Always Catching Up

Poor neglected blog.  Has the era of the blog passed?  I really want to keep it going, and I do what I want (even if I don't do it well) so here we go.

I was working with Halla and Sawyer together a bit, and Halla and Juniper too, although I didn't get pics of that.  The idea was that she'd gain some confidence from having a calmer buddy with her.  I suppose it might have helped some.

We practiced ponying.  My thought that maybe her "extensive" mountain experience was as a pack horse - no way.  Not unless they were willing to take an unsafe horse as a pack horse.  She's too worried about the rope and the human.  If she were to get fouled in the rope you'd probably lose your whole string.  If a rope touched her hind end - hold on to your ass! But I was proud of her progress, eventually she was able to be brave enough to come up next to me and even let me touch her.

Sawyer loves her.

Very, very much.

Oh my gosh, we had an adventure this night.  I took Juniper on a relaxed walk to the north edge of the property.  She was having a nice graze, farthest from the horses, to make it fun to be far away.  Not that she minds terribly anyway.  I usually have to drag her back into the pasture.

Winston was staring off, being majestic.  Or that was all I thought of it.  I don't see or hear as well as he does, obviously.

Juniper was oblivious as well, looking toward the cars on the highway.  Then all hell broke loose and it looked like there were kangaroos leaping through the wheat stubble in the field next to us.  Deer, of course. Winston went to chase them, with me trying vainly to call him off.  Then he circled back, butt tucked, chased by coyotes.  The dry stubble sounded like sizzling with all the legs of all the animals running through it.  Juniper bolted toward home.  I didn't try to hold her with my crippled shoulder.  I was still trying to call Winston.  Those coyotes do bite but he considers it his job to protect.  Juniper stopped halfway home, staring at me and all the ruckus.  I was calling to her to try to calm her, kinda entertained by the whole situation.  The an HUGE deer circled around from the east and ran right at her.  That was it for her courage.  After convincing Winston to join me, I found her standing back at the fence with Scout and Bella, still a bit rattled but happy to be grazing with her friends.  What a goofy encounter, appropriate for a full moon evening!

Without getting long-winded about it, I will just say I don't know what I'm going to do about Halla.  She isn't safe for me specifically to ride since I lose my balance just walking across a room.  Even if I get through her worries, I do not want to risk my head.  So I'm looking at maybe another horse.  Or more specifically, a mammoth donkey.  I do have Sawyer, and I am so thankful for him!  But if we had one more, Liam could ride with us.

I dug this up off the blog from years ago - me riding old Bob. I don't think I ever rode him again after this.  He was so old.  I rode Pedro a bit.  But Pedro had bad hooves.  I think maybe I babied them too much... If they'd had more exercise would they have lived longer?  That's beside the point.  They were so comfortable to ride, although not really trained.  Donkeys are not reactive like horses.  They're so sweet.  Just a more doglike critter.  If I can find the right one, I think I might like a donkey to ride.  Will that make people not want to ride with me?  Horses don't always react well to longears...

This beautiful girl (foreground) is for sale but not trained. Good with her feet and trailer loading.  The right kind of handling.  Quite big enough, the right age.  I haven't met her yet.  I'd rather find one with some life experience.

This fella has been trail ridden but he's a jack (intact male).  Not ideal.  Totally docile but the mare he was kept with, in addition to geldings, was always pregnant so didn't stir the pot.  Not great with his feet. My back really wants something better than that.

Just yesterday I had a few more leads on donkeys but I've lost my voice so can't call, and apparently these people don't email.

Juniper had her first dentistry appointment.  She's four years old, we verified.  She had sharp points, a ramp in the front, and does have wolf teeth, but we left those for now since I don't plan on bitting her.  Oh, and I did measure her height recently.  She's roughly 13.1 and about 550ish pounds. A small person could ride her.  She could definitely pull a cart.  Someday...

Sawyer came along and they supported each other through the ordeal.  His teeth are holding up well for his age.  Not perfect by any means, but all there so far.

We went on our first trail ride of the season!  Finally!  It was great.  I miss my sister though.

Sawyer was a perfect gentleman, as usual

The weather couldn't have been better. 

I really like these ladies - hadn't ridden with them before though.  It was fun. 

I was trying Scout in a different bit and my treeless saddle, and John hadn't tried the treeless yet.  He didn't ask for one, so I think he likes his Cashel better.  He does like to have a horn on his saddle.  Scout likes the Myler combo bit so far, the 2 times I've ridden him with it.

Scout also likes to EAT!  Especially when he's nervous.  Look at that tasty grass.  Lucky horse.  But he gets silly when we ride at home, I think because his mama is here but he can't see her. I don't know.  Eating does seem to calm him.  Get his head down, let him quit thinking for a few minutes...

Sawyer, on the other hand, would not eat the tasty grass.  He was pining over Halla, who was alllll the way back on the other side of everything.  No appetite.  Love sure is rough.  Huckleberry and Winston, the black and white dots in the distance, were hunting wabbits.

Springtime...  Loving what I can get of it so far.  Can't wait for more riding to come!