I'll take a Morgan, or a horse

I'm still searching diligently for a horse, not sure what breed or anything-preferably a Fjord, Morgan, Mustang, Arab, or Welsh, maybe a Walker though or another gaited breed. I'm trying to stay away from QHs this time, I mean I love my Quarters, I wouldn't trade Storm for the world, but I need something different. I'm hoping[if I don't find the perfect horse before] to pick up a something in October, they always have several unregistered, different breeds of horses that go dirt cheap. If I see a Fjord there this year I will not let it slip away again! I still regret letting the last little Fjord mare. I guess I'd take a nice little Morgan mare over a Fjord though I suppose.. I've totally fallen in love with Morgans recently, I mean is this not the cutest little thing you've ever seen:

And look at this gorgeous stud:
I love how they carry themselves:
And have such sweet faces:

[Not my pics]

First hand I have hardly any experience with Morgans. When I was in middle school one of my best friends had a crazy hyper little Morab-but she def more Arab then Morgan. Recently the only Morgans I've been around are one of the guys we ride with in the mountains owns too hulking Morgans, there cute tough little horses and keep up with the best of our Quarters.
You'll definitely being hearing more about my horse hunting this summer=]

Falling off...oh well ya gotta know how to, right?

I skipped a few days of riding Storm bareback because I've worked everyday since schools been out. Today though Mary, Rita and I decided to ride for Mary's bday. Ha we had such success at fun!

We started off galloping through the wheatfield[after warming up of course] A few miniutes into the ride Stormy shied at something and since I was just rolling with her and not expecting it I went sprawling and hit the ground rolling. [The first time I've fallen off in almost a year and I don't even land on my feet, how depressing] Storm took off and then stopped a couple feet away and Mary went to go get her while I sat and laughed hysterically. I was of course hidden completely by wheat and Rita was cantering back to find me and I yelled at her to not run me over when bam Wily sees me sitting where she least expected and she shies and Rita, of course, hits me rolling. Mary sat an d laughed like crazy, I was like just you wait Rita and I are covered now, but you, you're in trouble!

So we countinued and when we got up behind the old dump Rita decided we ougta get closer, and oops Storm caught her leg in a sagebrush. We would been just fine if we were pointed up hill but since we were climbing off a bluff she tripped on her nose and I went somersaulting[again] and landed on my feet and flipped again and smashed my palm, so now it is brusied and ug-a-lay! Stormy, when she saw me on my butt leaned down and nudge me like she was sorry, so of course I couldn't be mad!

Anyway fast forward we're headed back up the canyon to the house and galloping along jumping sagebrush and logs or whatever is in our paths and Mary is leading. Well she decided she wanted to go one way and Ted decided they were going another. Well Mary got her way all right, Teddy popped his way over a high sage and Mary went flying the way she wanted to go. But, being Mary, she couldn't just fall she had to get her hand stuck in his mane and run along side him a few feet. Talk about laugh! Rita and I laughed until we were crying, it was crazy funny. Mary took it well though, with just a "well now we're all covered for awhile."

So yep the points are now in my favor, I've been expecting a fall for awhile=]

I've been riding Stormy bareback, no work, no constant-lets spin circles or work on side passing or how about riding on the bit?-none of that. I decided her and I needed some laid back time together. Also with all the riding we've done, she needs shoes. I've never had her shod before because her feet have always been extremely tough- like, gallop over rocks and not get foot sore tough. Unfortunately I think all the rain we've been having thats kept the grass wet and the dirt mud has softened her feet a bit, so rather then force her to trek through rock strewn hills shoelessly I'm a have her shod.

I also ended up riding the buckskin, and I have to say I don't think her and I are going to work. I've always clicked with my horses, Celia, Stormy, Lila, Shine... there was always something there. Even ole Brandy was friendly for the time I rode her, so I'm not used to horses who won't even acknowledge my presence. I guess I'm spoiled, but I'd rather let someone else take her, maybe Rita, she after all did get Wily to love her. So there goes the number two horse on my riding string, I will probably ride her anyway though. Or maybe I'll try Twi instead, since I am gonna train her anyways.

This week we're headed to the mountains to put the cows on the forest so I'ma see how that goes with Storm and Gyps.

Barebackin' it on The Cloud

So first Kate over at A Year With Horses had a link to The Horse Personalities Quiz which I thought was really cute so I decided to take it and check how accurate it was with my horses, it did turn out pretty close.

Celia and Shining are both-surprise-Rock Stars!
-The Rock Stars are confident and charismatic. They are expressive and strong minded. They love to show you what they know but are hard to get to focus on the small details of the task. They are found in many competitive arenas, usually at the top of their field.

Stormy was a a Goddess, which fits her pretty well too.
-The Goddess is loved by most of the other horses and most people. They are expressive and sensitive and emotional. You will know how they feel. They try very hard to please and will worry and be anxious if you are not happy with them. In the negative they can have scattered energy that is hard to get focused. This personality can be loved on as much as you want.

