Mare Love

46 minutes - 1.36 miles - Morgan

So, Morgan and I took a leisurely stroll through the desert. She stared daggers at a plasric bag stuck in a bush, so we walked over to face it, but it didn't move so she got bored.  We ambled, she snacked, we stopped and watched the sun set.  The perfect ending to a day.

Bareback Quickie

8 minutes - 0.22 miles - Morgan

Completed my chores and rewarded myself with a bareback ride around the yard on Morgan.  She was well behaved and so she got to snack on the budding grass.  Much needed Morgie time which was very appreciated.

Morgan has Spunk!

24 minutes - 1.26 miles - Morgan

Morgan and I haven't had much time together lately, so I decided to get in some bay love. I walked beside her, snuggling and chatting for the first half of the walk.  I found a ditch, parked her in it, and hopped in the saddle for the ride home.

She is awesome.  Trotted the whole way home, with me giggling in delight.

Once home, we spent some time in the turn out posing for the camera, then racing around wildly.  It was fabulous!  She can move when she wants to ... Which isn't all that often, so I drink it in when she is feeling spunky.

Thankful for Daylight Savings!

14 minutes - 0.30 miles - Rhulain
11 minutes - 0.30 miles - Morgan

I spent some time doing basic groundwork and checking Rhulain's brain. She was perfect. Hopped in the saddle and rode around the turn out for the purpose of having fun. She was amazing. I felt like I could have ridden her for hours!

I switched horses and rode Morgan in the turn out. She wanted to trot the whole time, so I let her. We bumped up our speed and I found myself laughing out loud. It was glorious! We dropped off her saddle at the tack shed, then rode bareback to her stall. Love love love my horses!

Hanging with the herd

Grabbed the shedding brushes and got to work removing excess hair. Morgan needed the most work, and she napped through the process.

The kid rode his quad through the herd so I could gage their reactions. Barely an ear flicker. Good horses!

Then I spent some time just sitting with Rhulain in the shade. She nuzzled my face, blew hot air down my neck, and licked my boots. I loved every minute of it. Love my horses!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Morgan turned 19 years old today! She is still my favorite go-to-girl and I am thankful she has put up with me the past 6 years.  Here is to another 6 years (and more) of adventures, silly faces, and pleasurable rides together. Much love to my Morgie Moonpie! 💘

Crazy Busy Day

19 minutes - 1.02 miles - Morgan
20 minutes - 1.11 miles - Rhulain

Workers from the local internet provider brought this monstrosity to our home Friday evening.  They worked on the "tower" in our yard all day Saturday.  

I was already up and moving when they arrived, because it was hoof trimming morning!  He trimmed everyone but Rhu ... said she was in fine shape and he'd check her again in a few weeks.

 Morgan and I headed out for a mile ride ... she was awful.  She spun in circles because there was a man fixing his gate, then she came unglued because there were trash cans on the side of the road (no spook when we walked by them the first time, but complete melt down on the way home), and panicked breathing the whole time.  I really need to spend more time with her apparently.

I took Rhulain out ... Bill was eating tic tacs and she was intrigued.  She licked them, but dropped them on the floor.  So not impressed.

Rhulain and I went for a walk/ride and as we were coming back up the road, the workers were parking their "lift" for the night.  Since it was there, and one never knows when you'll see a machine this size again, I decided to ride Rhulain around it a few times.  The lights were still flashing, the engine was ticking, and yet I made her squeeze between it and the monorail.  She did fine ... she reached out to touch it with her nose as we went by.

First Snow!

Snow fell in the pass on Christmas eve, but none fell in the Valley.  This morning, I walked out to find ... well ... crunchy, icy, snow-like stuff on the ground.  Luppy had a great time running around and rolling in the "snow."  The goat wasn't impressed by it ... neither was Sundance or Morgan.  

I wasn't all that thrilled as I had to drive in the pass.  I figured the road would be covered in real snow.  Fortunately, the county had pushed dirt on the road so I was able to make it to work only 30 minutes late.

A Day of Many Faces

2.01 miles - 36 minutes - Rhulain, walk
0.24 miles - 14 minutes - Rhulain, groundwork
15 minutes each: Morgan, Sundance, Majesty, and Wasabi

 It snowed last night in the pass ... not enough to reach the valley floor, but it made for some spectacular views.  It rained yesterday and more rain is expected tomorrow ... so naturally I squeezed in some horse time between the storms.

First came Rhulain ... we did some ground work, then a good grooming and a saddle fitting (she is so patient).  Ryver was chasing a rabbit which darted under Rhu's belly.  The dobie dashed between her front legs and the hitching post in hot pursuit.  Rhu flicked an ear and yawned. Love that mare!

