ColliesHorsesArtLove

T's New Lawn AND We Sucked At The Dog Show Again!!!!!

Today, Squishy got 2nd to his brother Cory (which I was totally fine with) then Cory got reserve. (Not fine with!!!) Julie showed Soleil and I was pleased to see her bark and lunge around the ring ALSO with Julie, but she was not as bad as she was with me yesterday. So there is hope. Tirzah got dumped again for Breed to the WD but, I really was secretly happy as I didn't want to stay for another all-breed group. I'm beginning to see why collie people love to just show at specialties. She is a beautiful bitch and also a lovely mover, though I have to say she's not in full coat yet, but nevertheless, I am tired of those groups.I have been worn down.

So, I came home early to see Tony watering his new "lawn" which is actually a combination of just our land thou he threw down some grass seed today and started watering. We had so much rain over a week ago and it's amazing how quickly the grass will start coming up. Our grass looks like grass, so we're curious if we keep it watered and cut, will it be like grass????? It gets pretty bushy and later when it dries, full of foxtails and stickers, but I'm sure I'll blog the progress. It's the cheap way to grass!!

My manly man. Getting some sun.

This is from our porch. T flattened the ground with his Bobcat on Thursday and already there is grass! 

The horses were eating, then all of a sudden they took off playing. Aura is to the far right. She is such a cool horse. What a sweet tempered mare. They love their grass!!

Squishy To The Rescue!!

Thank God Squishy has a big mouth because about 5 am this morning he had a very concerned bark ~ the kind that made me get up and look.

These 4 hoodlums (Ali'i's home as of yesterday and that might be part of the problem...) were on Squishy and Soleil's side of the white vinyl fence and Squishy knew that wasn't a good idea.

Awwwhhhhh..........where's breakfast???????????????

I thought Ali'i had gotten the gate chain undone because he has an opposable thumb in his muzzle, but low and behold, it was my fault!!! I left the gate undone myself!! I don't think I'm feeding them right yet this morning!! They had a smorgasbord of 3 different hays!!

Must have been the full moon. I gotta say Tony would make a horrible fireman because by the time he got out to help me I had all four horses round up and back in the pasture. All I needed is for them to trot down our road to Hwy 49 at 5 am!! BAD HORSES!!!!!!!!!

Operation Sea Men Delivery Successful!

Khemi's little guys arrived in their permanent home this morning and Aura's follicle was still the same size, which in breeding terms means it was probably more perfect to breed her today rather than last night. A gizillion dollars later with paying two different vets I feel a lot better. I think poor Khemi would have rather had the girl than the vet, and everything was much more entertaining this morning AFTER we were all done than before!  S t r e s s f u l . . . . So...we should know in 3 weeks if she took!

BTW, I had to take this picture of the breeding dummy.....gotta love Janine's sense of humor!

The Big Fat Follicle ~ Timing Is Everything!

What excitement. I've been waiting for a year to breed my mare(s). Shahara never showed for us....Aura is a showing fool! She came in on schedule when Kathleen thought she would, which was around July 4th. By the time the vet got there to palpate her on Monday morning (something about vets not wanting to call back over a holiday weekend) she had ovulated. Since we were worried she'd come in and be breedable while Janine was riding Tevis, we chose to give her a prostin shot to bring her in earlier. Well, Aura came in big and strong, just in time for Ashley's final last night AND after Janine had said she was going on an evening ride. Talk about STRESSFUL!!! Kathleen AND the vet call me and tell me "best she gets bred tonight". Since I was in the middle of this auditorium aisle crawling back and forth over all the family & friends, I decided to sit on the outside seat. Janine finally called back (exactly when Ashley was on stage ~ of course!) and told me her vet said that a breeding this am will still be fine. I'm so into it with paying vets so what the "f"! Anyway, I am off this morning to pick up Khemi's little guys and drive them to Aura. Wish me luck!!!   

Horse Tradin' & Training

T & I had to make a decision on Shahara this last month. It's actually been in the making and we're very sad about it. We've had her for 11 months and she hasn't shown a heat enough to get bred. Long story short, we've returned her to the ranch we got her from and are trading her for another mare named Aura. She is actually one of the mares I was seriously considering last year. She is very smooth moving, and certainly very pretty, but I ended up with Shahara because she just took my breath away. She still does so we're very sad. But, I am not into breeding animals that have to require extra work & money as I think we're missing the point in having hardy stock. When I had Ali'i's mom whom I leased, she came in season, we bred her, she had a baby....wow.......that seems what animals should do.

This is Aura from last year 

This is T with her on Father's Day. After she ran around at high speed, snorting & prancing, she was in our face for petting. She is very sweet and seems to flirt with the stallions even if it's wrong. We are now just waiting for her to come into heat which should be soon. Once she's confirmed pregnant we'll bring her home.

Awwwwhhhhhhh........all the animals love T.

On to yesterday where I decided to send my little baby boy Ali'i in training for 2 months with Janine Esler. I want some more "detail" on him, to get him to drop his head more, round his back, and move out in a faster walk and extended trot. She also will ride a 50 miler in the fall with me to help me during the race. The last one we did was hard and I'm sure my form, nor his was very pretty.

I hate to think what Sabi and Tahoe think....one gone on Sunday, another on Tuesday. Don't worry boys, you're grandfathered in to stay!!

This is Ali'i from '06 at Thousand Island Lake in the Minarets. He was just broke about 90 days when I went on this trip with Brian. We went thru a lot of rough riding, slipping off of rocks, getting stupidly tangled up with the other horse and the usual river & bridge crossings. Ali'i just took everything in stride like he'd done it his whole life. I love him.

