Hibernation is over

Well at least it feels that way. The snow/ice is almost all gone now and I guess so are my excuses.

 So to catch up a list, I love lists.

 1. I graduate in 16 days. That is what we are calling my retirement from my current day job. It was just getting in the way of my work out at the farm. Sooo one of them just had to go......It was an easy choice.

 2. The daughter and I have been negotiating on what we will do here at the farm. Since she has a degree in athletic training, certified horse and people message, and a love for the horses we will be putting together a horse rehab facility. Should be fun and lots of work to get it ready.

 3. Bought a 2yr old filly out of Texas. just off of pasture but so sweet. She is bred to cut and is already showing signs of being very athletic. Will be starting ground work on her soon. No riding until she grows up some more.

 4. My mare that was doing back flips when I went to saddle her is on the road to being a saddle horse again. It has been slow but we are making good headway.

 5. My 2 horses that had tendon issues are sound and we will be building up their strength this spring.

 6. My lead broodmare is big and prego and should be due in a month and a half so I am already worrying over her.

 7. We are trying to book some clinician for this summer that should fit well with the other clinics that go on around here.

 Well that is all I can think of for now.
 Now this list is done I can start another list :)

 Later
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Sundays

This Sunday I went to Whitehall for a benefit O-MOK-SEE. I got to take my 9 year old mare. She is just learning the games and is showing to be calm and response at any speed. That really makes it fun. It still doesn't offset the 4 horses we have lost this spring. Each to a different issue. My mare is helping me get over this fact. Live in the present not the past. In one of the events Team Arena there is a team made up of 4 people. One horse at a time goes out and runs around the outside of the arena and then passes the batton to another rider. This is an all out top speed event where if the horse has any running ability you can feel them drop down and stretch out for a full ground covering run. My mare started to stretch out then had a little bobble on the front end but went right back to full run. Didn't phase her a bit. Our hand off was clean and she didn't shy away from another horse coming along side her at a full run. At the end of the day both of us were tired and in a good space. RIP Mona, Lacey, Lacey's baby, Magic, Close friends horses buried with ours this spring Farmer, Britchy---- and if you have time watch over the rest of the herd.

They all stood to nicker and watch

Not me though I hid in the barn with my granddaughter as my close friends and vet took my 2 year old filly for her last walk. It has been hard for me to get to this point where I can write about it. It was just a little nick by her ankle. Like most young horses getting them through to maturity without cuts and scrapes is near impossible. It looked like no big deal. We washed her up and put some salve on it and repeat. Two days later her lower leg swolled up like a sausage and very hot.  We picked at it cleaned it and started her on antibiotics. Four days later the leg went down to normal size but not the ankle. Off to the Vet then off to the Horse hospital ninety minutes away. Prognosis the infection had already damaged cartilage and was in the bone. The poor thing even with max pain meds was in pain and couldn't put weight on that leg. The next day the time had come. Our vet that we've known since her Junior High days and when she was in High Shool Rodeo she traveled with us and our daughters was there to perform her duties as our Vet. We had a total of three horses to have done that day. Our friends 2 horses that had been scheduled for that weekend were brought out so that all three could be done at once.  From my occasional peeks from the barn it looked so surreal and sombere all the horses from the 2 pastures and the ones in the paddocks stood there and intensely watched. At one point they all nickered out but then as on que they all turned around and went on with what they were doing before hand. With 14 horses and 2 outside horses being trained I really don't think we will have anymore baby horses in the future.The old man (daughters old barrel horse now 30+) will probably need to be put down this fall but at least I have time to prepare myself for it. It is always tough. I'm tired now of the effort to get a herd of broodmares to help with retirement time. The idealic thought of being retired and working with the baby horses to barrel futurities is just not going to happen. The hours of going over breeding programs and hauling mares just isn't fun if I have to spend waking momemnts worrying about a sudden loss. This filly was the the last of a line since we gelded Mojo now that line is done.Well I guess it is time to start working with the 4 yr old gelding again, his injuries have healed nicely.  Later

Confused....?

Was delighted to go to a Pole Bending clinic this last Sunday. It was a two day clinic but we could only make it one day. Our friend Peggy was riding Shamy who is out of our mare and her parent’s stud. Of all the horses we have foaled she is probably the most athletic and fastest. I have her older full sister that I will be competing on this year. She is a shorter version of Shamy so it should be loads of fun (if I can stay on that is). It may be vain but I was filled with pride when I saw the clinician desire for one of the horses we had a hand in, honestly the stud and our mare had such good gets that it is sad when I think back on our mare and the studs last meeting........poor old boy had a heart attack while trying to get the job done with our mare. He died the next day. There were limited exposures to this stud but all of his gets had a fiery temperament, the will to run and the athletic ability to take their riders as far as they had talent for. The only exception I can think of is Legs my wife’s horse. He ended up being a true baby sitter but guess what he has more than enough speed to be competitive.........I know I found the fast gear riding him so I backed off for it will be there when the wife is ready if the grandkids don't get him first. :)