Gypsy was an Accountant.
-Slow, steady and determined describes this personality. They do not need excitement or fanfare. They like predictability. They want you to have a plan and stick to it. The friendship is important to them, so it is important for them to be honored and appreciated.

Anyways moving on yesterday we ended up having to get more cows in, after missing them on Saturday. I was planning on riding Gypsy but dad decided that he had to come and make sure it was "done right this time" and all the other horses are up in Long Creek beside Teddy, Wily and some "unridable" horses and Mary and Rita had to ride with us his only other choice would have been Stormy and I refuse to let him ride her, he had to ride Gyps.
So I rode darling little Storm, with a saddle of course, because riding her bareback is all but suicide. We ended up having to chase those cows 3 miles up the back canyon before it finally widened out enough to get around them. I blame my father for this because he forgot to warn us that Paul's pyhcotic cows were done with our two extra hiefers and bull. Running with his two cows all winter the heifers were wild as march hares and the bull was on the fight.

No big deal we chased em til they hit the fence and had no room left and chased them back up the canyon. About a half mile back Stormy stepped in wire and I thoughted she'd freak, she just picked her little foot carefully out of it though and cantered on, I was so proud of her!

With almost 2 miles left I mentioned how I'd much rather have ridden bareback[meaning another horse] along with Mary and Rita, and Dad immediately jumped on that.
"If ya wanna ride bareback so bad put that saddle in the rhino with Donald."
Me~Uhhh , shes awful sweaty to ride bareback."
Dad~"Your afraid, hahaha, your afraid of that horse."
Innerself~"Tell him you value your life!"
To innerself~"Our pride won't let me"
Dad~"So?"
Me~Fine"
I hopped off and stripped her of the saddle. Meanwhile innerself was saying what an awful idea it was.
Innerself~We're gonna die!!!"
Me~Deep breaths, we'll be...fine, just fine"
Mary tossed me back on and Stormy skittered.
Innerself~"Shit"
Everbody took off trotting and Donald roared away. I gave Stormy her head and a nudge and off we flew.
Innerself~Told ya so"
She was actually surprisingly easy to hand on even though she was obviously running away with me, she did stop once we got to the other horses though.
Mary~"Ready to go?"
Rita~"Duh'
Dad~I'll stay behind, you guys cross the creek and make sure they don't turn."
Mary and Rita took off in front. So I let the reins go slack and kicked her-a little bit to hard. Bam, racehorse mode, she does love to race Teddy. We whipped up past Wily and Ted so fast Mary and Rita had to grab mane or else get left behind as thier ponies surged to keep up. Mary and I eventually got her and Ted under control and waited for Rita and Wi to catch up. Then we had to cross the creek, which didn't go as bad as it might have. Storm did bog down a little and covered us both in mud but not that bad. The best part was she didn't pull any tricks while we got the cows.

We ended having to go and get mom's crazy Jersey bull from Jim's when we were done and all he wanted to do was fight, Stormy stayed pretty calm though even when a snake slithered under her. But when we got him out of the corral and moving me and Storm had to push him back to the road and in the process crossed a hose. She nicked it with her hind hoof and-whoosh, she spun like a demon and I landed on her neck. She danced across the hose and let me slide back to where I belonged without incident though.

So yeah she was awesome for her first time bareback after cows, and I couldn't be more proud of her, I'm a little sore those, shes alot smaller and harder to hold onto then any of our other horses. But ha my post drug on forever.

Stress relief

I was feeling terribly down today after getting home from school[drama, drama, drama] so instead of working with Gypsy like I planned, I decided that I'd take Stormy and go on a ride to cry it out to her. Because as everyone knows horses are the best medicine for a broken and battered heart.

All little Storm wanted to do those was crowhop-my fault entirely. She has way to much energy and has to be ridden daily or have a job when shes ridden so she doesn't get bored. I wasn't in the mood to fight with her so I decided we'd work on some more english-type riding. I took her out to the lot next to my Aunt Loa's where we used to race our horses when we were kids, because the corrals are still really muddy, and hooked her on the lunge line.

We worked on basic stuff like just lunging, because we haven't done it in awhile and she'd rather just sit in the circle with me. I don't blame her but "thats not acceptable, blahblahblah..." We also worked on direct reining-which she hated epically. And whip training, I think that caused more confusion then enlightenment though. I don't blame her, I have problems getting it to sometimes. Lastly we did her least favorite thing ever, working with her hind legs- she was pretty good though, I got to hand it to her. She didn't kick or anything, just kinda scooted away. Eventually though she did hold still and let me lift them, so we ended on that good note.

It did get my mind off my issues and her my mind off crowhopping so I'd say success!

Pictures coming soon!
Sincerely,
This horse whisperer