4-H Arena Day

We had a 4-H meeting at the arena on Sunday. (Yes, horse show Saturday, arena Sunday.  I think J may be getting tired of hauling us around)

 We had 4 kids and only one was mine this time. (V didn't go)

 E and Katelyn are both taking their horses to the State Show next month.  One on the classes is trail which has a required gate.  So, there was lots of practicing with the gate.

 E will also have a Working Western class that is a very simple version of a reining pattern.  She did some practicing with that.

 We brought Hank for Jordyn to ride.

Her feet don't even reach past the saddle pad but Hank did everything she asked.  She didn't canter at first because she said it was easier on  Spot  (the paint we gave her a couple of years ago)  but I told her once she got use to it Hank would be easy too.  Sure enough, she was cantering laps around the ring.  She finally got off after 2 hours and everyone else having already left the ring.  We might get her to ride in a beginner class at a show next month.

Thumper's First Show

We went to a horse show on Saturday with Pep and Thumper.  I had advertised Thumper for sale earlier this year and started riding him lots to get him ready for any potential buyers.  Several older women called or looked but wanted something more broke.  I kept telling them he's broke but just needs to be ridden, so I'm now doing the riding. 

 And just like I've said, he's a good horse.

 He was calm all day, looked sideways at a thing or two but no blow ups.

 I rode him in the ring a lot but only entered one  Adult Go As You Please Class.  He did very well, a little faster than I would like for western pleasure, more of a ranch horse speed but still very comfortable.  And this was only the second time he's had a curb bit.  The first time was the day before.  I always just ride in a snaffle.

There were gaited, hunter and western all together and the other horses passing a various gaits didn't bother him either. We ended up 5th out of 8.  I guess not too bad for his first time.

First Day

E's first day of 10th grade was Thursday.

 This is the first year she has not shared her first day with V.

 What to wear on the first day is always important.

I think she's ready.

Fridays Fences #46 and Shipping Cattle

Two posts for the price of one!

 OK, here's the fence.  I liked how the dew was dripping off of the gate with the barn lot fence in the background.

 J had me up and out at the crack of dawn to get the cattle in the lot.

 As usual, they were easier to tow than drive so J just pulled one of the feed troughs into the lot.  I think they look a little suspicious.

 But the draw of the feed overcame any apprehension and most of them came on in.  With a little help from the backside, I drove the other in too.

 There is always one hold out but in this case it was ok.  It was an AI bred Hereford heifer we where keeping anyway.

Oh, a bonus fence.  We shipped out a load of 70 head with an average weight of  #702, heavier than usual for us which is nice for a change.  They are now on their way to a feedlot in Nebraska.
For more Friday Fences click HERE.

New Horse?

I went with Sister L to look at a horse for her.  

 He is a 2 1/2 year old quarter horse gelding that's 14.3 hands and has had 90 days of professional training.

 He is very cute with a pretty face.

L is still on the fence about whether to buy him or not.  He has a very smooth jog but has been trained being spurred every step.  L doesn't ride with spurs so she would basically have to retrain him to how she rides.  He would make a nice western pleasure horse but because he has been so restricted in his movement it's too hard to tell if he would make a good trail/endurance horse.   Decisions, decisions.

Tuesday's Fences?

I know it's not Friday but fences are what we've been working on.  This latest patching was due to damage done before the wind storms. 

 The state road crew came through trimming trees along the main road and instead of blowing the chipped wood into a truck and hauling it off for mulch they decided to just blow it over the bank into a creek and onto our fence.  Granted, it wasn't much of a fence but they certainly didn't help things.

 It was a difficult spot to get to.

 J surveying the damage.

 E took a very long time to get across the creek.

 But she finally made and was able to help out.

 It's still not much of a fence but it's better than it was.  Hopefully, the cattle won't be hanging around here much.

Job well done.

Success With A Little Disappointment

We went to the 4-H  show at the Virginia Tech indoor arena today.  I thought this would be a good opportunity for E to work with Pep in a large indoor ring.  She gets a little nervous in the indoor arena at the State Show.

 E started out with Showmanship and got 1st.

 She then got 3rd in Go As You Please,

 1st in Western Pleasure, and 1st in Stock Seat Equitation.

 This got her the High Point for the Sr. Western Division. I think she was pretty tickled with that and Pep did her job well.

 V had gone with the expectations of going in an over fences class.  There was an hour break before her class where she was able to practice with the jumps.  Unfortunately, jumping over a fence post on a cinder block is not the same as jumping over painted poles with plastic flowers.  Hank didn't know what to make of it so he just stopped.  This threw V up on his neck with most of her weight in her left stirrup.  I guess 37 years is as long as you can expect a stirrup leather to last.  It broke and V ended up on the ground.  She wasn't hurt and a survey of the show grounds rounded up a spare and we were back in business.

 After some more schooling she was able to get him over the jumps but she said she wasn't comfortable doing it in a class so I reluctantly scratched her out of Hunter Hack.

 She got a 2nd, 3rd and 4th in her other classes. (some issues picking up the correct leads)

And ended up with Reserve Champion in the Hunter Pleasure Division.
All's well that ends well.