We did a two mile walk and soaked in the sunshine.  Sweet serenity!

Got back and put Rhu in the turn out.  Rhu dropped her muzzle in the sand and then chased me around trying to give me kisses ... she looked like a llama with a mustache. 

 I had the bitless in hand, and Sundance put her nose in it.  Well, ok.  I hopped on bareback and we did a few laps around the turn out.  She seemed to appreciate the time.  I rode Morgan bareback around the turn out as well.  The kid was riding his quad around the yard, but Morgan seemed less worried about it today.  Good job!

Since I was in the mood, I drug Majesty out of his comfy stall and made him carry me around the yard bareback too.  He walks on the buckle and it always surprises me for the first few moments.  He is such a good natured old man.

I thought about trying it with Wasabi, but she gave me such a cranky face I didn't think it would be wise.  Instead, I switched to a halter and we did a few laps around the yard with the kid racing us on his quad.  She wasn't finished yet, but it was time to feed so we called it a day.

Morgan vs. the Quad

40 minutes - 1.81 miles - Morgan

 I decide to do a little desensitizing with Morgan today.  She wasn't happy with me.  She's in heat and hates quads, so she couldn't figure out why I would torture her like this.

I had the kid ride the quad ahead of us while I walked beside Morgan for the first 1.5 miles.  He would stop, we would walk up him, and then he would take off again to help her get used to the quad.

For the last quarter of a mile, I hopped in the saddle and rode in front of the quad.  She was really not happy about my choice of mounting block ... the quad's back tire.  Her ears were pinned the whole way home, but she relaxed once we were in the gate.

The kid parked the quad and came running over to help me untack.  As a reward for doing such a great job, he got to ride her bareback to her stall.  He grinned the entire way.  I know the feeling; I love this mare too!

Last Ride of 2016

35 minutes - 1.37 miles

Christopher left yesterday and I took down the Christmas tree today.  I always feel sad when I pack away his personalized ornaments.  

To combat that sadness, and to keep with tradition, I took Morgie out for the last ride of the year.  I asked Bill to grab a picture of us as we headed out ... she is so tiny, wooly, and adorable.  She was a cranky pants for the first few minutes, but she settled down and we plodded along contentedly.  Such a nice way to wind up the year - just me and my fuzzy girl.

Petal Pattern Power!

52 minutes - 0.53 miles - Rhulain
25 minutes - 0.28 miles - Morgan

Rhulain and I did some ground work before saddling up and working in the yard.  It was a lovely way to spend an hour and I am really starting to like the petal pattern!  It's something she's really good at and helps us to settle.  I think I'll incorporate it into our sessions from now on.

Had just enough daylight left for a quick ride with Morgan.  We hung around the house checking out "scary" objects and then we worked on the petal pattern.  She was not happy about having to do circles; I can tell I've let her sit too long.  We'll have to work more than once a week to get back in the swing of things.  What's wonderful is that even on her worst day, she's still awesome and it's nothing we can't work through together.  She builds my confidence every time we're together.

Run Free!

It was warm and I decided to let everyone out and enjoy the sunshine.  I threw open all their stalls and the mares took off in a burst of speed ... sometimes Morgan led the pack, sometimes Wasabi. By the time Majesty figured out how to get out of his stall, everyone else was settling down.  Rhulain decided to play and got everyone to run down the driveway and back (letting Majesty lead) before they started milling about looking for snacks.  

I love watching them run about, kicking up their heels, and reveling in their pure joy.

Saturdays are busy days

24 minutes - 1.08 miles - Morgan
32 minutes - 0.11 miles - Rhulain

The kid and I went for a two mile walk and hiked around the sand dunes.  I taught him how to slide down the dunes on a piece of cardboard, but the sand was too soft and he got stuck half way down.  We found a dune that had a nice drop and we tried it on our butts ... worked great!

 Morgan and I headed out for a quick mile ride after I finished the hike.  I think she was cranky it was me doing the riding rather than the kid.  Or maybe she doesn't like the Aussie saddle.  Whatever it was, she wasn't happy to go out for a ride.  She was unfocused and coiled the whole time, so we cut it short and went home.

Rhulain and I did some ground work on flexing her neck then I saddled up and practiced standing still for mounting.  Her job was to do nothing, and she did it quite well after a few attempts.  She was nervous, but she sure tried hard, and I love a girl who tries!

First Trail Riding Lesson for the Kid

60 minutes - Kid's first trail riding lesson
25 minutes - 1.21 miles - Morgan
21 minutes - 0.11 miles - Rhulain - groundwork

The kid has his first trail riding lesson with the trainer today.  They were gone an hour, which is the longest time he's ever spent on horseback.  The trainer she said he did pretty well, but sometimes he daydreamed and forgot to watch where the horse was going. :)

While we were gone, the other side of the mare motel got graded.  Now we can begin working on the turn out and the goat pen.

