure of the reins but gave up pretty quickly; if he had started giving me problems I would have just gotten off and we would have gone for a LONG walk with him walking backward. I think I am onto something; he has to think where his feet are going, his head is always straight pointed at me so for him to try and turn to do the head sling, it ain't happening!

He is one tough nut and I am going to have to eat a case of Wheaties to keep up with this boy!!!

Oh, yea, one more thing. Pokey said he wanted to get out to do something when Gilly came back from his trailer loading class. I got him out and took him to the trailer, he just walked right in twice and acted like he was really proud of himself!!! He got lots of hugs and pats for being a good boy......hope he went back and told that dumb ass horse that if you just do what you are told things are SO much EASIER!

Who is this filthy beast?

2010-06-01T21:19:00.003-04:00

Who is this dirty creature? Could it be.....Gilly? I just knew when I put him back in the field he was going to hit Pokey's dust bowl. Pokey has several dust bowls around, he LOVES to take dust baths; it's a donkey thing. Apparently Gilly has watched his little friend and decided it was a GOOD thing to do.

I rode Gilly for about half an hour today. First I worked in the garden and it was overcast, nice breeze blowing and I thought to myself...(when I get this stuff done I'm going to ride for a bit)
I figured that flies wouldn't be too bad, we have the nasty little green horse flies right now, ugh!
So after I finished about 1:30 I went inside to get my jeans on and get some water to drink. I was outside with Gil at 2:00.

Had a lot of brushing to do, dust everywhere on Gil. Then saddled him up and sprayed and sprayed with fly spray, put on his riding face fly mask, worked him a bit first. He was being a real brat and was refusing to give to pressure, the reins. We did some flexing and finally he softened a bit. I wish I had had the camera with me, must remember to take it next time, the faces he makes when he is resisting. He will grit his teeth and wrinkle his nose, "I D-O-N'-T W-A-N-T T-O!!!!

Finally he was behaving and up the road we went, no more problems. Just a nice stroll up the road and back. I was having one of those days where I couldn't seem to get myself balanced in the saddle, finally I just kicked my feet out of the stirrups, awww...better!

When I got Gil untacked he was a little sweaty under the saddle pad, girth area and behind his ears. I decided to get the hose out and rinse him off. I figured he would like that. At first he danced around until I sprayed between his hind legs. He decided that felt pretty good, cool water where he was hot. Then I sprayed the girth area and his back, finally I turned the spray to mist setting and sprayed up in the air so it landed on his head. Oh, boy, he didn't think that was such a good idea at first. Then he wanted to be sprayed in the mouth, he likes to have a drink too. I wish I had someone to take photos of this, too funny, I was almost as wet as him when finished so didn't want my camera wet.

I thought he looked pretty cooled off so I put him in the field......well, you can see what he did next!!!

He rolled on both sides but the left side was the worst!
Out eating his supper with his little buddy, Pokey. Just as soon as Gilly was finished rolling Pokey hit the ground and rolled and rolled too. He created quite a dust storm!

Still getting a cool shower must have felt good, Gilly kept sighing was he ate his supper. When they were finished both of them went into the barn and stood in front of their fan and munched on some hay.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T11:08:00.005-04:00

Remembering Those Who Served
this is my older brother in 1954

HAY!

2010-05-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

Hum? What is that I smell? It is, can it be.....new hay for me and my good friend Gilly!!!! (darn, wish these flies would stay outa my nose! ahhh chooo! pfffftttt!)
Dad cut hay on Tuesday and the next day it smellllled soooooooo goooood!!! Gilly said he wished we could eat it right now....but I told him no we can't, it will give us a belly ache if we do. We have to wait until winter when all the green grass is gone. He said I was a smart ass, he is just jealous cause I "AM" smarter than he is!!!
Wow, one hundred and seventy two bales of yummy hay for me and Big Gil this winter, we are soooo lucky. Hehe.....even luckier that we don't have to do anything either, just eat it! wink, wink! :-D
My mom didn't get any pictures cause she was too busy, picking up hay bales and driving the truck and trailer in the field. Me and Gilly just stood in the barn, in the shade in front of our fan and waited knowing that this winter we would have plenty of sweet hay to fill our tummies!

Then we took a nap!

The End!!!