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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Montana Made

Ive spent several weeks in Montana with my mom while she is recovering from major surgery.
I was blessed to be able to roam in the great outdoors-albeit only on foot despite being surrounded but furry horses.
My sister and I enjoyed 3-5 mile walks along the canal

And gave the furry ponies nibbles of dry grasses

 The neighhhhbors look cozy!


 Someone left work undone on the canal bridge!



 Then at night we get to have the Elk head whose shadow is larger than life give us the eye as we walk upstairs to bed.










Saturday, December 3, 2016

Friday, November 18, 2016

Should not

The verbiage is "should not" have to my tack...
But iPad won't allow me to edit
Ohhhh bother!

More ugly at the ranch

last week
So my car was blocking passage
Albeit temporarily
And when I parked there
To unload my grain
Not a soul was in sight.
So I happily started ziplocking grain
Instead of my 57y/o self trying to carry
50 lb sacks!

So S & Bleu arrive and pass by
Between car and building
Bleu is a BIG horse.
I ask if I should move car.
S and Bleu are happy
Nope is the answer.

So I finish zipping and labeling
Then still
Must carry 2 50lb sacks to container.
1 down
1 to go

Another certain person walks up
And says I should move my car
It is blocking her way
And SHE wouldn't THINK
Of walking her little horsey
Through narrow passage
( how in the heck does she manage the trails?)

Oh, by the way,
Her horse was in cross ties
She had come around the other side
Of the building already!  Huh?
So I need to move my car immediately?

I bite my tongue instead
I despise drama
So I vent here...
But I did also vent to the barn owner.
She told me I should feel like I need
To move my tack out of the barn
But I did anyway.

And now I am headed to Montana again
10 days to help care for mom.
Will post some pics of frigid Montan soon.
Then hopefully
Back in town to play with my ponies.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Meet & Greet

A Bit more of Montan

The Iconic sign that has been there for as long as I can remember.
The saddle and boots too!  Years of being weather worn.
wild rose hips?  I'm not sure

This apple was define
plucked from a roadside tree
brightest red
one bite revealed whitest flesh
the taste just right

Crispy, Juicy and oh so Fine!

 Another tree-just loaded with apples.  No doubt the deer will enjoy!

Golden Glory
The view from my Montana bedroom window
 Frosted Flakes

Misty Mission 
Mountain Morning
 Like this sign...the house not so much

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Twists and Turns

1. No pics of my adventure with Nevel today :(
2. Couldn't find my girth for my Duett so Sh kindly let me borrow one of hers
3.  Nevel wouldn't let me mount
4.  Round and round we went until finally he stood at the mount block
5.  Nice walk up the trail, then trot through the woods.
6.  Out to the meadow then right, up the hill, down along the woods edge to the road, turn around and trot for home.
7. 10.4 mph trot!  Good boy Nevel!  Except the saddle was rolling and I was not secure
8.  I look down and only see half of my saddle pad in the front...it had slipped, turned and was going, going almost gone....
9.  Had Nevel carry me to the top of the hill then I jumped off and reset the pad.
10.  Decided not to fight with Nevel to get back on...hiked him home.
11.  Un-Girth Nevel he gives a violent shake and tosses the Duett on the ground
12. Nevel spooks at said saddle crashing to the ground and spooks, bucks and stomps on and kicks the H E double L out of said saddle.
13.  This in turn spooks Chili who tries to step on his mom...
14.  Oh dear...I'm gonna get kicked off of the barn premises!

***********************
Time to ride Perseeus.
There is no comparison to Nevel
Thinner
Lighter
More responsive
Stands mostly still for mounting.

Nice walk trot in the arena
Saunter down the lane
Turn and head for home,
Survived BIG rocks and Green covered cement thing a ma jig.
I reach up to pat him for being such a good boy and he freaks out
Spins so fast I hardly knew what happened
Jammed my fingers into my wrist into my elbow into my shoulder.
Is it broken?  Don't think so, but my whole right upper extremity is in a state of hurt!
What caused it?
We were right next to the stable down the lane
Next to the scary green capped cement thing a ma jig
Next to the rippling brook going through the culvert
Next to some crazy gray Arabian that came thundering around in his paddock, bolting and bucking

Thankfully Persee stopped after his initial freak out and massive spin out
Thankfully I was NOT on him when it happened
Passively and peacefully Persee stopped for a bite of grass after giving the Arabian an evil look with his blue eye...then we sauntered back up the lane...just sane

Then we see Major frolicking in his pasture- shaking his head, snorting and giving some bucks!
What's up with that?

Time for me to go home.

Carrots for P & N


The Emerald Grass is Devine

Adventures Down the Lane

Scary Rocks

Yummy Grass near Monster Rock

Ok- this green thang isn't very scary

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

continued Saddle stories

I bought Persee from Oklahoma sight unseen-well except for pics.
He is a sweetie...my plantation saddle fits him ok.  But I need a shorter girth/cinch.

Now I am buying a saddle unseen-or un-tried.
It is a big risk for me, having never sat in a Sommer saddle.
But what I do know is that the saddle will fit Persee because his breeder did wither tracings for me and also rode him in her Sommer Spirit DS before shipping him,  the bars are wide and broad and the gullet is extra wide- It may even fit Nevel.

At present it is almost ready for production as soon as I give them a deposit tomorrow ; ).
Below is a pic of what it might look like- but the real color will be black and Bordeaux- this drawing looks pink.  The Bordeaux will be tooled but the Germans call it Montana Bordeaux!  There will also be Montana on the back of the saddle.
Fine with me!  I love Montana!

Giant pictures posted from my iPad!

Sorry folks-trying to figure out how to post pictures on my blog from iPad!

Saddles and such...

bottom line is the fact that Nevel is too wide for me ( even with my long legs)
And he is too wide for his saddles.
We both need to lose some weight!
Recently I have been reading about possible solutions to keep his saddle in place-
Crupper, shorter girth....I dunno...
When I went out to see what I could figure out I discovered he'd thrown a shoe. Then it started to sprinkle rain on me.  .  :(

Friday, November 4, 2016

Fall is Waning in Ronan MT

Cute Montana ponies

The horse next door

Caring for mom in Montana-its a long road...I'm surrounded by horses-maybe I should bring my boys out!

Things That Go Bump in the Night.

Outside my window in Montana

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Getting to Know You...

Saturday was the day for Nevel and Perseeus to meet-
First I had to package and label their food for the Caretakers-

seems there was some drama at the barn over the FOUR containers I left there last week-I had forgotten to take the big barrel back to the Feed Store.

But regardless there were grumblings over the added containers-the Caretaker said each person could have only 2 containers....ok FINE...I have TWO HORSES, so Technically  SHOULD be able to have FOUR containers.
But as I said...1 Huge one was going back to the feed store, one trash can holds loose feed and ziplock bags and the other two small ones are individual for P and Nevel since the owners want everything labeled, zipped, divided to make it easier at feeding time.

Next I lunged and rode Persee in the Arena-Mr Ornery buckaroo

Cool damp weather and all of the horses were feeling their oats.  But P only gave one small buck while I was riding him-
He does not know verbally commands and he SLAMMED on the brakes while trotting when I told him "GOOD BOY!"

Then I had to pick the Cockle burrs out of Nevel's Mane and Tail...WHAT A MESS!  and OUCH -those boogers are SHARP!

Perseeus says..."who's my new pasture mate?"
"NEIGHHHHHBOR over the fence

Nevel seems to have grown a "paint" extension and is only "TOLERATING" the new addition
Persee followed Nevel everywhere
 HANDSOME BOY

NIBBLES