redshowpony

March 8, 2007 - Birdie's Birthday

Just in from the field waiting for dinner. Birdie turns three tomorrow.  Can’t believe how fast time flies.   March 8 is also my 32nd wedding anniversary.   How nice that for many years to come, we will share our celebration with Little Bird!!  She didn’t ride today, she lost a shoe yesterday so Justin is coming tomorrow to celebrate her birthday with four new shoes!

ALSO…..spent the afternoon with my RUFIE!   She is still owned by Kylie, her little girl and still loves her peppermints, just like Neko who also ate half a bag….Neko gets her new shoes tomorrow also.

Jake and Bonnie playing

Very proud of Jake and Bonnie.  Bonnie only started riding but yesterday had Jake LOPING and jogging around in a nice frame.   She takes getting the buttons right very seriously and it shows.   We also rode Jake and working on getting him in shape.  Just such fun to ride, with just the slightest leg pressure, you can push him back and forth in any direction, he can go fast or slow, his reining spin gets faster each day and we have been working hard on our dressage, he is a neat horse.  Kahle has been going to pony club meetings, we are so excited to cheer them on!!

Going to be a good year!!!

Jen brought her new partner, Iris, home on Saturday.  Iris (Born to be an Artist) is a bay three year old mare.

Born to be an Artist (better pictures to come)

Iris on the line

Iris isn’t broke yet, Jen has made a big time and energy committment to get Iris ready to show for this year — even with a brand new baby and a four year old at home along with a full time job.   We’ll keep track of them as they progress through Iris’ show debut in just a short couple of months!

Corinne and Iris - first ride

Of course, Corinne had to be the first one of us to be on Iris!  Iris did well today.  There were other horses riding in the arena at the same time and towards the end, it was feeding time and the other horses had all left the arena and she was by herself.  She is very mature mind-wise for a three year old, very much wants to please.

We were fooling around and decided to do the ‘old west’ jump up on the rump and slide off the rump…of course if one of us does some dumb thing, everyone jumps in on the fun!! (Ed would be so proud!)

playing rump jump with Birdie (what a good two year old!)

She’s not “Little Bird” anymore…long way down!

Then Honey and Kahle had to try....love Honey's puzzled face!

Jake and Bonnie....not to be outdone!

We had fun playing around doing the rump jump. Gracie and Neko were already being tucked in for the night so they missed the fun doing this (we’ll be sure to include them in the embarrassment on the next round….)

and just because…..Neko from the big storm….Neko in the snow

Neko in the snow

We had really good rides this weekend.  Have a lot to get done this week, Corinne and Birdie will begin working hard with Ed this weekend, committing to be ready for the year to begin.  I didn’t get to ride today, had to go into work as we have a big presentation tomorrow and wanted to be ready (we are psyched -we are going to rock it!).  Congratulations to Jen and her new horse, Iris. She’ll be working hard on getting Iris broke and is aiming to show AQHA this June.   She has been waiting for a stall, we have been full, actually have horses in some outside runs (even the outside pastures have heated water!).  We are still full but while one is away this month, she is going to sub-let that stall so she has an arena to work out of.   The weeks are just flying by, there is so much up in the air, need to start deciding which direction to be going.  Corinne and I were looking at some show plans, I want to go to the Mid Atlantic Dream show/futurity but she doesn’t think she wants to.  It is in NJ, very pretty park.   Hopefully next weekend we’ll get out on a trail ride too, with the temperatures staying in the 35/40 range, we can go out for a couple of hours without getting cold so that will be fun. Congratulations Carrie!  New 2011 Ford truck -woo hoo!  Tuesday — we will be playing egg and spoon showmanship!  (I like my goofy games!) I cheated though, I practiced some no hands showmanship with Jake Sat, I have been working on getting him to square up with no hands and finally got it figured out.  I can’t wait until that show with the no hands showmanship classes.  I didn’t try it with Neko, she’ll be easy because she is already setting her feet before you even turn around!  Jake is just a little out of practice since he never practiced showmanship once while he was with Lauren, so I am amazed he is still ready to show right now, he didn’t forget anything.  He is so much fun. I can’t believe how different he is now that he is 9. He still has a lot of personality but you just have to think about something and he is doing it.  I was doing canter half passes on Sat!  Going to tape them. I would really like to try and do some dressage shows with him this year too. I know Corinne also wanted Neko to go.  The snow this winter really messed up our winter season, it just hasn’t been safe to get out literally since December really.  We are excited for Ed to see Birdie this weekend to see what we have been working on. She can shift her hip or shoulder any which way while you are going, we are anxious for Ed to ‘grade’ our work!  Everyone has been riding well and the horses can all do things that they couldn’t do just a month or so ago. When you stop to think about it, it makes you smile to think how far they’ve come.   I mean, just a couple of years ago, Neko with the kids playing broomstick hockey with snow and ice sliding off the roof?    When Emily rode last (she is our smallest and least experienced kid as she doesn’t have her own horse so just rides anyone available), Emily wasn’t happy because she had to kick a little to get Neko to go fast enough!  We promised her it will get better as she gets to know her better.   I just love when we have different trail elements up and everyone is running around in different directions working on some trail, some are cantering, some are playing bareback games, activity in every corner, everyone working on their own but together also.  I love that.   We got our shots and coggins all done this past week so we are all ready to roll. The kids have been working hard.  Oh  my gosh, the other night, since Kahle now knows how to make Jake lope so slow, she was doing it on Honey and wait until you see the video of how SLOW Honey was going!   I was talking and out of the corner of my eye caught Honey going by and literally had to stop and stare.  There was actually so much hesitation that Kahle had to kick and smooch every couple of strides.   Honey could never lope before - that was all Kahle.  I know Kaitlyn also has Gracie cantering around bareback with her hands out to the sides and then stopping with no hands.  Gracie always had a little bit of a motor on her, its hard to believe how far she has come, now you have to ask for that motor.    The neatest thing ever from the kids show last year, the showmanship was starting and they never saw a pattern, never practiced it, we were walking up to the ring and I just gave them the ’shorthand’ on the pattern - it was a start at A, arc to B, trot halfway to judge, 360, walk to judge, setup, present, four back steps and 90 out.  It was so funny, I said it just like that literally walking into the pen and they looked at me and said OK, we got it - and they did.  And the quarter horse kids who were also in the class, some of them were having a meltdown with parents and trainers trying to explain when/where and trying to get someone else to go first — one thing about our kids is they are like us - we ALWAYS want to go first!   Judge Tuckey said at a clinic a few years ago that if you know your stuff, go first and lay it down, let everyone else live up to you and we’ve done that every chance we get.  Its annoying sometimes because aqha makes your order so you don’t get to choose, but I always ask if I can go first if the person assigned doesn’t want to.  (PS - Thanks DON for giving us the confidence to do that, and for teaching us the ‘hows’ that make our horses so good at that class).

