Well I haven't blogged here in awhile- but really I haven't had any reason to. The only riding I've done is working. All of our horses are in the mountains, to me this is like the ultimate heartbreaker because I had just started riding Storm bareback. But on the bright side I'm finallly comfertable enough in her neckreining to put her in a tom thumb bit, up until now shes just had a snaffle. I know that took a long time but thanks to several of our horses who  weren't trained to neck rein well enough when they were in snaffle or hackamore there was no way I was putting her  in a bit until I thought she was a hundred percent ready.
We're getting the three year olds in to work with them , round pen or no round pen. I'm so tired of waiting around for something that isn't gonna happen so we're just gonna have to work around that large mountain little bump, that somehow sprung up in the road.

I'm thinking about merging this blog back with the other one- it just doesn't get enough use. I'll see how frequently I use it while we're training the colts.
Nickers and Whinnies,
Kyle, Celia, Stormy, and Shine

Random Picture Overload!

So I decided I oughta get yall acquainted with the looks[or former looks] of my darling cast of ponehs=]
These pics are kinda old so not everybody looks the same but still pretty close:
Celia:

Stormy in the sun

Baby Shining!
Katie:
Fuzzt Teddy
Rosie Posie:
Teke Peke
Kitty KatThe new boys:
Tiggy
and Cash/Moosy

The dynamic tria in horse form:
Rockette
And Misty and Twi:
Wily-
Thats it for the random pics today=]]

Yeehaw!

I love jumping, but haven't really jumped at all since Celia got cripppled, of course sage jumping, but that doesn't count. Last Saturday I got the brilliant idea that we could make our own jumping course.
So true to our roots Mary and I went all out and what we got was a somewhat redneck jumping course-complete with tires and barrels, which we haven't used[hence the lack of pictures]
Unforetunatley the pictures we got of our more basic jumps didn't turn out so great because of the camera quality.
Ted likes to jump about a mile before he should
But by the end of this session he was getting better
Up and ovver
She looks frightened
Mary has the tendency to ride close to her horse and pull back when she jumps
Teke is an excellent jumper, but gets carried away and I forgot to lift myself
Gyps got led over a few
I totally look the part in skinny jeans and vans, of course=]
Rita and I tried to sync, it didn't work
Mary prefers Ted but she'll ride Teke
Ha, yep thats been my horse involvement for the last week, an amazing time jumping!

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.