Monday, December 1, 2008

More of Champ


More of the same...just showing how he is with all 3 gaits, transitions, and remaining settled after the canter.


Sunday, November 30, 2008

"Champ" video-for Annie


This is me and Champ just working on lightness, stopping, backing up, and getting his head down.  He has improved drastically from when he first came to me.  The last back up is not the greatest as far as how he carried his head (you can see remnants of his former tie-down days), but was still soft and willing.  This video shows Champ immediately following me mounting up...so he was not "warmed up".  Somehow, we didn't get any of him cantering, but he has a great canter, no buck, stops easily from the canter.



This video shows Champ doing some ground work.  He is very soft online, rarely pulling.  He really likes lightness.  We have been working on building up to turning on his haunches, keeping his weight back.  He does not show how well he can go sideways in this particular video, but he does it well.  You can observe he is focused and paying close attention to all I ask of him.  He also has a nice, straight back up.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Miss Thang!

Well, with everything happening on the home front, Bailey has been enjoying her days off lounging in the pasture, eating the neck-high grass, and getting FAT! I finally had some time to play with her yesterday and today and boy did we have some firsts. Let me back track a bit. Day before yesterday a friend of mine, who now works at my old job at camp, brought in a horse, well, not just any horse, but my favorite horse from camp, Marquee, for me to ride for awhile. We actually traded horses, so she took Ranger back to camp with her. Well, Miss Bailey is quite comfortable with her 4 boys, but not this new guy. As soon as I turned Marquee out with Bailey and Festus she went "mare" on him. She was backing up and kicking at him, pinning her ears, the whole nine yards. It was actually kinda funny to see her really coming into her own. And let me tell ya...she has that mare thing down pat! One word can sum Bailey up these days...ATTITUDE! This morning I had lessons, so while Festus and I were using the round pen, Bailey and Marquee were begrudgingly forced to share the other larger corral. Man oh man, neither one cared for that idea. The kicking and pinning of the ears began all over again, with one minor difference. I noticed that Bailey was turning her backside to Marquee, but not always to kick him. She was lifting her tail at him because she was in heat! Yep, Miss Bailey is officially a woman....full blown heat cycle #1 has arrived!

Another first occurred yesterday afternoon. We were playing online in the round pen and I thought it was about time for Bailey to be introduced to the barrels. We put our nose on them first, both directions. Then we squeezed by them both directions. Then it was time to go over. Bloop, she went right over, both directions. She was a little feisty in the doing, being that she was in heat, but she only squealed once so I gave her a little slack. I think some of us ladies wished we had been given a little more slack when we "came of age", right?


Sunday, September 7, 2008

Goodness Gracious!

Well, I couldn't resist blogging again so soon since Miss Bailey just keeps on amazing me! Like I said last time, we have started working on riding/saddling prep. Today was the day I decided to try out the new "baby" cinch I bought for the bareback pad. First, I worked with Bailey for a while going through all the (Parelli) games and specifically working on improving each of them....making things a little bit snappier. She did fantastic with all of that so I figured it was time to try the pad. Again I rubbed it all over her from head to toe and then held the cinch (before tightening it up and securing it) under her belly and asked her to take a few steps. She was so nonchalant about the whole thing, which was so exciting! So, then I tightened the cinch. Everything was still kosher....then I asked her to move out on the circle. She walked in both directions, no problem! I then asked her to move up into a trot...still doing great! So then we tried the tell-all truth revealer, THE CANTER...AND.........she did great! No buck, no rear, no anything that she wasn't supposed to do!!! So far my proudest moment. Won't be long before we are riding!:) You'll have to excuse the pics...I had to take them with my phone's camera. They aren't the best, but it was all I had to capture the moment!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Grass Belly Girl