PS — Welcome back Tom!  Sorry you had to do without your ‘horse fix’ for a little while but we have that fixed now!

It was like the Americans and Canadians….

The face off -- Honey and Morgan against Kahle and Jake

Fast break

Jake and Kahle heading for the goal tended by Emily and Neko

Not today! Emily and Neko pass the puck (or ball...)

Neko makes the pass to Gracie

Grace makes the breakaway shot

But Morgan and Honey say not today! No goal!

Neko and Emily in the background, Bonnie and Honey getting in on the fun

Emily and Neko just having fun after the game

Gracie and Kaitlyn doing their jet airplane impression

Had a lot of fun tonight. After the game, the kids rode around and practiced their flatwork.  They all do such a good job and all looking forward to show season — no one is more excited than Morgan!   Jen and Kailey stopped by for a while too. Kailey chattered on about her pony (and her mom’s….and her pap’s…so cute!)   She said she is bringing her pony so she can ride with the kids too.  Next week — playing a new game — egg and spoon showmanship with no hands!   that will get everyone into tip top shape for the upcoming show!

Everyone had a really good ride tonight.   Little Bird has a birthday coming up soon — the big 3!   And Kaitlyn taught Gracie to shake — yep, like a dog — and is also teaching her to bow.  Morgan had her new monogrammed helmet case - pretty cool — that girl is really turning into our little diva!  Got to get our fun in while we can, in two weeks, Corinne and Ed will start the countdown to seriously getting ready for the year.   I saw Kahle kissing Jake in the cross ties tonight too….

PS — Hey Chaz….anything unusual happen to you lately?  (gotcha  ha ha! )   We’re going to be one step ahead of you prank wise all year!

Neko on course for another winning pattern.

Went to our TSQHA banquet tonight - we had fun (and the pranks for the year have started already!!!)   Neko’s prizes included one she will really like - a lik-it apple.   The weather was perfect today, we got to play broom polo (or maybe broom hockey in honor of the olympics).  Sweatshirt weather riding the horses is always great and that was what we had today.   Had a busy week, just starting to gear up. There was a schooling show today but we had the banquet so we didn’t get to go.  Glad we didn’t go to Martinganza - looks like not a lot of people did because of the weather,  I think one of the biggest classes had ten in it, we would have been really disappointed to go and be in small classes.  All of the horses have been riding very well.  The other night we checked to see if Jake remembered how to bow, he had just been learning before he went to Erie — he went right down!   The horses are very happy and so relaxed - it was funny, I was bouncing the ball off of Neko’s and Birdie’s HEADS while we were playing today, going to tape it (but hard to tape and play at the same time!).  They don’t even blink.  So many things happening, the weeks are just flying by.  Weather finally cooperating enough to get Birdie over to ride at Ed’s hopefully in the next week or two.  And Jake and Neko to go too. Cant wait for Ed to see Jake.  An old friend stopped at the barn the other day and was saying how neat it was that the kids all ride and do all kind of things with our horses now.  And Kahle was practicing no-hands showmanship the other day.  Jake makes it very easy.  Bonnie out there riding english and just loping and doing all kind of haunch and forehand spins, etc.   Although Neko and Birdie also can do no-hands, we are excited to get to this one show where they have no-hands classes, that will be fun.  I never did find a baby that worked out this year so that may wait until next year.  (Unless someone has a yearling they’d let me take for the year and do lunge line!)  Birdie didnt’ get to do lunge line at congress because we only got her on July 4 and entries were due the third week of August - Birdie didn’t know anything at the time so we didn’t sign her up, but I should have just paid the late fees and took her anyway, excited to do it with another lunge liner one day.    Congrats to everyone at TSQHA!   We all had such a good year.

