Double Trouble

With just 3 cows left to calve we ended up with a set of twins. 

I don't even know how J found this second one.  He must have just tripped over it on the way back to the house after checking the cows.  

She was very well hidden and not with the cow and other calf. 

J had already walked the cow and 1st calf to the barn.  So we loaded this one in the truck to haul her there. 

The cow checked her out then butted her and wouldn't let her nurse.  We thought for sure that we were going to end up with a bottle calf.  

But when we got home from church, there she was letting both nurse.  We are keeping her in the barn lot for a few days until the twins are strong enough to keep up good.

Last Days

Wrangler has been for sale for some time now.  Due to two bad abscesses last fall selling has been on hold.  The last time I had his shoes reset, everything was looking good so I readvertised him.  

Someone that had called about him last year called again, came and looked at him and wanted him.  Unfortunately, the day he came to look, Wrangler's hoof looked terrible.  The abscess had grown out to just above the shoe nails, the crack widened and the hoof was weak and the shoe loose.  But guess what?? The buyer's  son is a farrier.  

So, despite loosing the shoe and most of the hoof wall and now being lame again, he still wants him.  So he is scheduled to leave on Friday morning. 

This afternoon we spent some time painting.  

I have one piece of paper left.  I have a stock of over 30 paintings so I'll still have plenty for ebay and donations.  Keeping my fingers crossed for Friday.

Repeat Trail Ride

Since J missed out on the trail ride a couple of weeks ago we decided to do it again by ourselves.  

There were a lot fewer trailers at the camp ground this time, 15 instead of 48. 

J rode Brother this time, 

and I was up on Jessica for her second ride of the year and first outing. 

 We rode thorough a variety of different landscapes,

 The range lands were beautiful,

That's the one cloud that was in the sky.

 J said Brother did like he had always dreamed he would.

Jessica did well for the first half.  

 We stopped for lunch at the hurricane sign, commemorating hurricane Hugo.

 The horses waited patiently for us to eat.  After lunch J did some slow trotting with Brother.  It was too fast for Jessica to walk to keep up but way too slow for her trot, so she ended up very agitated after that.  It took more concentration to ride her so no pictures of the second half.  She finally settled down after we stopped to talk to my endurance rider friend that we met along the way.

All in all a very successful and enjoyable ride.

Sweetwater, 100 first attempts

I thought I had desensitized her to about everything I could and now was the time to get on.  J didn't film the first attempt but it was about identical to this second one. 

This was followed by 98 more attempts with lots of circling until she would stand still again.  I never got on but she did start standing still for me to get close to this position in the stirrups from both sides. Every step has been a struggle with this horse, she gives up nothing voluntarily.  I've worked multiple times off a fence over top of her, with and without the saddle, even sitting all the way on her, but this was a slightly new position which apparently  required her usual over reaction. We may end up in Lexington with a very well ground trained horse that someone else can take and ride.

Sweetwater Week Six

Still haven't gotten on because every time I think I might I add something new that she then reacts to so the lesson is spent with the new thing.  Most recently, it was the reins going around her neck instead of through the stirrups like driving.  Around her neck was something new that she then had to get use to with lots of flexing.  

I also introduced her to Otoelene for the first time and ponied her around.  Have I mentioned how wonderful Otoelene is? 

Ignore the poor rope management at the end, could have been a wreck. 

Then after we mastered ponying inside, we went outside. 

 J has been walking up and rubbing her more and she is accepting of him.

She doesn't care too much for the bit.  I've let her just carry it for a couple of days but then yesterday I used it to drive her with instead of hooking the reins to the halter.  She fought with it most of the time, rubbing her head on her leg, pawing, pulling the opposite way from how I was pulling. but she finally gave in and did fine.  

Then she even got curious about other things in the barn.  Is painting in her future?

Sweetwater Day 35

Looks like ever day I work with her is a big day.  Yesterday was fly spray - great - western saddle - great - driving - lots and lots of work - and trailer loading - it was a start.

This video was after 2 hours of trying to teach her it was ok to turn away from me.  She kept ignoring the pressure on the outside rein and tuning to me which wrapped her up in the ropes which triggered kicking and bucking, which lead to the rope under tail,  well you can imagine.  She is getting more desensitized to the ropes every day.  I think I could about tie a rope to each leg and she wouldn't mind. 

Then since she did so well at the end of the driving lesson, and the trailer was sitting right there....I worked on that for about 10 minutes and got her on twice.  (Hard to take a picture in the middle of training so this is the only proof she was on there)

Good Fences #115

Two of my favorite things behind the fence in this shot, 

 bunnies and peonies!

For more Good Fences click HERE.