Stressful Week

I woke up Monday , Nov 27th to find that my horse Stylin couldn't walk. She was very sore on all four feet and after having the vet come out that morning - she was diagnosed with acute laminitis in all four feet. That was a giant surprise ! We had ridden on Saturday and just played around on Sunday and let her and the other horses graze in the back yard Sunday afternoon. Nothing seemed abnormal at all on Sunday night. We treated her agressively, wrapped her feet, administered pain meds and I had to give a shot of Ace Promazine every 6 hours around the clock to promote blood flow to her hooves. The shots lasted for 4 days and then we've slowly backed her off the pain meds and started hand walking her. As of today she was able to be turned out in the paddock for the daylight hours. We should be riding again within 3 weeks, but I'll have to slowly bring her back up to our 4 hours rides. We were very fortunate to get through this so well... our vet believes that Stylin will have no permanent damage from her ordeal.

We went to the Florida Equestrian Celebration on Saturday and had a nice time watching the clinicians and shopping. My favorites were Craig Cameron and watching the 6 horse Percheron hitch Texas Thunder. The crowds were not nearly as big as the first event 2 years ago; I don't think it was marketed well this year.

Robbin, Tim and JT have gone on a 7 day cruise for Thanksgiving week, Mom's going to Tennessee and we plan to spend Thanksgiving day with my sister in law and her husband - Jennifer and Bill Kirk. They are great people and wonderful cooks !! :)

We had a fun time at the Woodard's ranch last weekend for the Happy Trails Fun Day. Bunches of obstacles and cool stuff to test your horse's and your abilities. You can see pictures of that on the Happy Trails link. Our friends Traci and Mike did an awesome job putting in on!

The weather is finally turning a little cooler and it makes me want to get out and ride even MORE ! We've been having some nice group rides with our Happy Trails group and you can see pictures of them at the Happy Trails Link.

Julian is continuing his riding lessons and has graduated to cantering without holding on to the saddle horn. He's very proud of himself (as am I) and wants to learn to swing a rope now. You can see a video of him HERE.

I'm joining 2 of my girlfriends this weekend for a horse campout at a new location on the Suwannee and hope that it can become a new favorite place to ride.

Ringer is getting bigger every day and is a pleasure to pony now. No more pulling or lagging behind and since I learned my lesson by being pulled off my horse - I pay more attention now which helps. :)

Wow ! Just reqalized it's been 2 months since I posted to the blog. I've been extremely busy at work and too tired to play on the computer much at home. The weather is just getting right for riding and camping and we hope to do a bunch of both. We camped with friends 2 weekends ago at Lakeview Plantation in SC for 4 days and had a great time. We thought we were jinxed for the first 24 hours.....our friends had a blowout on the expressway, a crazy guy almost sideswiped us both, we got the last 6 stalls together at the camp, Ringer injured himself, Stylin had four tender feet, her Boa Boot lace broke, I lost my necklance on a tree branch (after it choked me), Traci's new stirrup broke, and last but not least I walked like a crab all weekend with a "stove up" back. But... even after all that we had good food, great company,and excellent trail rides. I had the opportunity to ride Mike's big ole horse Cozmo and hubby's horse Dixie.

Mindy came up last weekend and gave us driving lessons with Dixie and her new used cart that we got from our friend Donald. Dixie is a champ !

Julian & Dixie

Julian and Dixie are doing well with their lessons......... Julian likes to trot now - look at him go !

First Saddling

Worked with Ringer in the round pen yesterday and let him carry a saddle for the first time. He did really well ... I'll probably start ponying him with the saddle soon.

No big news and no new pictures to add. I've been riding as much as possible, but the heat is just too much to ride during the day. Did go for an early morning ride with friends on Saturday out at the Ravines. The yellow flies were bad in patches, but we managed to stay in the shade most of the time, so the ride was pretty good. The dogs are driving me crazy lately - between new dog, Sarah getting potty trained and Millie just sulking when Jenny doesn't take her with - seems I'm always cleaning up dog pee or poop. The crate has helped Sarah a lot though and she is getting better. The chickens that Jenny brought with her when she moved back home are a lot of fun. They just tickle me when they run across the yard to get fed! We lost our grey cat Louis last month to a snake bite or something venomous and he is missed a lot. Ringer is coming along nicely and I'll take some new pictures soon.

Family Matters

Had a wonderful, busy weekend. Friday I was able to adopt a sweet little dog from the pound and we're adjusting to life with a happy, bouncy dog. She is to be a companion for Jesse and a friend for me. (My sister says I just copied her because she recently adopted a great dog too !)

Sunday, Robbin came over and even brought dinner - Yummy ! She also brought her husband, son, exchange student & the dog. Julian got his second riding lesson since he got his new saddle. This time he had to help get Dixie ready, including brushing her and picking her hooves. He did a great job and even trotted on his own.

Big Ride Today

We joined several groups today for a joint ride at San Felasco Hammock Preserve. There must have been 25 - 30 total riders. The weather was hot but not unbearable and 75% of the ride was through shaded trails. We rode a hilly trail that we had not been on before and had a great time. Here are a few more pictures.