This looks easier than it really was. There were fallen down trees in the water and a drop off very close to us that we almost took an underwater dive in. Just getting him ready for Tevis.....before we die....we're doing it!!!!!

What's up with the face????

Bandit says "Bye for now!"

The Big Baby Boys

Where's our girlfriend????

I just want to kiss Ali'i's muzzle!! LOVE that sky!!!

Almost Birthday Boy Sabi ~ 18 Years!

Sabi and I went for our first official ride of the year at Auburn Overlook. I love that place. One day when I actually get to Tevis I'll know the last 4 1/2 miles of that trail very well. Starting my riding season in May isn't going to get me there though!

Lookie my big baby boy with his Renegade Hoof Boots! He's soooooo handsome!!

This is the kind of trail obstacle that will make an arabian fling you into the hillside (or worse, the down side of the trail). AH!! Is it a porcupine or just a pine cone???? Sabi has a cadillac spook, unlike Tahoe or even Ali'i so it's usually easy to sit. This breed sure must have been munched much more by predators than any other breed of horse. You'd think a big, meaty quarter horse would be much more yummy and easy to get than a flinging arabian! Maybe they just aren't as exciting!

This is just past the really scary part of the trail. I love this trail!

Barefoot Trimming ~ Phil Morarre & Our Wonderful Neighbors

T and I had Phil Morarre out to the property yesterday to give us a private lesson on his abrasive trim with the angle grinder. The method is really so much easier than using hand tools (which I could never do ~ thou part of the problem might have been the sharpening of my knives....thanks Phil for the lesson!). Tony got an "A" on using the grinder. I went from a "D" to a "B" or something like that. I don't understand why anyone would even use hand tools again, because you can get a beautiful barefoot trim in about 20-30 minutes for your average horse.

Notice Shahara's tail tied up. Very, very important! Last time we did the trim Sabi's tail came out and T had just let the safety switch go but the grinder was still turning. It wrapped up in Sabi's tail. Luckily it was Sabi and the grinder was almost stopped. Having that paddle switch on the grinder is very important. You don't have time to find a switch if it's grinding up into the root of a horse's tail! Maybe those Quarter Horses would like that ~ but not a flingin' Arabian! Ugly!!!

Shahara was the last horse we did. She was a little difficult, but Phil gave her some time to figure out how to stand quietly and when she didn't he took her off to do some Parelli work with her.

It didn't take Phil more than a few minutes to get Shahara to be calm and willing to stand. Natural horsemanship with someone who knows what they're doing is amazing. She was good for the rest of her trim. Phil loved her too, thought she was quite beautiful.....she's my next sculpture subject.

Is T meditating or praying???? All my animals love him. Look at my new rope! I told Phil & Tony they couldn't get it dirty. Then Phil told us a story about some guy at a barn he trimmed at where this guy's rope still looked new after 4 months! (How'd he do that?) They re-named the guy "Bob White Rope". Cracked me up!

Tahoe's hind foot.

Tahoe needed a lesson also. I think this horse is so handsome. He has a big trot but he just is much more worried about life. Interesting when you're on a narrow, cliffy trail....

After Phil left, Tony and I went to our neighbors Adam & Joanie to take back an extension cord. I just love them. They're funny and they have helped us IMMENSELY with watching our horses and a whole bunch of other stuff. I owe them WEEKS of animal sitting when we get up there. 

Anyway, Adam was trying to trim his horse's feet when we drove up, so we got the angle grinder and T gave him a lesson. T and Adam are macho guys who don't like to be told what to do but also are quite handy with power tools. 

This old guy's feet looked so much better after the guys were done. Apparently Adam's farrier forgot to do him last time he was there so this poor boy has some dishing and breaking in the toe. 

This horse looks so much better than 30 minutes before. Slowly I have converted my boyfriend, now I'm on to my neighbors!! What a great life!

I know this isn't about trimming, but how do you have two guys who are going to live next to each other go thru the pain of getting tattoos and not put names in them!!????

Waiting........Again.......

I went to see the horses today to see if Miss Shahara is in season. She is due and after an hour of hanging out with them I only heard one half-assed squeal. I don't know if that constitutes a pre-season warning, or for her, a full on season. I know my dogs, but mares a little more of a mystery. I'll go back tomorrow. 

These dusty pink flowers are all over the property. They are so pretty to me. I don't know what they are...

Tahoe & Shahara eating side by side. She's cute, but not that cute.....

Shahara is Home

Tony and I picked up Shahara yesterday and took her over to her boyfriend's house. We picked up Ali'i so she would have a traveling buddy. He's so easy with everything and I love watching his little muzzle stick out of the side of the trailer when we go down the road. It's soooo.....smooshy!

I was worried with how it was going to be to get Shahara in the trailer, as I have a 2 horse straight load. She has never been in a trailer, and I was expecting some fireworks. Kathleen worked with her for about 45 minutes, asking her quietly to go in. She was so calm and trusting ~ something that always amazes me because if I was a horse I wouldn't be getting in a trailer! She walked in eventually, loved the grain mix and we backed her out 2 or 3 times, then left. One the way home we were in Friday night traffic, went past a horrible brush fire on the side of the road with heat and screaming fire trucks. When we got to Janine's there was a family of wild turkeys that flew up past the trailer and Ali'i spooked. Anyway, Shahara backed out of the trailer very, very calmly and looked around at all the horses like it was no big deal. She went to her temporary (smaller) paddock and started to flirt with her 3 neighboring geldings. (Good girl!)

I was so pleased at her mind ~ didn't these beautiful Arabians sleep in the tents of the Beduoins? I think it is a trait that should never be bred away from.