Congrats Neko on all of your year end awards

Also found out that snowboards can’t be pulled well when there is 8+ inches of snow on the ground — you just sink!     Going to tape Jake doing dressage also…he can do some neat moves.  Neko also worked on her flying change the other day, amazing how far its come!  Can’t wait to use it at the shows.

Also LOVING the webinars and teaching videos from the university - I can’t believe they are free, even if they charged $10 a pop, I’d buy them at least a couple times a week!  They should advertise more.  Plus for each one you watch and answer some questions you get prizes like feed coupons or sweatshirts, etc.  Very neat program!  I am not sure if its the university or the feed company who puts that out, but good stuff. Everything from different lameness issues to foaling to senior care.  I am going for the feed coupons but I am going to finish the lameness series and get a sweatshirt too. What a great idea.  Still working on how I can fit the big opportunity into the next few months, I want to make sure to do an excellent job if I do it, it would be nicer if it wasn’t so far away, but even traveling 9 hours back and forth every few weekends, I know it will be hard but it will be worth it, just need to get my brain wrapped around it.  Corinne and Birdie are starting to gear up for the year.  We will be taking the kids to some of the local shows to get some experience and we are going on an adventure with Carrie to Maryland in a couple of months to try that.  I keep wanting a smaller trailer to run around in but saw a 7 horse locally….I keep thinking….hmmmm.   It doesnt have LQ just a small dressing room but great for trail riding.  But maybe once things are settled this spring (hopefully I have enough parking!!)   Pizza party at the barn this afternoon following the broom hockey/polo!

The first annual broom polo tournament (planning for Sunday!!!!) pics to come!

Pretty Bird 4th of 20 showmanship -first aqha show

Birdie having a good roll at an arena we haul out to practice at - always feels good in a different arena!

warming up at Ed's

Kahle & Birdie (rotten kid is taller than I am and has to move my stirrups!!)

trotting with nice loose reins

Starting to plan out Birdie’s year…going to be busy!     Its always nice to win something but good enough for us that she does her job and fits in - and she already has.    Very excited for Neko to jump this year. And Kaitlyn riding her at congress.  And Jake and Kahle in Pony Club.  And Morgan showing  Honey.  Kaitlyn will also be showing Gracie.  Plus the projects lined up, going to be a busy year. And dont forget the trail riding!  Maybe this weekend we can go in the snow and pull intertubes.  The trails are nice and I dont know if we are just used to it or what but it hasn’t been that cold.    Show last week was cancelled….it was rescheduled to Sunday - but hasn’t been cancelled (yet) but I dont think I want to chance it.  Then with another storm heading in Monday or so, maybe we’ll just wait for the next one.  And just because I was thinking of it the other day….thanks Don Jox for your friendship, support and showmanship coaching over the past few years.  Tough but well worth it!   And Jeff Prescott for being an all around good guy.  Kenny Adkins and that wild boy of his, my roping buddy!   John Ackerman - always fun.  Darren Afholter - another all around good guy..  Michael Bennett, always a lot of fun at the shows.   And cant’ forget Ed Weber.  I think we learned more from him in this last couple of years than in the 20 years before it.   No BS and we like it that way!  so many ‘trainers’ promise all these things that never happen and people just keep paying them over and over, I never understood it.  These guys are selective, you have to practically  ‘earn’ the right to work with them but its well worth it.  And don’t do your homework?  You might not get another lesson!

The Barnes’ had to put down Ace (Zippos Ace of Spades)…I know they would both be heartbroken.  Nicole was in Corinne’s class in showmanship this past congress.  They didn’t make the finals but I think Francine might have in select, I’m not sure.  Such a shame, two time world champ I think and I am sure many other things.  Going to shoot an email to Nicole and family.  This has been a bad year for some of the top horses, the Kents lost two also.  How horrible for them.  Especially just yesterday Corinne was practicing with Birdie and I was watching and thinking how lucky we are that she made it through and is sound!  They had a nice ride.  Bonnie worked hard with Honey (Bonnie is a 100% english rider which I don’t know if I mentioned before -pretty neat….she never even rode before last summer I think!).  I have neat video of Kaitlyn and Gracie - bareback in a halter, galloping around with arms out like an airplane.  It came out kind of dark so I have to see if I can lighten it up so I can post it. Or we’ll have to make another one. My camera gets funny sometimes, time for a new one.   One thing about all of us - we put our money where our mouths are. Doesn’t matter the temperature, the weather, whatever,  we are out there practicing.

Speaking of which - I was very proud this week of….

Kahle - I saw you giving Jake ‘good boy’ pats & praise after practicing your horsemanship stuff when you thought no one was looking.  And also walking him out until he was dry - even though everyone else was done riding and you were out by yourself.  Putting his care first even though it was late, it was boring, and everyone else was off carrying on because they were done - that’s a true horseman.  Even better — a real Pony Clubber!