 The light was fading fast, so Morgan and I only got in a short ride.  She was fine up until we headed towards the gate ... then the neighbor's dogs rushed at us in full force, yapping and running underfoot.  I hopped off and shooed all six of them away while she stood still waiting for me.  

I had a few minutes before it became too dark to see, so I grabbed Rhulain.  She was clingy and seemed really nervous in the dark. So we worked on holding still while I mounted, and then flexing her neck to both sides.  It was a good session. 

Riding Soothes the Soul

32 minutes - 1.72 miles - Morgan

 Got some riding time in with my woolly mammoth of a pony.  I love this mare.  Even though it was cold, the light was draining from the sky, and there were horse-eating tumbleweeds coming right at us (or holding perfectly still), she just kept plodding along at a wonderfully comfortable pace.  I needed this kind of a ride so much.  I love Morgan so very much.

Rhulain Hates Soccer Balls. Morgan is Serenity.

60 minutes - 0.39 miles - Rhulain (groundwork)
33 minutes - 1.67 miles - Morgan

Worked with Rhulain and the ball.  She's still having trouble with it rolling towards or under her legs.  Tried working for 20 minutes in the stall, but we weren't getting anywhere.

I wish I had a round pen, but we made it work with a lead rope and open desert.  I walked ahead of her kicking the ball. As long as it was stopped or in front of her, she was wary but fine.  We'll need more work for her to be safe riding again.

Still enough light left to catch a ride, so I asked Morgan if she'd like to leave the property for a while.  We ambled about for a half hour just enjoying the solitude.  I'm so, so grateful for Morgie ... this was the ride I desperately needed.

Sweat and Tears - All the Joys of Horsemanship

30 minutes ground work
36 minutes - 1.15 miles - Rhulain
15 minutes - 0.41 miles - Morgan

 Since Rhu had an issue with the branch touching her leg last night, I decided to work with her legs today. I rolled a ball in her stall over and over until she seemed to accept that it wasn't going to eat her.  After 30 minutes she let me touch her all over with the ball and kick it right to her while she stood still.  She was drenched in sweat, but finally calm.

I let her rest for a bit before saddling her up. We rode around the yard, then out the gate to step over brush and trash, then back to the yard for a lap ... rinse and repeat the pattern. She got a good grooming since she was still drenched, lots of praise, but no snacks.

About an hour later, I saddled up Morgan for the kid and worked on releasing the "reins" when stopping.  We worked on sitting the trot, and he got a bit ahead of me ... then the doberman got excited and snapped at Morgie's butt ... she took off running.  

I caught up with them a minute later, and found him in the saddle crying.  I asked him why there were tears and he said he was afraid of falling.  I told him tears were allowed only after falling!  Then we talked about why she ran off, how well she took care of him, and praised him for staying in the saddle without grabbing on to the horn.  Not a bad lesson.

Morgie & Sundance Ride Again

19 minutes - 0.50 miles - Morgan & Kid, Sundance

The kid and I did chores all day.  All.Damn.Day. Finally, we able to squeeze in a ride.  I saddled Morgan and left the kid in charge while I put on Sundance's headstall.  They did pretty well together, though he forgets to release when stopping. When reminded, he immediately drops the reins. Fortunately, Morgan's a patient girl.  We both start horse riding lessons in January ... can't wait!

Mondays with Morgan ... and Sundance

23 minutes - 0.53 miles - Morgan & Kid, Sundance

 Bill asked me to pick the kid up today because he needed to purchase a new water heater.  No worries.  I picked him up and he asked if he could go for a horse ride.  Wait, what?! Of course we can go for a ride!  I decided to take Sundance since we wouldn't be going off property and she needed to stretch her legs a bit.

Morgan has the patience of a saint, I swear.  Look at him brings those reins all the way to his chin although she had already stopped.  I will give him credit, he dropped those reins like they were on fire when I asked him to put them down.  We worked on turning right and left with rein aids and he was able to keep Morgan from dropping her muzzle in the feed bins as we passed by.  Not bad!

After untacking everyone, I hopped on Morgan and had her walk me to the mare motel because, yes, I am that lazy.  Plus it's nice to see where her brain is after he rides.  She's in heat and partially grouchy, but quick to listen to leg aids.  Good girl Morgie.

I fed everyone and then headed to the goat pen to check on Lips' wound.  She came right over for snuggles.  She's funny ... I held the camera and said "who's a pretty goat?" ... she promptly mugged for a picture.  Cleaned out her wound and gave her some raspberries with her dinner.  She's going to be ok, but she's certainly nervous about the dogs now, which is sad.