Billy Cook Roping Saddle for Sale - SOLD

SOLD !!!
Check out this almost new saddle that I'm selling on e-Bay.
16" Billy Cook Roper

Play Day at Zambito Oaks

What a fun Saturday we had ! It was too hot to get out and trail ride, so some friends came over with their horses and we played around with hula hoops, jumps, barrels, tarps and other miscellaneous items. We took a break and had some lunch, then went back out to attempt to lay our ponies down......... Success for each of us ! Here's a link to more pictures of the day.........

Whew !

Went on a great 3 hour night ride on Friday - came straight home from work, loaded up, picked up our friend Cathy and headed out to Jennings Forest. No one else showed up, but we 3 had a great time - rode in the woods, around the ranch and then sat around with some cool ones before heading home.

Saturday- we worked around the yard and then Cathy come over with her young horse, Brother and we played in the round pen. Layed Brother down pretty as you please - he's such a puppy dog. Now....Stylin was a different story - she'd get close and then get scared and fight. We finally got her down once, but she practically rolled on her head. She got all sweaty and nervous so I felt it was better to try again another time....not to keep pushing. Cathy took video of it and we look like some clowns, but we were having a lot of fun.

Jenny took Julian on a fishing tournament for our church - and we all went to the fish fry that evening.

Sunday - it was church and then a company gathering at the baseball park to watch the Suns play in the WAY TOO HOT bright sunlight. We took Julian for his first time in a big ball park and he was amazed.

Busy Week

We had a busy week and 1/2. Shelly brought Mom back home from TN and visited for a week. She brought Bo & Vance...Allie had to stay back home to work. We always enjoy Shelly's visits - I wish she lived closer.

Ringer got gelded as scheduled and it went smoothly. I think he took advantage of the drug cocktail and slept a little extra after the procedure. It was performed in the shade under the big oak tree and he had his wolf teeth extracted while he was out. I had to exercise him every day for a while to help the swelling go down. We took him out today for his first trail ride in a month and he did really well.

Problem Child

Boy........that Ringer is going to be the death of me. I'm tired this morning..........

Not only did he gig himself on the chain link fence on my birthday and it looks like a cougar raked the underside of his belly and groin............. last night when I went to feed up, I noticed that he was laying down and he doesn't usually lay down around 7 pm. I go ahead and feed the girls and then check him out. Yep.....he'd been rolling, and sweating and flopping back and forth in the sand. He'd wallowed out a couple of beds. I got him up and he groaned like an old man. He was pitiful....had dirt in his eyes, his mane was all tangled with dirt and hay. I walked him around for a while, called the vet, called Ms. Jane to buy a Banamine shot from her and then had Jenny go get the shot and administer it. Well, all this took about 45 minutes and just before Jenny got there, he let out a stinky, big ole fart and seemed to feel better. Dr. Tammy said that babies are very melodramatic because they've never felt it before and make a big deal about feeling bad. I had Jenny stick him anyway and I kept checking on him till about midnight. Well, long story short - he's fine this morning and I feel sleep deprived..

He's scheduled to be gelded tomorrow morning..............

My New Little Pond

Here's my new pond right off of our back patio. I can sit with a beverage of choice and listen to the relaxing sound of the fountain. Thanks Jenny !

Mother's Day Weekend

Robbin, Mom, Melinda, Julian and I packed up and drove to Springfield, TN to spend the weekend with Shelly and her family. We all had a great time all packed in Robb's truck and then packed in Shelly's house. Tennessee weather was crisp, cool and beautiful and we had a really nice visit. We attended a mother daughter brunch at Shelly's church, attended a street festival and did the obligatory Wal-Mart shopping. Bobby stayed home to tend the "farm" and let us have a girls weekend. Jenny couldn't get away and she was sorely missed. She dug a goldfish pond complete with fountain for me while we were gone. I've wanted one forever and she did a fantastic job! Here are some PICTURES taken over the weekend.

Back from Camping

We had a great weekend at Lakeview Plantation . Took a couple of extra days and made a long weekend out of it . We went with some friends and had some great rides and lots of good food.

I loaded some pics and you can see the rest HERE.

Aren't they just a pair? I think Ringer is a cutie-patootie - but I may be a little biased. This picture was taken this past weekend after riding in Jennings State Forest.

Well, the Clinton Anderson demonstration was a lot of fun and very educational. That guy is a hoot ! No wonder he's thin as a rail, he's moving constantly with the horses.

I went horse camping with the Woodard's and Cathy at McCulley Farms on April 1st and had a really wonderful weekend. Bobby had the bad chest cold that I had earlier, but was kind enough to insist that I go ahead with our planned campout. The weather was perfect and we had the whole place practically to ourselves. We rode 4 hours one day and 3 hours the next through fields, forests and along the river. The rest of the photos are HERE.

Last Saturday was our 4th Annual Spring Membership ride for the Happy Trails Horse Club at Jennings Forest and it turned out well. I was worried that we wouldn't have enough food or enough people, but as usual everything worked out. Over 50 riders participated and I think everyone had a good time. You can see those pictures here at the Happy Trails website.