Well, much has changed since our last blog. Maybe instead of changed, I should say, gotten better! Bailey is continuing to grow like a weed. While we were gone on vacation I think her feet alone doubled in size.....AND.....I am pretty sure she grew another hand! Lately I have been really prepping her to be saddled and ridden. She is getting big enough that I could easily sack her out with my body and work up to sitting on her and asking her to do simple tasks like walk forward, stop, turn, and eventually back up. If I don't do it soon she is going to be too tall for me to take advantage of being able to just hop up on her. This week I decided I would get to work! So, we started with the rope around her chest and belly....tightening it up just like you would a cinch. She was such a trooper and just stood there, first with her ears moving around trying to figure everything out and then ears forward and attentive. I couldn't have asked for her to be any better! Next came getting "sacked out" with the bareback pad. I let her smell it and then rubbed it over, under, and in between every inch of her body all the way down to her feet and even over her ears and down her nose. She didn't move an inch and not because she was frozen in fear, she just didn't mind it at all. I also flapped the leather straps and metal rings around to make sure she was fine with the new noises around her and of course, she was. Then came the big test...putting it on and cinching up. Over her back went the pad and under her belly went the cinch. I tested it a couple of times by running the leather straps through the D ring without tightening it up and she was A-ok. I then realized I couldn't cinch it up completely because my cinch was too big...so I left that for another day. I couldn't have been more proud at how she handled everything and can't wait to try it again. You can see her progress in the photos from that day shown below. Also, Del Rio had so much rain while we were on vacation, the grass grew about 2 feet in the 7 days we were gone! Since no one has believed me when I have said that, I had David take a photo of me and Bailey in the grass out back...it literally was touching her belly and then some. The horses are in hog-heaven! I also included a neat, random photo my dad took of me and Scout riding bridle-less. Too fun!

On another note...when I dropped Bailey off at mom and dad's before leaving for vacation she did the most hilarious thing! I happened to look out the window to check on her and saw her standing by my truck and trailer. She was on the far side and Festus (her big-time buddy) was on the near side, closest to me and the house. Apparently, she was either so desperate to be close to him or too lazy to walk around, so she just decided to walk through...yep, right THROUGH the little gap between truck and trailer!! I couldn't believe my eyes! She just looked down and then walked over...all 4 feet...and didn't trip or miss a beat. I thought, how many horses would do that, let alone THINK to do that?!? What a little smarty pants!...a fearless smarty pants! Wish I had caught it on film! Next time.




Tuesday, July 29, 2008

New Photos of Big Girl Bailey

Still been busy with riding lessons, traveling, etc. so Bailey has been hanging loose for the most part. I did manage to snap some new pics of her which, I think, really show how big she is now. She is approaching 14 hands very rapidly! Blackjack better watch out...he is going to reclaim his title as the smallest in our herd pretty soon. Right now ALL 5 horses are at my house as mom and dad are on vacation. It has been such a joy to have them all in the pasture out back enjoying the shade from the trees and all the green grass both of which are few and far between over at mom and dad's. More to come!



Bailey next to Scout and Blackjack...won't be long before she is boss mare.


Napping is definitely a favorite activity.






Tuesday, June 24, 2008

New photos!

Sorry for the delay in posting new stuff. I have been busy starting my own lesson business along with a million other things. Bailey is getting bigger by the minute! She is really beginning to look like a little lady. She has been filling out a little more instead of shooting up so much. With being so busy lately our new experiences have been kept to a minimum. A few new things we have done include....Bailey's first REAL bath, a great laceration right under her right eye (which the vet glued closed and now you can't even tell), and acclimating to the daily 105 degree weather of the past month (which includes a daily spraying with cool water causing Bailey to feel a bit frisky!). I have photos of all the above and more....so I will just stop here and let you get to them. More to come soon!
The nice cut, which narrowly missed her eyeball!



Bath time!...needless to say, the cleanliness didn't last long. Bailey loves to roll!



Drying off with big brother Festus.



Aren't I gorgeous!...except for the clumps of mud and grass all over me!



Feeling frisky...


Can't you just see her cutting a cow or perhaps coming to a sliding stop?!?



So graceful at times...


My pretty girl!