Kaitlyn-You and Neko are like made for each other!  I know you were having fun cantering around and especially cantering the horsemanship poles but taking the time to make her walk and bend when she wants to go,go,go (same as you like to go,go,go!) and thinking ahead so she couldn’t anticipate the patterns like she is famous for.   Nice job. Congress is going to be awesome for you two!

Morgan-Miss Best Posture ever on a horse and always with a smile. I know you worked hard with your horse in a lazy mood, but the smile never leaves your face. I wish I had have the determination you do. I am pretty driven - but you put me to shame.  Best thing about Morgan - she can be nervous but just takes a breath and has a “let’s do it’ attitude. A few years ago when I wasn’t able to ride because of an illness, I got so tired of being afraid when I started again that I just decided it was going to be ‘year of no fear” which meant even when I was terrified I would make myself try. I am so glad I did or I wouldn’t be where I am now. Every time Morgan gives one of those grins it makes me think of that. I hope as she grows older she realizes how much of an inspiration she is even when she isn’t trying to be.

Emily-There was a time when she swore she’d never ride english and certainly not want to jump. She also used to say she wanted to just walk and trot.  And now, only rides english, jumps anything in sight, EXCELLENT with trail obstacles and has a patient and quiet manner that Gracie adores…actually too much maybe.  Now you have to ask and keep asking to keep Gracie going forward!  And Gracie is good at the trail obstacles and games…a couple of years ago that wouldn’t have been the case-Gracie was not patient enough.

Roseanne - Always there with a encouraging word for everyone, tacking up, cleaning up, adjusting blankets.  Thanks!

Bonnie-That little mischevious smile and the “let me try’ grin!  Quick learner, you’d never know she hasn’t been riding for years.  Bareback on Jake, putting bridleless cues on Honey just by watching us practice..

Kristi - Owner of the best thermos ever — always in mom mode with snacks, treats, hot cocoa, water.  Rides every chance she gets (hard with Kaitlyn who is on any available horse, all the time).  And queen of the laundry…her horse would NEVER wear a dirty or stinky blanket!  I can’t tell you how many times we walk into the tack room and smell april freshness - we just say, oh Kristi was washing again…..and I was practicing showmanship with Neko yesterday and Kristi came over asking something about when they play round the world with Gracie and what they should try - it was funny, it was the exact thing I was working on with Neko so was able to show her.  She notices more than she lets on.

Rachel B - lots of fun, owner of Seb…looking forward to getting together more this spring!

Rachel H -new to the group but fits in like she has always been here.

Rhiannon/Hannah-goofy, goofy, goofy (but great kids)

Derrick A - welcome!!

Carrie & Jen - we’ll throw them in here too!  (Carrie is an excellent Baker - her brownies are sooo good they are like buying them from Giant Eagle! (inside joke - nobody ‘buys’ bakery treats like Carrie…..)

Sandy & crew - looking forward to the programs and fun - and those rings of fire!!!

Ed and Doug - be prepared to be punked soon!  We do like our jokes and pranks!

We have a lot of fun and are lucky to know these people.  Its all about building each other up and having fun.  I feel bad I can’t get the kids to the youth show.  They sure deserve it.  I’ll have to make up for it in October!

my friend Carolyn just sent me this wacky thing……and you won’t be able to NOT do it…..

With your right foot while you are sitting down, make clockwise circles with your foot.   Now take your right hand and draw a big number six in the air — your foot will change directions!   You can’t maintain the round circle in that clockwise direction no matter how hard you try — your brain is wired differently!

Corinne falling down the hill

The kids didn’t all get to come over today but we still fooled around and played. The weather was perfect, not cold even though we were out rolling around in the snow.  We got 21 inches in our front yard but at the barn they didn’t get nearly that much, though still a little deep in places for the horses to be able to run. We are planning for next Sat to have our intertubes and play with the kids.  Though we did spend time jumping into the snow (and off the back of the truck) and goofing around (more video to come, my boss gave me a new ipod with video and all so we took some test video, corinne is going to upload it and we’ll see what it looks like).  the new ipod is neat, has built in speakers that I swear are as loud as my car speakers!

Playing with Jake

NEKO WILL SAVE YOU!! The horses were having their lunch hay when we got there and didn’t want to leave the pile…but here is Neko watching Corinne run down the hill and jump in the snow — the other horses were like ‘hey, lunch just got here so wait till we are done, but Neko left the hay to see what Corinne was doing.

Neko looking to see what Corinne is doing - see the video - Neko was embarrassed....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npuCAnBRHAE

Birdie and Jake in the snow, ready to play

Neko and Corinne playing in the snow

Something neat today.  The boy my husband is going to mentor from church?….Pastor Matt matched the teams up before they met…so Dan is talking to Derrick and asked what a big dream of 12 year old Derrick’s was…..get this— Derrick’s family has four horses - he LOVES to trail ride….and his big dream is to someday ride his horse in Montanna but they don’t have a trailer on their 32 acres.  Is that too cool? The one kid with a love for horses that no one even knew at the time!!!   So looks like we are going to be adding a 12 year old boy to our mix of fun and we’ll just see by end of the year how many places he has been to trail ride. Hmmmm looks like my husband will need a horse to trail ride!  Maybe my barrel horse?  Dan usually rides Jake on trails, but years ago he had a game horse, Cinderella, a 15-1 ish barrel horse, UNDEFEATED when he owned her, she never got less than a first in any game they played.  We’ll have to see, the most important thing right now would still be a baby or at least planning for next year’s.   Still waiting to confirm the logistics of the big excitement, I don’t want to say until we have the traveling worked out.    I think it was one year ago today that we rode Birdie for the first time, I’ll have to check the date on her video.  The horses were funny today, the weather was perfect.