I've been working with Ringer more lately and he's progessing just fine. He has his spells, and he has taken to trying to nip me. I stop him in his tracks - but I'll be glad when we get to geld him.

What's going on ................

Ringer is 10 months old now and still as handsome as ever ! I had Bobby take a picture of us in front of the azaleas - (couldn't take off the dorky hat because of hat hair) :)

Stylin and I had a lot of fun at horse camp....well at least I did. Now, if a hoola hoop jumps out of the bushes we'll be prepared! Our obstacle and despooking course was different and useful and we really liked our instructor. I hope they offer the trail course again soon. I took a bunch of pics and you can see them HERE.

I've had a terrible chest cold for a week, but I finally feel better today. It took horse pills and codeine from the doctor to get the rest I needed.

Clinton Anderson is coming to town this weekend and Bobby & I have tickets. Lot's of our friends are going too, so it should be fun - he's a hoot on TV.

Our Happy Trails meeting is tonight at the Chinese restaurant to finalize the plans for our membership ride next month. Hope some people show up.............

Off I go ....

I'm really looking forward to this coming weekend.....getting back together with my horse friends that I only see twice a year. It's a 4-H Adult Horsemanship Clinic, which really turns out to be a giant hen party on horseback. Of course men are allowed, but we usually only get about 4 or 5 brave souls. I'm taking a trail course this time instead of the usual western class and I'm hoping it'll be fun. Charlotte will be in advanced western and Katie is taking dressage. If I can find my camera, I might take some pictures this time.

How Much Should I Weigh ?

Oops !........ I'm not anywhere close to that !........... try it out for yourself!

You Should Weigh 165

If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight. If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon!

How Much Do You Weigh?

Saturday and Sunday

Here are some pictures taken at the Hospice Ride last Saturday. Cathy and Marilyn spent Friday night there. Bobby and I picked up a friend's horse and came on down Saturday morning. We got there in time to register, saddle up and join one of the rides. We JUST beat the rain back to the trailhead. The rain started at lunch time and continued. Lynn Palm had to cancel her demonstration, but they raised a lot of money for a good cause. I got to meet a group of people that I had been corresponding with thru Horsecity.com - so that was a lot of fun too. Since the rain didn't look like it was going to let up - Marilyn and Cathy broke camp and headed home after lunch also. That's the day in a nutshell ............ I uploaded pictures to the Happy Trails website and here a link to them. PICTURES

Sunday we spent on the road also......... went to church in Mandarin, took Mom home, drove to Newberry to visit Bobby's mom, took the scenic route back to Mandarin for a church council meeting. By the time we got back home, we had been gone 12 hours ! Whew !

Rain's a coming......

So......we've got this trip planned to go to the Florida Horse Park in Ocala tomorrow. Picking up a friend and her horse, making the 2 hour drive down to meet and greet some HC board buddies...and now the weather says rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. Oh well.......... it's for a good cause - Hospice of Marion County - so we'll go, ride, get wet, eat, meet some new folks and hopefully not get too cold. Cathy and Marilyn have gone down today to enjoy the trails early - they should have some nice weather for riding today. I plan to take pictures of the crowds and the event and will update when we return.

Couple of Firsts

We had a really nice weekend........the weather was great and we took Ringer out for his first big trail ride in the woods. He was so good ! There was no spooking and he crossed water without much fuss....not to mention it was the first time he had been with so many horses at one time.

Went to 2 services Sunday morning then drove down to Gainesville to visit with Bobby's mom and family. All in all a long day, but and enjoyable one.

Nothing Big but Staying Busy

Nothing big going on this past week or so. Visited a different church last Sunday to show support for fellow Stephen Ministers getting commissioned. Drove an hour-1/2 to Osceola National Forest last Saturday to ride with our group. Normally, it wouldn't take so long but the wind was terrible. Missed our group by 10 minutes, but Marilyn and I enjoyed a nice 2 hour ride and managed to hook up with the others at the trail head for lunch. Nobody was riding on Sunday afternoon, so I just played with Stylin and Ringer in the round pen and yard for an hour or so.

I finished up a saddle that I was cleaning and also completed a drawing - so I feel like I got something accomplished.

We plan on riding at Jennings this coming weekend and taking Ringer with us. He'll be joining us on most of our trail rides going forward. Met my new boss yesterday who will start on Monday. Hopefully I can learn more about HR from this guy - new face - new ideas. Got a free lunch at Bistro AIX - yum.......

After the holidays

Whew..........back to work, back to everyday life. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Shelly and her family drove back to Tennessee yesterday. It was great having lots of family around for the holidays - dramatic sometimes, but great just the same.

Bobby and I and some of our riding buddies all went camping over New Years and had a blast ! We had to come home one day early because of some bad weather (it gets REAL noisy inside an aluminum horse trailer when it's raining hard) and plan to go back to McCulley Farms again soon. Here are some pictures of our camping trip.