Hoof Trim Day!

Lots of horse related activity, yet not one ounce of saddle time!

The fence line had to be fixed because our horses broke through it Thursday night.  We found them in the neighbor's yard patiently waiting for dinner. Sigh.  Bill had to temporarily fix the fence in the rain, in the dark, at 10:00 pm ... not our best evening.  So, we hired two gentlemen to fix the fencing.  On a good note, we redesigned the yard and eliminated the guest driveway which means more yard for us!

While the guys were here, they also installed my hitching post!  Woo hoo!

 Then it was time for hoof trims ... started out the morning with Majesty.  He fell asleep and I watched the clouds move over his head.  Not a bad way to start the morning.

Next came Sundance.  She had her nose on my shoulder most of the time but she was content to let me move as long as I was massaging her neck.  She presented her nose for kissing.

 Next up was Morgan. She was practically in my lap and wouldn't let me move more than an inch from her side.  Her lips were clenched the whole time.  She's a funny mare.

 Next up was Rhulain.  She was fascinated with the farrier and kept craning her neck around to see what he was doing.  Her attention returned to me once I whispered the word treat.  She did much better with her back hooves ... only tried to pull one away then relaxed.

Last but certainly not least was Wasabi.  She was unconcerned about the farrier, but was fixated on where Bill was at all times.  She came in for a quick snuggle and treat when it was all over.

Though the view was incredibly inviting, I dumped and scrubbed all of their water buckets. I find the most interesting things in the buckets ... today was no exception. Found half of a bird skeleton and six rocks in one bucket.  No idea how that stuff gets in there.

Eggs again!

The chickens have started laying eggs again!  The brown eggs are speckled now, sort of like Ms. Cinnamon and Ms. Pepper's feathers.  Rather adorable.  Ms. Lemon has not seen fit to grace us with an egg yet, but it's only a matter of time :)

Misty Morning

27 minutes - 1.36 miles - Rhulain and Luppy

Overcast, misty, and almost too dark to see without a flashlight.  Sounds like an optimal time to go for a walk, right?

Rhulain grabbed a few snacks, called "her" dog over, and off we went!

We had walked nearly a mile before I realized the side of Rhu's halter was funky. Poor thing, I bet that twist bugged her and she's such a patient mare she didn't let me know.

She let me un-halter and re-halter her while she stood still in the open desert.  I'm fairly certain she didn't even notice what I was doing ... she was looking for Luppy. That's OK, still a win in my book.

Breathtaking Sky and Good Music

21 minutes - 1.06 miles - Rhulain

The sky was absolutely brilliant this morning!  The top picture was taken from my front porch, and the bottom picture was a mere 8 minutes later as Rhu and I started our walk.

Rhu's beautiful neck ... I couldn't resist.

Rhu and I jogged quite a bit today, I think we were both feeling good.  However, a mere 20 minutes later we arrived back at the house.  

Great music today, Marilyn Monroe, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson.  Made for a calm, wonderful morning.

Mondays with Morgan

25 minutes - 1.18 miles - Morgan & Luppy

 I take it you want to join us for our walk Luppy?

Morgan doesn't look like she cares, so come on ... we'll all go for a walk.

Love the laser eyeballs of Wasabi and Rhulain in the background.

We took a different path today, and Morgan didn't seem to mind as long as the alfalfa cubes kept coming.  Luppy was a bit confused by the change in our route, but stuck close by and didn't get lost.

It was a nice smooth path.  I will use it again because it could easily extend it to 1.25 or even 1.5 miles with minimal effort and offered areas to walk, trot, and canter.

Riding with Bill, Day 2!

44 minutes - 2.22 miles - Rhulain, Bill & Majesty

We had so much fun yesterday, we decided to ride again ... only this time with different horses.  Rhu grabbed a few snacks for the road and we headed off snuggled up to Majesty.

These two are a nice match.  Rhulain was bug-eyed and full of nervous energy for the first 20 minutes; she definitely needs to be worked 3 to 5 times a week to keep her brain steady.  Having Majesty's calm, steadfast demeanor around really helps build her confidence.

It started to get cloudy and dark, so we headed towards home after 2 miles.  Rhulain and I worked on trailer loading again after the ride.  She's really getting the hang of it!  Next step? Trailer load her to an arena or other area of the Valley for a ride.  Woo hoo!

Annual New Year's Day Ride!

38 minutes - 2.0 miles - Morgan, Bill & Wasabi

Starting the new year by making cheesy faces with my besties!

Fortunately for me, Morgan and Rhulain put up with my silliness and they completely ignore my stegosaurus hat.

Bill and Wasabi look like they feel asleep waiting to go.

Morgan stood patiently waiting for me to hop in the saddle.

Wasabi navigated her own trail and surprised Bill by deciding to jump over a tiny wash rather than step over it.  He's a damn good rider, so he stayed in the saddle.  :)

After the ride I untacked Morgan and rode her around the yard for a bit.  No better way to start the year than with your best horse and best friend (who also happens to be my husband).