I think its safe to say we won’t be headed out to any show!  But that’s OK, plenty more and at least we are ready.  This has been an awful winter as far as traveling…it seems like every big snowstorm has happened on a Friday/Saturday and ruined our plans!   We’ve got a little over five inches it looks like right now, seems to have slowed a little but we’ll see in the morning.    So excited about something in the works, it would be too cool….only bad thing is it happens early October and thats a busy month for us, but its once in a lifetime so we’ll see. I can’t believe we got the call so really hoping we can make it happen logistically.  Nothing like a national event to keep you on your toes!!    The other piece is in April so we’ll see!   Hoping to sled ride after riding tomorrow.  Talking to a friend at work about her horse — made me remember when I was a kid….here was what I was into then! Its funny how things that were so in back in the day look sloppy now, oh my gosh, I can remember a good friend who had this fluorescent yellow western pleasure outfit - back then to have chaps that weren’t black was like ’swimming pools, movie stars” rich.  They were wealthy and I remember the awe of those chaps.  Though I never really got into western pleasure, I have to say I enjoy dressing up to ride in trail!  Back then too, I remember if we had a 15.2 horse, it was HUGE!  My barrel horse was 16 hands and she was the biggest horse around.  Awards banquet next weekend.  Its not that cold outside, I think its around 25 degrees so playing in the snow will be a lot of fun.  I hope the kids come out to play, we can run the horses through the fields bareback in the deep snow and do the dive bomb snow angels.  You get the horse running and then make a leap into the snow.  Also good if anyone has a fear of falling off, especially with snow this deep, it will be a lot of fun.  I remember when Corinne was little, maybe 5 or 6, a whole group of us went trail riding and went running through this one field we knew pulling intertubes and making the snow angel game.  its too deep for the horses to run but I do want to get some pictures of them playing in the snow. May have to drive the truck tomorrow.   Everything going pretty good.  Very busy at work, I was made team leader of a major firm wide project, its a ton of work but moving forward very pleasingly..its been two years in the making to get to this point so its exciting to now have resources in place and be seeing results already.  The days have been flying by.  I go to the barn from work, get home between 9:30-10pm usually (some nights a lot later….), by the time you just get in the shower and eat, its time for bed but I have a little work to do and to break it up, will write here. Just helps me organize loose thoughts and then back to work.    Then back in my car pulling out of the driveway by 7am.    And then getting ready to commit to the big surprise project ….I keep thinking what am I doing!  But its once in a lifetime, don’t want to miss it. Thanks goodness for pepsi….  And I saw some dailys on the Secretariat movie today…that is going to be so cool!   I don’t watch TV often (maybe two hours a week total if its on in the background) and I only go to disney movies and very rarely, so its fun to be looking forward to a movie.

Jake & Kahle -- look at that smile!

they had a great ride. Kahle rode for about five minutes and immediately learned that where she puts her shoulders controls Jake’s speed, she sat up, she loped slow slow, leaned forward and Jake stretched out the stride!  Also learned to let her posting control the trot speed.

Honey and Morgan

Morgan and Honey had a nice ride - nice loose reins, nice square shoulders - and nice big laugh. Morgan has a great laugh and when we were playing round-the-world you should have heard her!  Morgan is so excited to show this year.

Neko and Kaitlyn make a great team (must be a gray horse thing - Kaitlyn’s pony Gracie is almost an exact copy of Neko!) .   I think they cantered more than anyone tonight, Neko even cantered through the horsemanship poles, never touched a one!   Kaitlyn worked on being soft and invisible with her hands and was all tickled when she had Neko  steering around with legs only.  Very nice job.

Neko and Kaitlyn jogging - and they played round the world too!

Gracie and Emily -round the world

Emily’s first time — we told her next time she has to do it by herself and walking!  she did a really good job.

Everyone had a good ride.  Still all in sweatshirts as you can see, but I think the thermometer was 17 degrees. The kids had good rides and we practiced a horsemanship pattern with canters and jog poles and a hand off.   Poor Bird!  she didn’t get to ride tonight, just played in the arena….she’ll work hard tomorrow.  The camera gets funny when its cold, it gets dark and splotchy so the pictures aren’t that great.   Another good day.  We all worked hard, we all laughed and had fun, horses are fat and happy and working great. Warm barn, laughing until your throat is sore the next day -  Its all good!!    The kids would love to go to the Youth Show in Ohio, if I had someone I could trust to take them all, I’d let my horses go, I just can’t afford the days from work to go unless we scaled back some other things and I definitely want to stay at congress as long as possible, its our very favorite show.  I hear that regionals are in Lexington again this year - my second favorite place-so I’d like to go there too.  The one show we talked about the last couple of years was that firecracker team tournament - we always say if we could get Carrie to go, we’d have such a good time. I am thinking with the kids all riding, maybe we ought to take a look at that one.  Kahle, Jake and Honey are pony clubbers now, so they will have a busy summer just doing that….I thought she’d be most excited about jumping but all she’s been talking about is dressage!  I hadn’t signed them up for the aqha program but need to get some schedules together and do it.  Neko did get her NSBA…I hate this time of year, trying to figure out where to go when.  Saw the funniest looking trailer - its a one horse four wheeler — here it is– corinne could pull it around with her car!! could you see us pulling into Ed’s with this thing!  haha ha!!

this trailer cracks me up...i dont even know if Birdie or Neko could fit!

sadly, its actually in good shape.  could you see jake’s head hanging out of the front window?

