Where did the weekend go?

Bobby and I had a very busy weekend. I took my Friday off and spent most of the day working in the horse pen, picking up poop, spreading it in the yard and trying to get the pen leveled out so we can use it to ride in as well. I've taken down the round pen and am using the panels as fencing. I rode each horse bareback for a little while just for fun. Although they all look fat and happy, Stylin's back bone was not feeling very good to my cheekies so I think I'll be bumping up her feed just a little.

Bobby and I spent all day Saturday at Emmaus training and then this morning we had to go into church very early to help greet and show people around during our Consecration Service for the new community family life center that was recently completed.

After church, a friend from work brought me two new cats - a mother and one kitten - we'll probably keep the mom, have her spayed and try to find a home for the kitten. She had taken in the stray female and discovered after the fact that she was pregnant. Then another friend brought me a load of hay. We unloaded 50 bales and now have a good connection for hay through the winter. In between all of that, I've done 4 loads of clothes as well. I'm a little "wo" out.

I've recently begun trimming our three horses' hooves . Today was Maybe's turn. I've read Pete Ramey's book and lots and lots on line and purchased a hoof stand to make it a little easier on my back. I am just using a rasp and by doing a horse each weekend, they each will be getting trimmed/cleaned up every three weeks. That's makes it much easier to stay on top of any issues. I'm working on Stylin's toe cracks by making sure her toe is rounded (it used to be kinda squarish) and just started Lysol treatment today. Maybe's front hooves were a little long so I've been backing up her toes and and addressing her flares slowly. Dixie's feet are pretty good as they are and I just have to clean her up and roll her toes. I'm glad my trimmer and I have a good relationship and he always allowed me to watch and ask questions. I'll probably pay him to come out and check out the girls in a couple of months to see how I'm doing.

I couldn't have a post without a picture so I just took a couple of the new cats....they are dark, but you get the idea. Mom is a small black and white short hair and the baby is a calico type color. Mom looks young and is very sweet. We'll get her fattened back up and she may get to stay in the house instead of joining the other barn cats. She'll have to learn to get along with the dogs if she's going to stay inside.

Rainy Day Smiles

We didn't let the rain stop us from having a fun time on the trails this weekend.

How can you not smile at this cute combination? This is Cory and Beauty. She hung with us on the 3.5 hour ride with probably half of it in the rain. Stayed in the saddle like a champ when her pony spooked and never complained.

Didn't we all dream of having a cute little pony like this?

Cathy was all smiles riding Maybe as well. Her stress free ride on a well mannered horse has given her more determination to put the work in with her horse Busta.

This is what we looked like after the first downpour.....first it was a nice, cool sprinkle, but then it turned into a steady rain. No lightning, so we decided to continue. The rain helped with the bugs and the heat.

The sun came out and held the rain at bay until we were loading our ponies back up in the trailers. We all got totally soaked again!

Fun on the Farm

Stylin and I went on a solo trail ride this morning and had a good time. The mosquitos were awful but at least they were only in spells. We saw a black snake, a moccasin and some turkey hens. We did a lot a trotting and gave our new Renegade Hoof Boots a good test.

Later on in the evening, after getting my chores done, I got on Dixie bareback and tried to take a video with my cell phone.

In this video I got her to canter and hold on to the cell phone, but when I asked her to stop - she stopped hard and I almost went onto her neck. Then you can here me cackling - I tickled myself - but I am easily amused. :-) The sound may not come across.... :-(

Does this saddle make my butt look big? :-0

I recently saw a picture of myself and Stylin and it looked like I was too big for my saddle. I was embarrassed and heartbroken because I LOVE the saddle and it fits my horse very well. I was considering trading it in, but just couldn't do it. I decided that Stylin and I liked it and that was that. Then a friend took a picture of me today and I see that the saddle isn't too small - it just has a very low cantle. Whew! I bought this Sharon Saare endurance saddle over a year ago; it's very well made, and is comfortable even on long rides.

I rode today at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center again today with Marilyn, her friend Susan and Traci. The JEC has marked the equestrian trails now and we explored some more. There is an 8 mile trail that goes to Pope Duval Park off US 90 which I've heard goes under I-10. Dixie came up a little lame so we didn't try to go the whole way. We'll save it for another time when it's a little cooler, pack a lunch, start out early and make a full day of it.

Traci rode my Dixie today because her property is too wet to get her big trailer out.

Marilyn rode her Arab, Spirit and let her friend Susan ride her new little Kentucky mule, Bonnie. Bonnie is such a cute little thing and her feet are tough as nails. She just had her shoes pulled a week or so ago and she never had a problem today. She's so different from Marilyn's other mule Clyde - in size and personality.

God and Dog