So back to the clinic..........Confusion abounds. Not because of what the clinician was teaching but that it is totally different than what I have been drilled on for years. For years it has been pick up the inside reign to keep the shoulder up and round the horse with the outside leg. At this clinic I felt more like I was back at English lessons. Hands down....ah 3 inches above the withers give or take a scosh. Use the inside leg to round the horse around your leg and the outside reign to frame the shoulder in. I've ridden both ways over the years so it will be fun to see if I remember some of my old training. The one major thing I picked up at the clinic is that I don't release once I get to my spot. Probably explains why at some point in the run the horse starts getting wound up and stops listening. How many times have I been told pressure release with the emphasis on RELEASE.

The barn is to envy over.... I have been told it is the best (fancy) barn in Montana. I haven't been to very many fancy barns but the attention to details was a real eye opener. Sorry I didn't have my camera with me but I'll include an aerial. Well I have a lot to try. Later

A change in gears

Currently I have 4 tractors and a backhoe. 2 of the the 4 I bought for farming a 2,000 acre wheat farm. In a way I still miss the wheat farm. They are still great tractors but not really set up for haying. So after looking for 2 years I finally found and bought what I think is a nice used tractor that will fit my current needs better. Even at my age I am surprised that I still get excited about buying equipment. To balance out the scales though the other side is we were also looking at getting the wife a nice VW convertible. Now that would be as equally exciting. Sad that we can't get both but I think we will be able to start looking again this fall. My suspicion is that this won't be a 2 year tire kicking adventure. With 50 acres of pasture that are in sore need of repairs and the hay ground that always needs work this little tractor will be very busy this summer. Probably the best thing is that this is a tractor that the wife will be able to use for harrowing and turning the windrows. I have a sneaking hunch that this will be more my wife's tractor than mine. I offered that she could use it to drive to work and it would get great fuel mileage but for some reason it just doesn't compare to a nice little convertible.

Mojo the continuing saga

Well it's official, I have the sonnagram pictures, Mojo came back from the trainer with a bowed tendon.  2 deep tears and 3 surface tears. If anything can go wrong with this horse.......... He seems to attract set backs more than any other horse we have owned. 6 to 12 months off totally shoots any barrel futurities. Now comes the hard reality of making the decision on what to do next. He may heal up just fine but at what level will he be able to be used. I have no fear that he would be a fine western pleasure horse but anything beyond that leaves me with doubts. To me the stakes are higher after this type of injury. To take the risk and end up with a permenantly lame horse is something I can't get out of my head. We already have one pasture pet with a torn tendon sheath in the knee. A texan barrel clinician did that and at the time we looked at the tape and saw exactly when and what did it. I can go on a lot more but it does no good. At that time I swore not to let others on my horses to train. Mojo's situation just strengthen my resolve that if you want it done right, do it yourself. I'm just sick and dis-heartened by this and the only thing that helps for now is to ride Mojo's younger brother Tuff. A green broke 4yr old that is getting legged up for his training this summer.........by me or my daughter.

Mojo in 2009

Start of a New Season

Yesterday was our start for the new season. After a few months off the first order of business was to start legging up the horses. It takes a good 4 to 6 weeks to get our horses in running shape. We do have a set routine we like to do. Not that we are the best but during the competition season we don't seem to have as many horse issues as some we compete against. I believe it has to do with having the horses in proper running shape. We usually don't attain track fitness but we try to come close. The following is the general recipe we try and follow.
   Long trotting with the horse extended as much as they can and not break into a lope.
       We start at 15 minutes then up to 30 minutes when the horse can get there. At some point we then start making a circuit around the 50 acre field and hopefully can work up to 2 laps. When the ground is appropriate we will do wind sprints of 100 yds full out then collect for 100 yds to help teach them to run and rate up.
  Flexation and transitions.
     at the walk trot and lope we do big circle then as small as the horse can maintain small circle. Always helping the horse to maintain proper form.
     at the trot and lope large circle then spiral in until they break stride then immediately change direction and start it over again.
     Smooth transition from walk to trot then back down repeated until smooth then on to trot to lope then on to walk to lope. Finally from a stop to a lope at first a couple of trotting strides are allowed. We do the same on the slowing down portions.

 By this time hopefully the outside arena is dry and the snow is gone so we can now work on stations. These are set routines around barrels and poles that are not set up the same as when they compete.

  As for me I started 3 weeks ago getting in shape myself.

  This is the start of an 8 to 9 month season that by the end leaves all of us ready for a winters rest.

My youngest and I at an OMOKSEE

2006 Victoria (96-07)  and Tenor both out of Golda