Something exciting happened for Jake today but the other person involved doesn’t know yet so its a secret.   Have to wait until we spill the beans!

It was about 20 degrees again today but we must be used to it now, was at the barn riding for a little over four hours.  Of course, Corinne still in a hoodie sweatshirt though she did break out some gloves.  The horses were all good.  Bonnie dropped by and was riding Jake bareback (first time ever) and sidepassing and had the most perfect forehand turn — super fast - like she had to grab mane, it was almost a reverse reining spin!  She also did haunch turns and jogged around the arena with a big grin on her face.   He is such fun to ride. He can just float in any direction.  I rode bareback for a while too, it is so good to have him home you just have to keep stopping to hug him, I never realized how much I missed him.  Neko is always so feminine- today while we were getting everyone groomed, we were working on Jake and Birdie first and she was in the middle of the two just batting her big brown eyes like hey what about me!   Corinne had pulled her blankets off to groom before riding and Neko must have been thinking hey! I’m waiting over here!  But she is much too polite to be pushy, she just does that Bambi eye-batting until she gets your attention.   When we came into the pasture today to bring them in to ride, she politely made her way to the gate, its almost since Jake came home, she wants everyone to know that she earned #1 ride slot and she is royalty right now.  Birdie — not so much!  She has all the exuberance of a 5 year old kid — she makes a lot of noise, comes barreling in at 100 miles an hour like pick me! pick me!    We have such good horses, they are a joy to be around.   They seem to really look forward to seeing us each day.   I was looking at the whiskers today, need to get Jake trimmed up.  Neko and Bird will get a trim though they get regular trims so they aren’t too bad.  Birdie was all excited to ride today, did a real good job, just have to get her stamina up following her foot injury.  Hard to believe the original injury was Oct 2008 and we are still dealing with it on occassion!  But at least she is never off, I am sure we baby it a little too much.   The horses are looking and riding good and are very happy. Its funny how you can see it on their faces.   One of the goals this year is to save money so all three horses can go to congress.  I know the kids are planning to ride also.  We need to get out to some locals this year to get more barrel/pole experience for Neko, they have a local show that has a Sat night games show.  Neko will get jumping experience and just add to her horsemanship, trail and western pleasure.  Jake’s job is to be himself with the surprise we’ll be announcing.  Birdie is just to get experience.  Lots of new things to try.  I had wanted Birdie to go to some winter reining but she was off about a month after ripping her scar off, I think today was her second ride in a month though she has been able to do showmanship still.   And the fun stuff with the projects - we may not show as much this year but I think we’ll be busier than ever!

