Today At The Barn

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Michele's lesson day.

Preacher being a good school horsey.

Giving Echo some treats.  He had the day off.

He's a cutie!!

Shirley

Preacher and Me

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Some photos of Preacher and me in our riding hay-day.  

(Before my back went south!)

He's a good boy even though he's sort of a grumpy old gelding now.

He definitely has attitude!

He was really fit here.

Me too!!

Trail riding on Hinckley 606 trails

Chagrin trail ride.

Around the lake at Horse Haven

To my barn buddies now:  See, here's proof I actually rode outside!!!!!

Shirley

A Little Halter Horsemanship

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I haven't really started riding again yet but I am enjoying doing a little on the ground training.  Yesterday I had a lesson on the maneuvers in halter horsemanship.

It's a show thing to show off your horse.

And handler, I think.

I don't plan on showing but thought it would be good to learn.

Preacher already knows about it as he was a 4-H horse before I got him and I'm sure showed in this.

He may be a little rusty but hey, I don't know anything yet.

This is just the very beginning.

I'm doing everything wrong.

Preacher is perfect!

You can see a little video here:

             

Next little lesson, I'll learn more.  Poor Preacher was quite bored!

Shirley

Cooling Off Preacher

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We, my daughter Michele and I, went to the barn and Michele rode Preacher for awhile.

The wash rack was filled so I used a cool wet towel to wipe him down and cool him off a little.

He really wasn't all that hot.

But I think he still enjoyed it.

I'm still not able to ride because of my back but I can play  : ))

You see Echo looking on.

He was our "photo-bomb"!

Shirley

Echo and His Vaccines

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I hate spring and fall as far as the horses being vaccinated.

Preacher just shows that he doesn't feel his best afterwards but Echo has coliced 3 times. 

Once was severe and the vet had to come back a couple times and finally tubed him and gave him the oil treatment.  Last fall he reacted too, sweating, and rolling and was tubed again.

So you can see why I get nervous.  I even hate the word "colic"!

Last fall we thought it was the rabies vaccine but he doesn't get that in the spring.

The vet is dividing the doses this spring plus giving him some Banamine and he got the first today.  I got there within an hour and he seemed fine.  However at about 2 hours he had a somewhat mild reaction in his stall.  He kicked the stall a few times and rolled.  He never got sweaty though.  They took him over to the arena with his "brother" Preacher and let them run and roam about in there.

He seemed much better after that as you can see in the photos!

Is this the drive-in window?

Carrots please!

OK, Preacher, the window is closed.

Time to go back to your stalls for your hay.

I've gotten no calls the rest of today, so Echo is fine.

I'm so fortunate to be at the best barn ever and Sarah and crew watch the horses so carefully and know exactly what to do.

Next week he gets his second half of the vaccines.

And I'll have to be a nervous mother all over again!!

But that's me!

Shirley

Ava's Riding Lesson2

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It's exciting to see a little one that loves horses that is just having her first experiences in learning the right way to ride.  We are in the right barn for this with very educated teachers!!  

(I wish I would've had this chance when I was learning to ride!)

I can already picture her with her little sparkly show outfit on!! 

(Wait I'm getting a little ahead of myself!!!!)

Here's a series of tiny videos of today.  They aren't very good because my iPhone video doesn't zoom.  (I'm hoping the new one does!)

I didn't want to run in the arena to take pictures like an irritating parent or Nanna!! : ))

                               


                               


                               


                               




                                

What a nice day.

Now Preacher has a job.

He looks happy!

Of course the hour went much too fast for Ava.  She wanted to keep riding but I couldn't stay today.  Next week, I'll stay after the lesson so she can play with Preacher longer.

Shirley

Ava's First Horsey Lesson!!

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Ava, my grand-daughter, had her first lesson at the barn with Stephanie Brown.

Ava came all dressed in her new jeans and her new cowgirl boots.

The first lesson was on helmets, safety around horses and safety around the barn.  She learned how to get a horse from his stall, halter him and put him back in his stall afterwards.  She also learned how to pick the horses hooves.  Preacher is a very good horse with the little ones.  He was a 4-H horse before I got him 10 years ago.

Next week she gets to ride and is super excited!!

New cowgirl boots with sparkles on the front. . . of course!

I'm going to love seeing her progress every week with the wonderful teachers at this barn!

Nanna  : ))

My Ugly Trail Contest Run!

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Well, I didn't exactly do well in the trail contest.  : ((

Preacher was acting up and I completely forgot about trying to do everything FAST.

Even though I felt calm, I was more worried about making it through all the obstacles alive!

(Especially after Preacher reared!)

Here's the video of my run which actually took 12 min 41 sec!!!

The winning ride was a young girl on a haflinger pony with lots of experience in these types of things at 3 and a half minutes!!  (Gives you an idea how slow my run was!!)

And I thought this was going to be so easy!!!  HA!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Well, it was fun anyway.

Shirley

Short video of the horses

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Calling in the Herd

You can view this a little bigger by clicking on YouTube.

Shirley

A Ride on Preacher etc.

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My daughter and I meet at least once a week to ride.  We got to the barn a little late and the trainer had just got done working Echo so we decided to just both ride Preacher.

It was still hot yesterday so Preacher had no energy and was ready to go back to his stall before we even started but he put up with us for about 45 minutes.

These pictures were just taken with my phone so any movement ones aren't very clear.

I love the deep, no dust footing in this arena!!!!

Good boy, Preacher.

I know those aren't very exciting pictures but the video I took wasn't any better and Michele would kill me if I put it on here  : ))

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So, here at home I got my coop signs put up.

This one is on the gate to the run.

My new handy man, who I really like, straightened up my garage as much as he could.  At least I can get my car in there!  Now I have to go through stuff and start ridding out!

My new handy man also cleaned out all my gutters on the house, even on the high part.  He cut down a bunch of dead limbs from my trees, cleaned up around the area, trimmed some of my hedges till my battery operated hedge clippers gave out.  He's bringing his electric ones next time.  He's going to power wash my porches, scrape them and paint them with oil based paint.  (I hate using oil based paint when I paint.)  Of course that's probably why the porches need painted every other year!!  I'll have him back in a week or two.  In the meantime, I'm working on my to-do list for him!

Well, that's it for this mish-mash post for today!

If it cools down, I plan on going to the barn the next couple days.

Be good.

Shirley

Riding Today with Michele

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Today Michele and I went to the barn to ride.  We're only riding Preacher because Echo is back in training almost daily.  He had his workout today!

Echo and Preacher are in the little green barn.

Doesn't Preacher look thrilled about this whole idea!

Nice huge arena with great deep, no dust footing.

Viewing room windows.  Sarah, the owner/trainer is gone this week with several others to a big show in Indiana.

Yep, 90 degrees in the arena!

A tiny video from today

After the riding Preacher gets a nice cool shower!  We have to wait till we get home!

Big lighted wash bay.

Needless to say, We Love It Here!!!!!!!!

Shirley