Kicking it up


Monday, May 19, 2008

Bailey and Other Stuff...

I have really been noticing over the past few days just how much Bailey has changed and how BIG she is getting.  Sometimes, that BIG has nothing to do with her size but instead it refers to, "she is getting too BIG for her britches"!!  She is now pastured with our buckskin, Ranger, who is really teaching her some horsey manners.  He is definitely the alpha around here!  However, she IS cute as ever and even more gorgeous the more her winter coat slicks off.  I have attached some photos of her from DAY 1 and from this week, so everyone can see just how different she is now.  Also, the last thing on this post is completely unrelated to Bailey...in a way.  David, Dad, and I have been seriously talking about selling our black gelding, Blackjack.  And we had pretty much decided to because SOME people think I have too many horses.  HMMM?!?  It is just so hard for me to work with all the horses with them scattered over two counties, 35 miles apart...however, after today's photo/riding session with Blackjack, that decision is officially null and void!!  He was fabulous!!!  So fabulous, that he was offering up flying lead changes like his feet were on fire!!!  Be sure to check it out!!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Mas photos!


RUNNING to the barn







This is my favorite...


One for big brother, Scout, so he doesn't feel left out.




Whew! It has been a while!


Yes, yes, I know it has been over a month since the last blog, but life has been crazy and Bailey didn't learn anything new for a few weeks, at least not from me.  To give you an idea of what's been going on...first, my sister who is pregnant, caught the chicken pox!!  So, I ended up babysitting her youngest for a full week.  That was quite a task!  Then came a weekend of company, my mom's retirement party, a trip to Kerrville, and the list goes on and on, but I will stop with that.

On to Bailey...

Bailey is growing so fast that I can hardly keep up with her!  She is definitely going through a spurt right now as she is so leggy and lanky!  She is finally starting to put on a little weight after being off her feed those three weeks we were dealing with the ulcer and her coat is slicking off nicely.  Not that I am partial or anything, but she really is a pretty filly.  She has been enjoying her time off, hanging with big brother Scout and eating lots of grass in the pasture.

About a week ago it rained for the first time in months (I honestly can't remember the last time it really rained!) and she was hilarious!  She kept tucking her tail and hind end under her and turning in circles as if she had no idea what was going on.  I guess she was trying to figure out what was falling all over her...rightly so, since it hadn't rained since prior to her arrival.  She finally figured out that she could go stand with Scout under the run-in shed and be saved from the stuff falling from the sky that could possibly be trying to "get her".  Too cute!

Our biggest news is that today Bailey had her first visit from the farrier.  She was getting a little long on her back feet and a trim was long overdue.  So, starting sometime week before last, I began preparing her for this visit.  First, I used the lead rope around her legs to pick up
 her feet and teach her to give to the pressure of the rope.  She breezed through that.  Then I went on to squeezing her chestnut and having her allow me to pick her feet up with my hand.  She was great on the back end and so-so on the front.  But for the most part she would stand there without pitching too big a fit.  So, we continued this all last week up until today and she got where she would stand tied and let me hold her feet, tap on them, the whole nine yards!  However, I still knew that things would be different once the farrier got ahold of her.  Luckily, I have a very gentle and patient farrier, which is a hard thing to come by!  Lynn took his time with her and she only attempted escape 2 times!  He and I both were so proud of how well she did and now she has pretty feet once again!

Bailey also has all the 7 games down and is still progressing like a dream!  I can even put our new kitten on her back!!!  Bailey will just stand there, completely relaxed, even when the kitten hops down to the ground...then, of course, Bailey has to put her nose to the ground and follow her.  I continue to be simply amazed by how smart, easy-going, and confident this little girl is.

I am attempting to post a BUNCH of photos I have taken over the past month, so bear with me...it might take me creating an entirely new post, but I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!


Bailey sneaking inside the barn...


Bailey figuring out the "puzzle"

Part 2: Bailey figuring out the "puzzle"


Playing with the kitten as usual...oh, the kitten finally has a name...Lena

Just playing with my camera...











