Farm Use Tags

In Virginia if you have a vehicle for the farm, it doesn't have to be licensed or inspected like regular cars.  All's you need is a farm use tag.  J has refused to spend $4.00 on an official one so he turned the old license plate over and painted Farm Use on it.  Well, that was a few years ago and the paint has since pealed off.  

 So this is what the back of the truck looked like when a police officer pulled him over Thursday while he was driving between farms.  The officer asked J, "Is this a farm vehicle?"  Apparently, J was able to withhold any sarcastic comments because he didn't get a ticket, just a request to make a clear tag.

That was my project yesterday.  Does it look like a Farm Use vehicle now?  Hope the permanent marker holds up to the elements.  If not I know what J is getting for Christmas.

The Outback's Bath Out Back

With a break in the weather J was finally able to rinse all of the salt off of our car.  This was it's first bath since we got it in August.  

 With the nice flat spot out from the barn and the 100 foot hose, it makes the perfect place to wash things off.

With this background there has to be an ad for Outbacks here somewhere.

Otoelene Would Like to Show You Around

Not particularly great weather, breezy but it was above freezing, just barely but I had some free time so why not go for a little ride.  

 J was across the creek getting some wood.  I thought about going over there but that water looked pretty cold.

 Nice to see some piles of wood on this side of the creek too.

 One of the 8 gates I had to stop, get off, open, close, get back on.  Because of J's rotational grazing we have lots of smaller fields.  Sometimes I feel it would be nice to have just a few less gates to go through.

 Then we took a stroll through the goats.  It should still be a few weeks before they start kidding.  That white spot just to the right is Bumble, sleeping on the job.  Really she is just taking a little day time nap so she can be alert all night.  Check out the wind blown mane.  I almost didn't wear my helmet so I could keep my hat with the ear flaps on but I decided on safety first.  Maybe someone can come up with a helmet that has ear flaps too.

 Then a visit to the yearling calves.  Everything was a ok there too.

And this is what happens when you get over half an inch of rain on already saturated but still frozen ground.  Otoelene didn't seem to care, guess she is living with enough mud in her field too.  Had a great ride on a great little horse.

Bad Horse For Sale Pictures #8

Can we agree that a picture of a horse for sale should include the entire horse?

Riding Wrangler

Wow, we have had 2 beautiful days in a row.  After a week of single digits, mid 50's was amazing.  And of course, what better way to celebrate good weather, than to go for a ride.  

 E decided she didn't need to wait until March to ride. (She knows how to clean a hoof but she said she didn't want to turn her back on Wrangler for fear that he might try to take a bite out of her backside.)

 We are still lunging him before every ride.  He probably doesn't need it but I still think it is a good practice for now.  Plus, it helps establish leadership which he is sorely in need of.

I think we could make better progress with the lope once we are able to ride in the outdoor ring and lope for longer stretches.  But he is improving little by little.  We just need to get that head down.  How do trainers do that?

 And then some much needed sunshine.

What a glorious weekend for a ride.  Hope everyone else had fun.

Kit Kat Sunday #36

Kit is getting a little full of himself lately.  He was pretty demanding during his last photo shoot.  It took awhile, but I think I finally got one to suit him. 

 "Hey, there is something over there that is bothering me."

 "I don't want 'him' in my picture."

 "Let's try over here, maybe the lighting will be better."

 "Are you sure no one else has been sitting here?"

 "Wait! I think my eyes were closed."

 "Now my ear was twitching."

 "OK, let me take care of this cowlick."

"Stop it! I'm sure my mouth was open on that one." 

"This is just not the look I'm going for."

 "I think the back ground is better in that direction."

"Now your talking."

New Tabs

I've been working on adding some pages to my blog.  Check out the About Us and Our Horses tabs.