Some people think when you have Jesus in your heart it means everything always goes fine, sunshine and butterflies, and if it isn’t then the person must be doing something wrong.  Its actually more the opposite. Jesus said many times that by believing on Him many will hate you. He said the world hated Him and therefore would hate you, not only that but persecute and worse!  That’s hard for a lot of people.  Some people think you should be a doormat, smile at whatever they say, give them whatever it is they want to use you for, etc. and then of course if you don’t, or if you speak up, they sneer with the old ‘well she calls herself a CHRISTIAN! HA!”   I always smile when I hear that. I am thinking you can’t debate the subject any further or defend yourself and you can’t convince yourself of an actual wrongdoing so you resort to namecalling.  Might as well just say ‘you big donkhead!” like the kids say because that’s what I hear.   I don’t hate anyone and if they hate me, their loss.  But if they need something, they know they can always ask me and I’ll do what I can.  Its sometimes like they need to feel better about themselves so if gossiping about me makes you feel better, then go ahead. You know its wrong in your heart but if you can live with it that’s OK.  Or as one lady I considered a friend said ‘well everyone does it”.  Maybe everyone SHE hangs out with, but not in my world and I feel sorry for you.  I still consider her a friend whether its reciprocal or not, I had some fun times with her and I think there are more to be had but that’s up to her.  I would like to think I could call up and say hey, i’m going trail riding - let’s go!  Maybe she would, maybe not, but the offer is there.  What I like about the real friends I am surrounded by is they tell it like it is.  We can be mad at each other from time to time but its quickly over and forgotten. I can trust them and I can count on them and know that if they have a beef, they’ll be the first to tell me and they are the first to tell me hey, you shouldn’t have  xyz.    I am not perfect by any means and believe me the Lord has his hands full just helping me through the day (and I thank you Father that you point these things out, pull me up and dust me off and always there to try and do better the next time).    Anyway, the story..…a mother and her daughter were baking a cake one day while the girl cried and whined about all the hurtful things happening to her at school, her boyfriend broke up, her best friend was moving away, she was failing a class and she was getting a big pimple…how could God do this to her!!  Everything was wrong!   As they talked, the mother held out a teaspoon of baking soda and said here’ have a taste…and the daughter yelled no, that’s disgusting!   As the mom dropped the eggs into the batter, she said here’, have a bit of a raw egg, and the daughter again, Gross!   As they talked, the  mother offered a taste of one thing after another, even cocoa powder which sounds good but if you’ve ever stuck your finger in, its bitter and doesn’t taste like ‘cocoa’ at all.     But as they pulled the cake from the oven, the  mother said a lot of things you don’t like went into this cake separately, but they worked together to create something very good.  Missing out on just ONE of the bad tasting things would have made it impossible for the complete cake to taste so good.    And so it is in real life.  As it says in Romans 8:28, ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose.  Not some of the things or most of the things, ALL.   Almost every day Corinne and I are sharing something cool about how God put something together and it is so neat to see it work out.  You would be shocked at how many miracles there are in a week if you actually started looking for them!   Things that seem so unrelated you’d never give a thought and then all of a sudden, you think well this couldn’t have happened without this doing that at just the perfect time.  There are no coincidences!   I don’t know what God’s plan is for us this year but excited to see it.    I know it won’t all be good at the time but we just have to remember to watch it come together. Like when Birdie got hurt - we didn’t know if she’d live let alone walk and it was a blow to our plans, but even at the time the most important thing was even if she can’t ever do anything, we just prayed she would be without pain.  And look at her now!  It was almost a year of DAILY cleanings, at least eight solid months of it, it was not fun, it was frustrating at best.  But if not for that, Neko would not have been pulled up to #1 status and got to get out and show what she can do and add all that stuff to her resume.   If Lauren’s horse hadn’t of died and she couldn’t afford another, she would never have met Jake and fulfilled a dream of doing the events.  Some things we haven’t figured out the good of yet, but it will make itself known.  And the people we’ve come into contact with the past two months and the workings toward our summer projects - would never have happened without a lot of heartache and now we are so excited!

Oh, and Corinne dressed up as a chicken for her work banquet -roasting the owners — pics to come!

Bad thing about indoor shows this time of year — sometimes they are cancelled due to cold or snow and sometimes its just a pain to get there because of cold and snow!

was about 11 degrees when we headed out today but heated up to about 20 or so once at the barn.  Jake rode great, and Birdie is back in go mode after she ripped her scar off her foot.  Pretty healed up, she rode today without a lame step and full of energy raring to go.   Its so funny just sitting on Jake watching Birdie go, it seems like yesterday I was watching Jake learn. Now here he is, doesn’t matter what happens around him, he stands quietly barely flicking an ear just watching.  We usually always have a horse in some stage of green, it just takes our breath away to ride him, we had forgotten what such a broke horse is like. You just think it and Jake knows and does it. I can remember that feeling sitting on Temper, like the barn could cave in around me and I’d be safe because Jake wouldn’t even blink.  Not that Neko or Bird would panic, but there is just an ease about Jake.  He has packed a lot of adventures in his nine years!

A friend sent me a list today, I usually ignore stuff like that but….I agreed with this one completely

1. Ignore non essential numbers - like height, weight and age.

2. Keep only cheerful and truthful friends

3. Keep learning - always

4. Enjoy the simple things

5.  Laugh a lot, until you are gasping for breath (you should have seen us the other day doing ‘around the world’ during walking the horses out - all of us spinning around bareback on the horses while you had to keep the horse walking fast -and the tumbles we took - backwards, sideways, upside down!!)

6. Let tears happen.  Grieve over lost friends and lost friendships, then move on.

7. Surround yourself with what you love - hobbies, horses, plants, keepsakes - whatever. Have a refuge.

8. Cherish health

9. Don’t take guilt trips and don’t say something different in private that you don’t say in public.

10.  Show people when you love them. Often.  With actions more than words

STAND STILL AND CONSIDER THE WONDROUS WORKS OF GOD.  JOB 37.14

2008 all around champ, eight circuits, couple of circuit all arounds

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Jake and Kahle cantering -- Jake sure remembers his show form!!