Sunday, April 6, 2008

Bailey's Big Trip

With the weather being so beautiful as of late, I decided (yesterday) to take Scout and Bailey with me over to my parents' for a couple of days.  Bailey has only ever been in a trailer 4 times prior to this, so I figured it would be a great time to further her "education".  Before departing, she refused to be led into the trailer with the halter, so as I had in the past, I backed the trailer up to her corral and shooed her in with no problem.  She and Scout spent the night in the large corral at Mom and Dad's and were pretty comfy with lots of hay.  This morning, however, I decided that Bailey had spent ample time greeting the other 3 horses over the fence and it was time to turn her out with Scout onto my parents' 25 acres.  I was a little worried about Ranger running her around, as he usually does with all "new" horses to assert his dominance, but he actually just followed her at a distance.  I was impressed.  Bailey seemed to enjoy the extra company and she fit right in with all of her big brothers.  It was too cute...all of them hanging out together.  Although, wherever Scout went, she wasn't far behind.  

The best thing of all happened as I was preparing Scout and Bailey for the trip back to Del Rio today.  I had already loaded Scout in the trailer and it was Bailey's turn.  I decided to try with the halter (not shooing) again.  I stood next to the trailer and pointed her in, then gave a little encouragement with the end of lead rope behind her and this time, she exceeded all my expectations by hopping right in like a big girl!  I couldn't believe it!!  Another proud moment to relish.


Bailey just seemed so photogenic today...I had to take a few cute shots of just her.  They turned out pretty well, but again, I AM partial!





Saturday, April 5, 2008

Patience My Darling...

Yesterday, Miss Bailey learned her first big lesson in patience...how to stand tied.  Tying is a wonderful tool if used correctly.  Tying can teach horses an immense amount of patience (and with that, to manage their emotions) and they can also begin to look at you like their savior of sorts because they realize you are the being that can "set them free".  Usually if a young horse is taught to lead well, tying should be no big deal and since Bailey has been leading and doing everything without me having to pull on her at all, I thought it was time.  So, I haltered her and played with her briefly to get her in the right frame of mind (before I just tied her to a cemented piece of pipe) and I did a quick check on how well she followed the feel of the halter when I moved a little more quickly.  She passed that test with flying colors!!  I didn't tie her hard and fast, but I looped her lead rope over the pipe a couple of times and made sure it was looped on either side of an upright pole, so she couldn't slide down to the right or left.  Looping the rope will ensure that if she does panic, the rope will come unwound from the pole to give her some slack instead of causing her to feel trapped and fight against being solidly tied.  She did so wonderfully, I almost couldn't believe it...but that's how she has done everything up to now, so I don't know why I was surprised in the least.  She stood like a perfect angel.  She did get a teeny bit ancy for a moment, gently tugged at the rope, but only as if to try to figure out if she was really attached and couldn't go anywhere.  Then she just stood.  I was so proud of her!  I am so proud of her...

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

That's Hot!


Bailey was introduced to another new thing today...the hot wire fence.  I led her around the perimeter, following behind Scout, and she paid it no attention at first.  Then as soon as I took her halter off, she walked up to it, stuck her nose over it and tried to graze on the other side...after all the grass is greener.  Then, zap!...the wire stung her just under her chin.  She acted surprised, but did not panic.  She quickly stepped away and proceeded to graze on HER side of the fence.  I have to admit it was a bit funny, but I am glad she learned this lesson quickly and without too much commotion.  Now, she and Scout have the run of the whole place and plenty of grass to munch on.


A Miracle!


