Moving Forward!

I was able to get in a ride on Meins this morning before the rains came. We did get a bit wet but it was not a heavy rain. Thunderstorms came later in the day. Yesterday I missed my lesson as my body was not cooperating. Sometimes I just cannot push myself as hard as I would like. The consequences are too high.

Meins was really quiet and we practiced what we did last week. Getting that faster walk is a stretch for me but I did not seem to have to ask him to move out as much this time, so maybe my signal is getting a little clearer for him. As long as I think and visualize what I want from him BEFORE I ask him to move then we get somewhere.

I'm learning A-M, I'm learning!

We got all the dirt for the front pastures yesterday and the fella was able to get it spread out. Today Klaus and I went to the new section and gathered up the bigger rock and boulders into the dumpcart and put them alongside the garage. Our poor lawn tractor probably never thought it would be working this hard! Neither did we! Welcome to the real world baby!

Paha on the move!

Wow! Look at my little boy! He looks so good under Ann-Marie's tutelage and tho he seemed a bit tired this morning he was fairly cooperative. He didn't want to back when she asked him so she kept at him and finally got his attention. I had to laugh because in the background, Meins was layed out flat soaking up the sun and some z's. Maybe that's what Paha was looking at or he was eyeing his girlfriends in the pasture nearby.

Even hubby grabbed a chair and watched the goings on around the farm for a few minutes.

Such a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy! So, out I go!!!!!!!!!

Time to remember.........

We have so much to be thankful for yet so many of us take our lives and what we do for granted. I think it would be wise to just sit, look around you and THINK of what one thing you absolutely cannot do without.

For me, my freedom to choose. Choose who I like to be with, what to wear, drive, eat and how often. Where I sleep at night. I am safe.

When I walk about my yard, I stop and smell the flowers.

I'm free to do so.

I like to watch the different birds at my feeders.

I'm free to do so.

Sit IN the pasture for hours and watch two beautiful horses that found their way to my home and heart.

I'm free to do so.

To be in love with someone I can voice an opinion to whether or not we agree, I'm free to do so.

So turn off the phone, TV, music and sit quietly and reflect on what Memorial Day really means to you other than a day off.

Appy Antics!

Can Paha be any more adorable than this? He just had to get every last scrap of hay left in the tire. What other way to do that than to just step inside. Oh well, they make me laugh!

He had a bit of a tough morning yesterday as I had the vet come out to check his eyes again. He had seemingly become so sensitive to sunlight we were either keeping him in during the day or putting on his fly mask when he was out. The stain test showed his tear ducts were blocked so doc got out this long thin hose and had to stick it up into his nostrils and suction out the blockage. Even though he was already drugged you could see that it hurt. Poor baby! It took 5 of us to guide him back into his stall then doc put ointment inside the lower eyelids and I stayed for another half hour till he seemed more awake before leaving.

I went back after a few hours to check on him and my trainer/my friend, (just one of those days!) and both were fine. That was when I found him in the tire. So, all is well for now, Both boys got the rest of their vacs and if we can keep other issues at bay it will be a great Summer!

Pleasant surprise!

I lay on the sofa yesterday for a few minutes with Anna,my 102 lb Doberman and Aldo, my 90lb Doberman suddenly jumped up from the floor hitting my arm and I heard it. A female hummingbird flew in thru the open patio door and buzzed over our heads briefly before going directly to the feeder in the doorway. I put the nectar feeders out Tues and Wednesday morning the hummers were buzzing around the yard. This is when I know the nicer weather is here to stay. This Spring my lilacs seemed to increase flowers making every stroll thru the yard and woods smell all the more enticing. We have been able to encourage so many beautiful songbirds to our feeders over the years. We have 3 sizes of woodpeckers we have named, Big Woodie, Little Woodie and Medium Woodie. We have seen the Flicker and a Red-headed woodpecker graced our yard one day when we heard numerous chainsaws running. The other surprise was having the Indigo Bunting back after a 3 yr absence.And there are 2 this time! Grosbeaks, Orioles and the some times annoying red-winged blackbirds are so entertaining and so friendly we have no problem being able to sit quietly nearby to enjoy them. So, go ahead and stop to smell the roses, lilacs, hyacinths whenever you can. It is a limited reminder of some of the pleasantries that surround us for us to enjoy.

Rode Meins briefly this morning. My only goal was to get on unassisted, practice our walk and be done for the day. So that went very well. Small steps.

Ann-Marie has gotten into the saddle on Paha! She said he is doing well with all of this. Good boy PA!