Honey and Emily also cantering

Kahle couldn't resist a little bareback while cooling out

It was 20 degrees outside tonight but easy riding in a hoodie or light jacket — very nice!   Kahle and Emily rode and did a real nice job.  Kahle jogged, trotted and loped with Jake…also while bareback tested out the sidepass - right across the arena!   Emily worked with moving Honey on and off the rail with her legs at a canter — very nice job!   It is neat having Jake home.  Hard to believe it was back in Aug/Sept that we started talking about it, it would have been fun for Jake to go to congress last year, hopefully we’ll make up for that this year.  He is a lot of fun to ride, he is so broke. He is still his big ham self!   I can’t take all that long mane, it just doesn’t look right to me but didn’t cut it tonight.  Can’t wait to go trail ride, I know Jake loves that. Its funny, last year this time there was a lady in the barn who was talking about breeding her TB mare to a quarter horse so she could get an aqha baby and we wanted to buy it, I think that is what started my baby itch. But at the last minute, she had bred back to a TB, we just assumed she had changed her mind.  So meanwhile we were talking to people about using Jake, it was very important to us that Jake get to trail ride as much as anything else so we were very careful.  When Lauren came and met Jake, we knew she was the right one, he liked her right off and as you saw on the picture of her and him together, the feeling was mutual.  Then later in the year when we were hoping to get Jake home to tune up for congress, the lady with the TB was talking with us and she said that money was tight when it was time to breed and that was why she had gone with the TB instead of the AQHA horse and I said oh man, I wish I’d have known, we’d have bought the breeding and gave her a few thousand to use the mare and then bred our own baby, plus she would be getting that incentive fund check every February as we go to a lot of shows!  So we both were kind of sighing about that, and somehow we got talking about Jake - turned out she said she would have made sure Jake got rode regularly too, I know she liked to trail ride and to jump so it would have worked out nice and Jake would have been home.   And he always has a slot in the trailer when we go somewhere.  So we would have had our own baby ready to drop now, but that’s OK, obviously it wasn’t meant to be.  Corinne is thinking since we didn’t find a baby we really liked, maybe go ahead and get Neko nominated and show this year and who knows, maybe have our own baby next year!    But Lauren did a lot of trail riding and also evented so it looks like we made a good choice.  It is so nice for him to be home.  Just seeing him with the kids riding around like Mr. Babysitter.  Very neat to see how far he has come.  I didn’t get to check out my bridleless buttons yet, hopefully in the next few days. I expect he’ll be a little rusty but he is a smart boy, he’ll pick up quick.   My biggest fear with Jake is the same as it was last year (even worse because Neko has now proven herself…..) if we have Birdie who needs to go and make mistakes and get experience and can only do limited events, it is soooooo easy to just say we’ll take Jake or Neko and then Birdie doesn’t get the time she deserves.  I know we wouldn’t do it consciously but it would happen.  I know people thought we were nuts sending Jake away for free after he had such a fantastic year, but obviously we made the right choice — Neko should have never won all she did last year, it should have been a building year for her and Corinne but Neko stepped right into Jake’s horseshoes from the year before.  It will be a little tougher with Birdie because she has a very TB look about her, so even though she can do a lot of the elements for trail, I don’t know how they’d like her in a western class, we’ll have to see.  That’s why a weanling filly would have been nice, we wouldn’t have felt so guilty!   So this weekend we’ll have a jump course up for the kids — and Jake!   And of course trail elements for Jake, he loves those two.    So….Bonnie’s new green medium sized truck from Virginia — pretty nice!  I saw it and said holy cow — i can still see the clear coat on the paint even though its a used truck!

Corinne got to ride Jake a little tonight to test out the buttons —still there!   He loped, he did a couple of beautiful flying changes, jogged, long trotted, reining spins….still such a fun ride!  And we didn’t even get to jump yet!   Half pass was there and he sidepassed clear across the arena.   Just going to put a little polish on the buttons over the next couple of days.  Forgot how much fun he is to ride. Hard to believe how different he is from when he was five.  You just think what you want to do and its like he reads your mind. Anyone could ride, and he won’t spook. Just good old trusty Jakey.

Neko also had a great ride and she worked on countercantering and did a couple of real nice flying changes (they would be Ed-approved!).  She is able to countercanter slow and pretty in smaller and smaller circles.   Bird just worked on her showmanship and was very good.   How lucky are we!   What a horrible predicament — which horse to show at which show??

Jake's pinwheel at one of the spring shows 2008 - all done with a rubber band - no sewing!

Grand champion winter hunter show!!

Jake - FIRST PLACE of 18

Jake comes home! (look at all that mane!!)

Jake and his girl, Lauren

Jake and his McDonald's apple pie celebration treat (his favorite) (and OH MY GOSH- the photo's not so great but that MANE hangs to his shoulder!) (Barn is warm enough we only need sweatshirts!)

Had to pull Jake's blanket...he's been in Erie this past year - then comes home to our super warm barn...he was actually sweaty with a blanket! He's still got his lope, even just relaxing in the arena.

The girls (Neko and Birdie) stuck together just running circles around Jake

Little Bird and Neko watching Jake run around

One more time for the mane...Jake has not had a long mane since he was 6 months old...

Great to have Jake home.   Thanks Bonnie who drove up to get him in the big black dually.  Also congrats to Bonnie who bought a ‘medium’ sized green truck from Virginia that was waiting for her when she got home today. Pics to come.  Her dad saw it and was so excited with how perfect it was, she bought it on his word.  The trailer hauled great.  It was windy and raining all day — so nice that just sweatshirts are all you need in the barn.  I knew I missed Jake but we had stayed in touch with pics and emails, I was surprised I was as excited to see him as I was. Lauren led him to the trailer to say goodbye.   When he got home, the girls weren’t quite sure what to make of him….they ran circles around him.  When he left, Birdie was his size, now she is several hands taller than he is!  Corinne had McDonald’s apple pies for him (his favorite treat).  He is a little fuzzy, but not bad, especially considering he has been in Erie!  I am sure being warm in the barn will help him shed, but not that he can’t make the Feb 7 show…I’m sure he will be fine by then.  You know what we’ll be doing next week, weather permitting — BIG  TRAIL RIDE!!!