FINALLY!!!  I thought I might never get this video uploaded.  Here is Bailey in all her glory...strutting around her new "pasture".  Oh, and please ignore the audio...David was yelling at me to stop making Bailey run around...but she was doing it all on her own.  So, you may hear me yelling back at him.  It was too funny!  More to come soon!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

A Week of Firsts

Where do I begin? So much has happened since the last post! Well, I guess I will start with the bad news. David and I decided to take a little holiday trip to Fort Davis for Easter. We left on Friday afternoon and our friend Steven volunteered to care for Bailey while we were away. The past week had been hectic for Miss Bailey with all the construction at our place, the other horses being moved back to Mom and Dad's due to the construction, the heat, our being gone, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and before I go on, let me add that Steven did a great job of taking care of her for us. We returned home on Sunday evening to find Bailey looking pretty normal, but having NOT finished her grain...which is highly unusual for her. She loves her food! So, I took the rest of the grain out of her corral and left her a flake of hay. I checked back in with her in another hour or so and noticed some (....READERS BEWARE....) runny poo, which is not normal for horses and usually indicates some sort of problem. She also kept laying down, occasionally looking at her belly, and she had a bit of a high heartrate...which can indicate pain. So, of course, I almost have a stroke thinking she is colicking. However, she was still acting normally...drinking water, having "movements", etc. So, we decided to leave her with a small flake of hay and check on her early in the morning. I went out around 7am and she was laying down and had not touched her hay from the night before. When she saw me, she got up and came to greet me. I went back a few minutes later and she was down again. I also noticed she had another (...READERS BEWARE...) runny poo bout. Well, that was it for me. I immediately called Dr. Vaden (the only horse vet in the area) over in Uvalde to see if he could see her and his assistant told me to bring her on over as quickly as I could. To make a long story a bit shorter, Dr. Vaden agreed with me that more than likely the source of Bailey's problem was an ulcer, not colic. Whew! I can deal with an ulcer. She had to spend the night at the hospital and has to have some wonderful oral medication for the next 2 weeks. The good news is that the medication will help heal the current ulcer(s) and prevent future ones. All in all, it was quite the ordeal for the poor little girl. Also, I had to bring Scout back to Del Rio to be her buddy which will hopefully cut down on her stress level. I snapped some pictures of her being "really stressed out" on Tuesday. She is soooo much happier with Scout home.






Now on to the exciting news! The fence in the front is just about finished!! We have completed the two long sides and closed off the remaining gap with some panels, so the horses were officially turned out Wednesday afternoon. They LOVED it!! Bailey was so glad to eat some real grass and stretch her legs. I actually managed to catch one of her BIG romps on video. It was hilarious. I got to see just how athletic she is...which was VERY exciting! The funny part of the video is that Scout was just standing there in the middle of all of Bailey's craziness as if he was wondering what all the fuss was about! (I am having trouble uploading the video, so you will have to check back to see it...argh!...technology!)  However, sometime during one of her romps, she apparently got her first boo-boo. She somehow managed to cut her muzzle above her lip on her right side. Luckily it was nothing too terrible and I was able to doctor it without her giving me too much grief. Horses! They will ALWAYS find that one tiny piece of wire sticking out! Gotta love 'em!




Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Spring Fever


Hooray!  The t-posts are up and the H-braces are welded and set in concrete!  All we have left to do is paint the pipe and stretch the wire, which will hopefully be done by the end of the week.  Then little Bailey can run and play and I will be able to see her out the kitchen window!  The front of the house is perfect for her with lots of shade and grass.  Sure is feeling like spring around here.


As spring grows closer by the day, Bailey becomes more frisky by the day!  As I mentioned before, she can think quite highly of herself at times and she just wants so badly to PLAY!!  David and I snapped some photos of her today, one with me next to her so you can see how she has grown since day 1.  I think she is going through a growing spurt as her legs seem REALLY long and gangly, particularly in the past week or so.  She might end up being taller than the 15 hands we were originally thinking.  I also managed to catch some video of her during one of her "I don't want to be caught, but I do WANT TO PLAY!" romps.  Finally, I had the camera with me!!  She really has beautiful movement and at the trot she almost seems to float.  Ooooo, I can't wait!!









What you can't hear is Bailey squealing at me whenever she takes off or kicks out or bucks!  It was too hilarious.  The guys working on the fence probably think I am crazy the way I was laughing at her.  You had to be there. :)