Meins and I had a good lesson with Ann-Marie yesterday. We are working on getting strength back in my legs and control. I'm working on just getting a straight-line walk and a faster walk. If I'm going to start trail riding with other riders my boy and I need to be able to keep up without exhausting ourselves. We are so pokey and I think Meins really enjoys a lazy meander down the road. I do too but there are times when we just need to kick it up a notch and get with the program!

Today is Paha's turn and we'll try having me drive him. He is finally getting that slick looking coat and being less winter-fuzzy. Seems as if he was just hanging onto his winter coat as long as possible. His fuzzy mane makes him look like a wild boy. It's still nearly standing straight up in the air.

Ahh, another good day to ride before the thunderstorms come.

To Mom's Everywhere...........

Motherhood.

It has to be one of the toughest jobs in the world. Even though there are thousands of books out there telling you what to do, there is not one book out there that tells you how to FEEL it. Joy, triumph, dissappointment, sadness, tradgety, pride.....helplessness. Just some of the emotions that moms go thru with their children. There is that fear of being a mother. Am I good enough? Did I say the right thing? What will the kids think of me? What will others think of how I raise my kids? You know what? If you are true to your kids, family, friends and a stranger or two, the little hiccups don't seem to matter much and get forgotten. All that matters is who you are and how you are with others and the rest just falls into place.

Let the little stuff stay little. Enjoy a Happy, Happy Mothers Day!

Everybody is working out!

Today I was able to watch Ann-Marie work with Paha one the driving lines. As you can see he is doing pretty well. He hesitates when starting off then gets it and moves out. Good boy!

Next she started to get him used to the sensation of the pull of the saddle when mounting, standing still and the weight of the rider. He backed up once on the near side and was corrected and as you can see he got it and stood still. Same on the off side, he backed up as she put her weight on him, correction and he stood still the next moment. So he is doing well with his training.

Rode Meins again yesterday and Katie caught me with my own camera. Sigh! I'm such a mess. My pants are 2 sizes too big and the hoodie does nothing for me. And that puffy face! ARRG! Sad. Hey, I had fun, rode my horse on this beautifully warm morning. Doesn't get any better than this!

The Summer of Dirt begins!

Whew, what a busy morning! Slowly

but surely spreading the sand in the
round pen and the top soil load had to

be dumped in the front yard. So I got out the dump cart and hooked it up to the lawn tractor and went around the yard filling small holes and bare spots. Stuff a bigger tractor would make more of a mess of. As soon as one of the next loads of dirt comes I can put the fence back together and get Meins home.
Since the vet bill for his eye was a nice chunk of change we'll wait till Fall to have Paha's wolf teeth pulled. Ann-Marie isn't using a bit yet so she said we could wait. He'll be home shortly after Meins then he will be allowed to just grow and mature a bit before she gets him into further training.
Well, time for a power nap then up to the farm and see which one of my boys wants to come out and play with mom!

Jeanne rides again!

Well I was on and had a great time on Meins today. My horse and trainer are so patient which makes it all that much better for me. Pushing me when I'm not ready to do something brings resentment, resistance and flat out refusal. Sounds like a horse! I'll get my "saddle butt" back and Meins and I will be out and about in no time.

Since Appys are said to have tough feet, my boys wear no shoes. I just love my new farrier Darrin Koob. He's patient, knowledgeable and puts up with Paha's desire to "dance" now and then. He'll move right in step with him and gets the job done. I am learning a bit from him, break over trim, Mustang roll, angles, alignments and keeping his,and Meins' feet in top condition.

I love being a hands on owner. Sure I could have just dropped them off and then when their training was over have them back. I want to know what's going on and the hows and whys of that action and if the need arises on my own, to know I can handle the situation. That's why these people mean so much to me. They stop and give me the time of day! Have a great one yourself today.

Derby Bird!

Did you don your Derby attire and sip mint Juleps? Well I didn't either but I did have some Pomegranate/Raspberry juice that was pretty colorful and tasty.
I thought it was pretty darn awesome that a 50 to 1 odds horse took the Derby by 20 lengths! It wasn't exactly a ground pounding, hanging on the edge of your seat run, but hey, a win is a win. A $9500 racehorse won the Derby! I absolutely love it! Just goes to show that money does not buy everything. So keep an eye on Mine That Bird, the Preakness is in two weeks, who knows what could happen next!

Paha is doing quite well with his ground driving and Meins just gives me that "when are we gonna ride" look. I'm coming as soon as I feel better and we are going to get going and get momma back in shape!